Friday 18 September 2009

Using Mulberry, Silk or Handmade Paper

Printing On Mulberry Paper:
Neither Mulberry, Silk or Handmade paper is designed to be used on home pc printers, but with many crafters trying, this has been acheivable.
Silk mulberry paper is normally very thin and lightweight, it has fine fibres and strands which run through the paper, almost looking like threads. Mullberry paper is also sometimes known as handmade paper, it is normally quite thick and clumpy. Many designs are available, normally mulberry paper has patterns & designs with print and a coarse texture.
All handmade papers are made of unsealed fibres, so when printed on it could let the ink bleed slightly causing inconsistant printing and the varying textures may cause erratic printing finishes.
However it is possible to print onto them with some home printers & inkjets. It just takes a bit of trial and error. The only way to really find out if your printer is suitable is try it, being careful, maybe hand feeding 1 sheets at a time, wait and see. It is probably also best to use a bold font for the best results, and make sure you order a few extra sheets. (just in case!)

Tearing Mulberry, Silk or Handmade Paper:
Mulberry paper does indeed make a great accent to any Card Making and DIY Wedding Stationery project; however if you have never used it before here are some things you need to know before you go tearing away!!


1) Mulberry, handmade or silk paper is not meant to be cut. It is best when it is torn. This tearing technique can be used for tearing straight lines, curves & shapes.

2) You simply use a cotton swab or a paint brush that has been dipped in water, then "draw" the shape onto the paper, wetting and loosening the fibers.

3) Either follow a template for simple shapes, or use a ruler for straight lines.

4) As you pull the paper apart along the wet tear line, you will need a small pair of sharp scissors to cut any thick fibers that do not want to break apart on their own.

5) Mulberry, handmade or silk paper can overwhelm a layout if not used in moderation. So be careful not to overload your design, this is definitely a product in which a little goes a long way. Use this paper to accent simple designs, but do not let this dominate your project.


Punching Out Shapes from Mulberry, Silk or Handmade Paper:
Because mulberry silk paper is a very thin paper with lots of fibre strands. Paper Punches tend to chew the paper rather than cut it neatly and cleanly. The best way to cut mulberry silk paper is to sandwich it between two sheets of normal printer copy paper, place the three layers between the punch and cut. You may find this will only work with large punches, as there is not much room for the paper to be sandwiched in a small paper punch. When punched in this way the mulberry paper will be cut cleanly and crisply and you will have the shapes needed to make your invitations punched out in no time. The thicker handmade paper might not go through a paper punch, again this is trial and error. Practise makes perfect.

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