non-fading replacement for colorful construction paper

February 11, 2009 3:22 PM

Construction paper's beautiful bright color fades. What paper should I use instead?

I use to make elaborate mosaics using extremely tiny pieces of construction paper. Several years later, these have faded terribly. I want to get back into it but I want my art to last longer this time. The array of colors in the scrapbooking supplies really draws my eye. Do these fade quickly? I would like the paper to last about five years.

posted by Foam Pants to sports, hobbies, & recreation (9 answers total)

Pieces of colored cellophane? I think that any colored paper will fade with time and sunlight.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:39 PM on February 11, 2009

Look for any paper that is acid-free. Also, keep it out of sunlight. If you frame them, go for UV coated glass. Construction paper is super-fail when it comes to lasting any amount of time.
posted by idiotfactory at 4:14 PM on February 11, 2009

Canson. Ask at any art supply store. Comes in a variety of colors and is (iirc) 16x20 inches per sheet. ~ $3/sheet.
posted by tingting at 4:30 PM on February 11, 2009 [1 favorite]

There is "fadeless" paper available at any teacher supply website. Unfortunately my internet is not working properly right now or I'd send you a link. I've used www.classroomdirect.com many times with great success.
posted by sisflit at 4:49 PM on February 11, 2009

Often, "fadeless" paper really isn't fadeless. Acid-free is always going to be better, however. You can coat your finished product with varnishes to help preserve it, and store it in a dark, dry place like a portfolio to help keep things brightly colored. Tingting is right on the money with Canson, but I have had it fade on me super-fast in sunlight, depending on the color.
Find yourself a good, local artist's supply store (not a craft store) and ask a clerk for suggestions.
posted by Mizu at 7:12 PM on February 11, 2009

origami paper? very bright, and you can get it in solid shades. cheap, also.
posted by chickadee at 7:58 PM on February 11, 2009

S&S carries ColorSplash and other slower-fading papers. With paper art, you have to accept that there is absolutely no paper in the world that doesn't degrade over time - better quality paper lasts much longer, but to slow changes you have to keep paper art the way museums do - closed up, away from light, in acid-free folders, in moisture-adjusted environments.
posted by Miko at 7:59 PM on February 11, 2009

Whatever Jen Stark uses.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:32 PM on February 11, 2009

With paper art, you have to accept that there is absolutely no paper in the world that doesn't degrade over time - better quality paper lasts much longer, but to slow changes you have to keep paper art the way museums do - closed up, away from light, in acid-free folders, in moisture-adjusted environments.

Miko's right here, but just to reiterate: it's not just your paper itself that will cause fading, but also the adhesives you use, the material you are sticking down onto, the material you store them next to in a cupboard or on a shelf, the amount of sunlight it gets... Acid-free is the watchword but unless you carry it the whole way through it's not going to resolve it - it's well worth reading up on, and I think your original thought about scrapbooking supplies might be a good lead, as they will often be acid-free obsessives making things to last.
posted by carbide at 2:22 AM on February 12, 2009