Paper for printing decoupage images

[Craftdee]

Hi ladies, I wonder if any of you can tell me which paper is best for printing downloadable decoupage images. I don't want to use normal photocopy paper because the images don't look very crisp - they just look a bit cheap and nasty tbh. I've heard about silk paper but I have no idea where to buy it or what the costs are. Is this the correct type of paper and if so can someone tell me where to find it please?

Any advice help would be very much appreciate - TIA

[Karen Irvine]

:)you could try crafterscompanion.co.uk they have a pack of 15 sheets of decoupage paper for the printer it costs £3.99. Also createandcraft.com sometimes do the silk paper not sure how much it is though. Good luck.

[Craftdee]

:)you could try crafterscompanion.co.uk they have a pack of 15 sheets of decoupage paper for the printer it costs £3.99. Also createandcraft.com sometimes do the silk paper not sure how much it is though. Good luck.

Hi Karen

Thanks for your suggestions. It appears it's really hard to get hold of which surprises me as it's supposed to be such a popular craft.

[Nellyphant]

I use HP semi-gloss photo paper. I get it from Staples when it's on offer or my last lot was from Tesco on special offer too. Nice weight and it's a satin finish really.

[paddywhite]

Have a look at ICE A4 Pro-Duo-Matte Card 50 Sheets 220gsm. You will be able to find it by going into a search engine on the internet. This is a really smooth quality card, that is matt, but you can print on both sides. I not only use this for decoupage, but when you do a design on the front of the card that overlaps the edge and will be also viewed from the inside when the card is open, you can do a dual design on both sides. Hope this helps.

[Craftdee]

Oh wow! They both sound like great suggestions - thank you ever so much for that. I will deffo be buying a pack of each I think. Thank you so much for coming back to me.

[egglady]

hi,i buy my paper from staples 160 gsm and it about £5.89 for 250 sheets and i find it very good for decoupage,you can get it thicker i think but my printer has trouble with it with anything thicker than 160 gsm, don`t know if this is cheap

[pkcase]

Any thin paper you can get, 25# weight works the best for me. The trick seems to be in getting a good image .jpg
It helps the project if you use very little decopage as the first coat, let it dry throughly. Have fun!

[GamekeepersShed]

Hi all

i usually use matt photo paper round about 100gsm its good to use and easy to cut with either a knife or scissors i pay round about two pound for 500 sheets

[Craftdee]

Wow you ladies are good at finding bargains.

Pkcase - are you referring to this decoupage paste I've seen in the shops that gives the decoupage a glossy finish? At least I think that's what it does. I've never used it before but I'd be glad to know more about it if you do happen to use it.

[nin2three]

I use cheap photo paper from the computor shop you get 50 for £6 and its thin enough to do decopage hugs Cathy

[honeypip]

Another tip I picked up is to apply gloss varnish to the finished decoupage (once assembled) and, regardless of the paper you use for printing, as long as it is a good image to start off with, the gloss varnished finish is fab.

HTH

[Craftdee]

Ahh OK I never knew you could apply gloss varnish too - that makes sense. Thanks for the tip.

[sotonbelle]

Thank you for the suggestions on which paper to use. Until now I have been using ordinary printing paper and notvery pleased with the results. The recipiants are happy but I would prefer a more professional look. I will definitely try your suggestions as I print teabag papers also so these papers will work for them too hopefully