Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Smoothing Waterlogged or "Cockled" Paper
Check that all designs/ink on the paper are colorfast. Dab a small, inconspicuous area of the design or ink with a wet facial tissue. If color transfers to the tissue, the paper is not colorfast. Do NOT proceed to the next step if the paper is not colorfast. Skip to Section 2: "Smoothing Crumpled or Creased Paper."
Apply moisture to the cockled paper, using a spray mister or the tip of your finger. If using your finger, take care not to over-moisten inked areas or smear them. If only one side of the paper is printed, apply the moisture to the unprinted side. Do not make the paper wet, only slightly damp.
Place the vintage paper between two sheets of blotting paper and in the press. Leave the paper in its press overnight, preferably in a warm, dry area, such as the top of a radiator or refrigerator. Change the blotting papers as needed until the paper is completely dry and flat.
Smoothing Crumpled or Creased Paper
Smooth the paper as best you can with your hands, while wearing the cotton gloves.
Lay the paper flat between two tea towels or other thin cotton fabric. Set the iron to the lowest temperature setting.
Work the hot iron over the tea towel from the paper's center toward the edges. When you have gone over the entire sheet of paper, flip, and iron the other side. Carefully remove the top towel and allow paper to cool.
Place ironed vintage paper in press overnight if some creases remain.
Reviving and Preserving Faded Ink
Scan or photocopy the vintage paper, if your goal is to keep a record of the information on the paper. Often scans or photocopies will show writing on the paper more clearly than the original.
Trace over the words on the paper with an archival pen or marker, if you are not concerned about losing value on the item and you have a steady hand. Match the archival pen color and thickness as closely as possible to the original.
Store the vintage paper in a dark place. Exposure to light is the top cause for ink on paper to fade.
Protecting Smudging or Peeling Paint, Charcoal, or Pastels
Suspend the vintage paper from a line with a clothes pin, or prop it on a nonporous surface in a well-ventilated room.
Holding the can at least 2 feet from the paper, spray the archival spray adhesive onto the paper, sweeping from left to right.
Allow the spray adhesive to dry for at least 24 hours, or the length of time specified on the product label, before handling the paper.
Removing Tape or Adhesive
Pulse steam from the iron onto the tape or sticky area. Be careful not to get any water on the paper from the iron. Lift tape from the vintage paper with a scalpel or razor blade. Use the eraser to remove sticky and tacky areas.
Glide the scalpel or razor edge under the corner of the tape and continue gently lifting the tape from the paper. If the paper begins to tear, stop. Begin scraping from a different angle, working toward the point of the tear. Try to minimize how much paper is lifted with the tape.
Rub sticky spots and adhesive residue with a soft pink eraser, moving it in small circles. Rub gently, or the paper may rip or wear thin.
Deacidifying Paper
Clean the paper with a soft paint brush, and remove any tape or sticky areas.
Check that all designs/ink on the paper are colorfast.
Prepare the deacidifying solution bath according to the product package directions. Magnesium hydroxide mixed with club soda or water is a common and inexpensive deacidifying solution. Combine 2 teaspoons of powdered magnesium hydroxide with 1 quart of club soda or water. This solution works best cold.
Submerge paper in the deacidifying bath. For particularly delicate papers, allow the paper to float on top of the solution, or lay it on a screen or plastic sheet for support during submersion. The deacidifying solution can also be applied with a sponge or brush.
Remove paper from deacidifying solution and lay on paper towels to dry for 5 minutes.
Lay paper between two blotting papers, then put in press. Allow to dry and flatten overnight, or until vintage paper is completely flat and dry. Change the blotting sheets as needed.
Repairing Tears and Missing Areas
Apply Japanese tissue or archival heat set tissue to the tear or missing area.
Tear a piece of Japanese tissue to the size and shape needed. Trace the shape needed for the patch with a wet paint brush on the tissue, then tear along the wet edge, where the tissue is weakened.
Using a paintbrush, apply the adhesive, usually methyl cellulose or wheat germ paste, to the tissue patch. Work from the center of the patch to the edges with the brush, being careful not to tear it.
Lay the patch into the hole or along the edges of the tear. Dab the tissue onto the paper with a gloved fingertip or clean brush to create the bond.
Allow the adhesive to dry for a few minutes, then lay the vintage paper between two sheets of wax paper, and place in the press until it is completely dry. Consult adhesive package directions for drying times.