Why choose Paper vs Foam

Hello,

I am new to this (sorta), I started making an Ironman helm last year but never had enough time to finish it. Anyways I am planning on starting a Ironman build again and I've noticed that I see far more posts of suits made with foam these days than paper and well I'm wondering what's up?

Why do you guys choose one medium vs the other, what are the pros and cons of both?

My plan last year was to build a paper model and use clay/fiberglass to build some models I can make a casting of and then cast pieces in plastic for the final suit. That seemed to be how the best suits on the web were done but now I'm wondering why the craze with foam.

I think the biggest reason People are starting to use foam in because it makes putting things together so much quicker. With paper first you need to cut out the pieces which there are more of and then carefully stick each tab together. With the foam the pieces are less of and more simple. And when you stick them together it is also more comfy and can still look just as good. With a plastic coating you can either use it as the suit or make a mould of it.
But when it comes down to it I think it is just because it is quicker and easier and people are in general lazy and looking for the easiest option. I am trying both that the moment and finding that using foam for the neck and hands of the iron man suit are far easier than paper.

Paper
PRO:
-cheaper
-easier to cut
-give a sharp edges and more exact dimension

CON:
-time consuming
-a lot of detailed cut
-more parts
-to make a dent or build thickness requires more effort
-without resin or fiberglass, it is just not strong enough.

Foam
PRO:
-less parts
-it can be bend, more organic shape
-sturdier
-it can be finished without fiberglass/resin
-faster build

CON:
-some find angle cut is troublesome
-less detail

There are more pros and cons, and the above statement still can be debatable. And cons can be converted to pros with experience/knowledge/creativity (and so on), and it also can go all the way around.

To use paper or foam is just a personal judgment. These are just a media to be use to create replica. Just like clay and so many other options. Other member tried to do hybrid (combining paper and foam) which I wanted to try myself.

To help you determine, perhaps you should look at:
-budget
-skill
-tools available
-patience level
-available time vs deadline
-availability of the supply
-creativity level
-expectation vs reality check
-source of information/help/assistance
-others

Hope it helps

Hmm, so I guess that's about what I was thinking. I feel like I can get a better result with paper and I just found this Silhouette SD cutter thing thanks to this site which will cut my time and stress investment in half! So I'm pretty stoked about that! haha

I might try the foam/paper hybrid for certain parts, that sounds really interesting, really interesting for areas that need to be flexible (hands, joints, neck etc) yet aren't a major part people look at closely like the head or chest .