Walk into any craft shop and you'll find entire aisles devoted to paper. Walls of coloured cardstock, spinning racks of patterned sheets, stacks of paper pads in every conceivable theme. It's simultaneously thrilling and overwhelming. Which papers do you actually need? What do all those weights and specifications mean? And how do you avoid spending a fortune on materials that don't work together?
Paper is the foundation of scrapbooking and paper crafting. Every layout, card, and embellishment begins with it. Understanding paper types, weights, and qualities isn't just useful knowledge. It will genuinely change the quality of your finished work. This guide will take you through everything you need to know, from the basics of acid-free stock to the more adventurous world of specialty papers.
Why Acid-Free Matters
Before we talk about types and weights, there is one non-negotiable rule in scrapbooking: your paper must be acid-free. Acid in paper causes it to yellow, become brittle, and deteriorate over time, and crucially, it can transfer that deterioration to the photographs stored alongside it. Ordinary printer paper and most craft papers from bargain stores contain wood pulp acids that will damage your layouts within years.
Acid-free paper has a pH of 7 or above. Most paper sold specifically for scrapbooking is clearly labelled acid-free, and many manufacturers also make their paper lignin-free. Lignin is a natural polymer in wood that breaks down into acids over time. For truly archival-quality results, look for paper that is both acid-free and lignin-free. This is the gold standard for memory keeping.
Understanding Paper Weight: GSM Explained
Paper weight is measured in grams per square metre, universally abbreviated to GSM (or g/m²). The higher the GSM, the heavier and thicker the paper. For scrapbooking purposes, you'll encounter papers ranging from around 60 GSM to 300 GSM, and each range has its appropriate use.
- 60–90 GSM: Thin, lightweight paper. Good for layering, origami, and tissue-style accents. This is similar to standard printer paper (typically 80 GSM) and too light to use as a page base.
- 100–120 GSM: Medium-weight paper. Ideal for patterned sheets used as background papers or layering panels. Sturdy enough to handle adhesive without buckling, but flexible enough to fold cleanly.
- 160–180 GSM: Medium-heavy cardstock. A versatile weight for journalling cards, matting photos, and creating light structural elements.
- 200–220 GSM: Standard scrapbooking cardstock weight. This is the workhorse of the craft, solid enough for page bases, card fronts, and most structural uses.
- 250–300 GSM: Heavy cardstock. Excellent for card bases, box-making, and album covers. Some die-cutting machines struggle with this weight; check your machine's specifications.
For most scrapbooking projects, you'll work primarily with 200–220 GSM cardstock for backgrounds and structure, and 100–120 GSM patterned paper for decorative layers. Having both weights available gives you the range to build properly structured, visually interesting pages.
Cardstock: The Backbone of Every Layout
Cardstock is heavy, smooth paper available in solid colours. It forms the base of scrapbook pages, the mats that frame photographs, and the structural elements of cards and projects. Good cardstock should cut cleanly, score without cracking, accept ink and adhesive well, and hold its shape without curling.
When buying cardstock, consider the finish. Smooth cardstock is the most versatile. It stamps beautifully, prints well from inkjet printers, and gives a clean, professional look to matted photos. Textured cardstock has a linen, canvas, or hammered finish that adds visual and tactile interest, though it doesn't stamp as crisply. Both are useful to have in your stash.
Building a core cardstock collection means covering the basics: white, cream, black, grey, navy, brown, and a selection of your most-used accent colours. From this foundation, you can coordinate with any patterned paper you bring home.
Patterned Paper: Where Personality Lives
Patterned paper is where the real fun begins. Available in an almost infinite range of designs, florals, geometrics, stripes, vintage maps, seasonal motifs, watercolour washes, patterned paper brings instant character to any page. It's typically printed on 100–120 GSM stock, though premium ranges can be heavier.
Most patterned paper is double-sided, with a different but coordinating design on each face. This is excellent value: you essentially get two papers for the price of one, and the reverse is perfect for smaller elements, tags, and journal cards where you want a subtler version of the front design.
