This time, a hundred people voted on what kind of paper they like to use for papercrafting!I was a bit surprised at how many people use the same, 180-200 gsm paper that I like to use, because usually, people tell me they use something a little thinner. ;o)
100-120 gsm seems to be a good runner up, but lots of people also seem to use regular printer paper, and although photo-/glossy paper may give a nice, shiny finish to your paper models, it doesn't seem to be very widely used amongst the people that voted...
You can still vote on the old polls if you haven't done so already, and if you did, here's a new question for you:
"What do you do with your paper models after making them?"
Don't hesitate to tell us a bit more about your choice in the comments!
Have fun voting!
I voted for 'work', but I don't do just 1 thing. I build different models for different reasons. Some I keep at home (very few), most I bring to work for my desk, and the remaining few are given to others.
ReplyDeletei usually just put them on my shelf. Sometimes i give them to friends (O.J. I don't have any *sarcasm*)
ReplyDeletePS It's mah birthday!!
For most people there propably won't be just one definitive answer, but I think they will be able to choose one that fits best. ;o)
ReplyDeleteMost of my own models are somewhere around the house, be it on my bookshelf or in a cardboard box to keep them safe until I take them out again. ;o)
(PS: happy birthday Oli Gig! ;o)
Could I just point out the fact that regular printer paper is not 40-45 lb? It's 20-24 lb here, which is 75gsm, it's just the lb side is a bit screwy. And I use 32 lb to build with, which is also not on the poll.
ReplyDeleteHere's a picture of the weight on my paper pack, just to show: http://i.imgur.com/0plYy.jpg
Yeah, the gsm<->lbs conversions are really only approximations *at best*...
ReplyDeleteThe problem is, that the gsm system has only one variable (the weight) while the lbs system has many, so it's impossible to make one, definitive conversion...
The biggest variable seems to be the *kind* of paper that the package is:
According to the tables (link 1 or link 2) the 32 lbs<->120 gsm paper in your picture seems to be of the Bond/Ledger type, but the same 120 gsm paper would have been:
-in Cover kind: about 45 lbs
-in Index kind: about 67 lbs
-in Bristol kind: about 55 lbs
-in Text kind: about 81 lbs
-and so on...
So as you can see, in the lbs system, it makes a *big* difference which *kind* of paper you buy....
In the end, everybody has to determine for themselves of course whether they like to use thicker paper or thinner paper. Once you build a few models, you can easily feel whether or not the paper is too thick or too thin, and then next time, you can buy the same kind, thicker or thinner based on whatever was on the package. ;o)
I started out with 160 gsm but when I discovered that 220 was cheaper, I now use the later for all the models I make. It's a bit tough to roll but the finished model is pretty sturdy.
ReplyDeleteUsually it's the other way around of course, with thicker paper being more expensive! ;o)
ReplyDeleteBut often, even if there is a small difference in quality, most people don't even notice when using it, so it's a great bargain! ;o)
I also like to use pretty thick paper because it makes the paper model nice and strong, and pre-shaping the parts helps take the tension out of the paper (sometimes the tension can even work for you! ;o)