{"id":4652,"date":"2016-03-30T13:50:04","date_gmt":"2016-03-30T04:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.fromjapan.co.jp\/en\/?p=4652"},"modified":"2019-07-03T12:04:38","modified_gmt":"2019-07-03T03:04:38","slug":"japanese-origami-paper-how-to-choose-the-right-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.fromjapan.co.jp\/en\/japanese-culture\/japanese-origami-paper-how-to-choose-the-right-paper.html","title":{"rendered":"Japanese Origami Paper: How to Choose the Right Paper"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, when visiting Japan, you can walk into almost any 100-yen shop, art store or craft shop and find an amazing array of origami paper that any origami folder would drool over\u2014from traditional washi paper to metallic foil paper, and even glow-in-the-dark paper! Keep reading to learn more about the types of Japanese origami paper and which one is right for you.<\/p>\n


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Photo by fdecomite on Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Popular Types of Japanese Origami Paper<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Much like other traditional Japanese arts, origami offers the folder a fun, meditative opportunity to create and share; but depending on what you\u2019re creating, you need to choose the right paper. Here are the most popular types of origami paper available\u00a0in Japan.<\/p>\n

Single-Side Origami Paper<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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If you have folded origami before, this is likely the type of paper you used. Standard single-side origami paper<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0is the best all-purpose paper for folding\u2014especially for beginners. This is because it\u2019s designed to help overcome some of the frustrating issues you can face when folding. So what makes single-side origami\u00a0paper easy to use?<\/p>\n

Reason 1: It\u2019s Thin<\/h4>\n

Compared with standard paper used in printers or found in notebooks, single-side origami paper is very thin. This thinness is particularly helpful because as you continue to add more and more folds with each step, the origami model naturally becomes thicker, and at some point the folds may tear if the model becomes too thick.<\/p>\n

Reason 2: It\u2019s Easy to Fold<\/h4>\n

Beginners will want to use origami paper that makes creasing easier. If this is hard to picture, compare folding tissue paper and printer paper. Of course tissue paper is easier to fold, but it\u2019s also more fragile and will easily tear. Printer paper, on the other hand, is more difficult to fold, but it\u2019s also strong enough not to tear. Single-side origami paper fits somewhere between tissue paper and printer paper\u2014it\u2019s easy to fold but strong, too.<\/p>\n

Reason 3: It\u2019s Easy to Understand<\/h4>\n

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For beginners, one of the biggest difficulties with origami is comparing the instructions in an origami book with what you are holding in your hands. To show\u00a0if you’re doing the folds correctly, origami books illustrate the instructions to match what you see if you are using single-side origami paper. (They show this by using the color grey to indicate the color side of your paper, and the color white to indicate the white side of your paper.) If the paper you are folding is the same color on both sides, following the instructions in the book can be more difficult.<\/p>\n

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Search for Single-Side Origami Paper<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n

Foil Origami Paper<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Ella T. on Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once you are comfortable with single-side origami paper, the next paper to try is definitely foil origami paper. This paper is made by adhering a thin layer of metallic colored foil to a thin sheet of paper. Traditionally gold and silver were the most common colors; however, you can now buy packs of foil origami paper<\/a><\/strong><\/span> that include a variety of metallic colors like red, blue, green, purple and orange.<\/p>\n

This type of paper can be fun for beginners, but can often turn into a scrunched up ball if you are not too careful. With foil paper, your creases will hold almost exactly how you want them to and you can create a more lifelike shape for your model with subtle bends to the paper.<\/p>\n

Some intermediate and advanced origami folders also use foil paper as a way to make non-foil\u00a0sheets of paper hold their shape better. For example, if you have a sheet of tissue\u00a0paper, you can use adhesive spray to attach a thin sheet of foil paper to the backside of the tissue\u00a0paper. Once the adhesive dries, you then have a beautiful sheet of origami\u00a0paper with the ability to fold it like foil paper.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Chris Lott on Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>
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Search for Foil Origami Paper<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n

Washi Origami Paper<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Laitche on Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Washi paper<\/a><\/strong><\/span> is a wonderful choice for intermediate and advanced origami folders. It offers a tasteful design element to origami models, and the feel of the paper is very pleasing to the touch.<\/p>\n

Because the materials used to make washi paper include much larger fibers than standard paper, you are limited in what you can fold. It can be difficult to make sharp creases in washi paper, so it’s actually ideal for simple models that don\u2019t require complex creases or many steps. One important point to remember: Especially with solid color washi paper, too much handling can loosen the fibers and cause the paper to look fuzzy or worn out, lessening the beauty of the paper and your creation.<\/p>\n

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Search for Washi Origami Paper<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n

Transparent Origami Cellophane<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Transparent origami cellophane<\/a><\/strong><\/span> can be fun to experiment with, but you probably won\u2019t have much fun with it unless you\u2019re an intermediate to advanced folder. The reason is because\u00a0unlike paper, cellophane is difficult to crease and once you make the crease you can\u2019t undo it; however, because it\u2019s transparent, you can be creative with\u00a0how the model interacts with light.<\/p>\n

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Search for Transparent Origami Cellophane<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n

Glow-in-the-Dark Origami Paper<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Ardonik on Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nothing tugs at the nostalgia of childhood quite like the phrase \u201cglow in the dark.\u201d You can now buy glow-in-the-dark origami paper<\/a><\/strong> that is as easy to fold as single-side origami paper, which means it\u2019s great for beginners. The paper is slightly thicker and rougher, but the creases hold very well. Usually, the glow-in-the-dark ink is only printed on one side, which means you can still easily follow the instructions shown in origami books.<\/p>\n

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Search for Glow-in-the-Dark Origami Paper<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n

Origami Tools<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Origami doesn\u2019t require much more than your fingers, but below\u00a0are a couple of tools that can be\u00a0helpful.<\/p>\n

Origami Books<\/h3>\n
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Hello Kitty Photo Source: Amazon.co.jp; Tsum Tsum Photo Source: Amazon.co.jp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yes, there are wonderful resources available for free on the Internet, from PDF downloads to YouTube videos. However, there are also an endless number of beautiful and fun designs that can only be found by actually buying an origami book\u2014but please don\u2019t limit yourself to English books. Because origami symbols and instructions can often be understood simply by looking at the illustration in each step, you can successfully fold models from Japanese origami books<\/a><\/strong><\/span> without being able to read the language!<\/p>\n

If you find yourself scratching your head while trying to figure out a difficult fold in your origami book, we suggest watching this video by Aileen Edwin Origami that walks you through\u00a0common origami fold symbols.<\/p>\n