The key to using patterned paper well is restraint and coordination. Rather than choosing papers you love individually, choose papers that work together. A layout that uses three papers from the same collection will look more intentional and polished than one mixing unrelated patterns, even if every individual sheet is beautiful on its own.
Paper Pads vs. Individual Sheets
You have two ways to buy patterned paper: as individual 12×12 inch sheets, or as coordinated paper pads, collections of 20 to 80 sheets all designed to work together, typically in a spiral-bound or glued pad format.
Paper pads are the better starting point for most crafters. They eliminate the coordination problem entirely: every sheet in the pad was designed to be used alongside the others. Pads are also usually very economical per sheet. The downsides are that you get a fixed selection of designs, and some pads include sheets you love and sheets you'll rarely use.
Individual sheets give you complete control because you buy exactly what you want. They're ideal when you have a specific layout in mind and know precisely what you need, or when you want to restock a favourite pattern you've used up. The cost per sheet is typically higher, and the coordination challenge falls to you.
Most experienced scrapbookers use both: paper pads for the bulk of their stash and creative browsing, individual sheets for specific project needs and stocking up on neutrals.
Vellum: Translucency and Elegance
Vellum is a semi-transparent paper with a smooth, slightly waxy finish. It sits at around 90–110 GSM and its translucency makes it one of the most distinctive specialty papers available to scrapbookers. Layered over patterned paper, vellum softens and diffuses the design beneath, creating a misty, ethereal effect. Used as a journalling block, it allows your background paper to show through while keeping text legible.
Vellum requires specific adhesives, most standard glues and tape runners will show through or cause bubbling and silvering. For attaching vellum, use brads, eyelets, or stitching wherever possible. If you must use adhesive, apply it only along the very edges so it's hidden under a mat or border, or use a vellum-specific adhesive that dries completely clear.
Transparency Sheets and Other Specialties
Transparency sheets are entirely clear acetate, available plain or pre-printed with designs, sentiments, or patterns. They add a genuinely contemporary look to layouts and are particularly effective for titles, quotes, and overlay designs.
Beyond vellum and transparency, the specialty paper world includes:
- Kraft paper: brown, recycled-look stock perfect for vintage and rustic themes
- Foil paper: paper with a metallic foil surface, ideal for festive and glamorous projects
- Watercolour paper: heavily textured, excellent for painting directly on your layout
- Glitter cardstock: cardstock with a glitter surface that doesn't shed (unlike loose glitter); adds sparkle without the mess
- Mulberry paper: fibrous, handmade-looking paper with soft, feathered edges when torn
Colour Matching and Coordination
One of the most underrated skills in scrapbooking is colour matching: the ability to look at a photograph and identify the two or three colours that will best complement it. Your photo is always the starting point. Pull colours directly from it: if your subject is wearing a red coat against autumn trees, your layout palette might be red, warm amber, and cream, with a touch of dark brown for depth.
When you take your photos to a craft shop, hold potential papers up to them rather than trusting your memory. Colours that seem close at home often clash under shop lighting and beside the actual image. The few extra minutes this takes will prevent expensive disappointment.
Neutral papers, white, cream, grey, kraft, are your best friends in colour coordination. They complement almost any palette and give busy patterned papers room to breathe. Never underestimate how much work a well-placed neutral panel does on a layout.
Storing Your Paper Stash
Paper warps, fades, and absorbs moisture if stored poorly. Keep your paper away from direct sunlight, which fades colours unevenly, and away from damp environments, which cause rippling and mould. Ideal storage is upright, in a cool, dry room.
For 12×12 paper, a wooden or acrylic paper organiser with vertical dividers is the most popular solution, you can flip through sheets quickly and they don't get bent. Smaller offcuts and trimmed sheets are best kept in clear plastic envelopes or recipe card boxes, sorted by colour, so nothing is wasted.
Once you have your paper stash sorted and stored, you're ready to put it to work. Our guide to essential tools for paper crafting will help you build the toolkit to cut, score, and assemble your papers beautifully, and our beginner scrapbook layouts guide will give you practical starting points for your first pages.