How do I make paper look old?

[CyberVampire]

Hi all.

Does anyone know how to make paper look old?

I'm thinking of making reproductions of some of the letters or diary entries from "Dracula" after reading the excellent "The Complete Dracula" Graphic novel, I've seen a thick yellow-y paper I'd like to use, which already looks good, but ageing it would make it look much better, any ideas? has anyone tried this?

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Coffee always works for me, dip it in and then let it dry. Add some well supervised time in the oven if you need more than that. Other methods include using tea, ink, dirt... Anything you can think of really.

 

[GrenadeKing]

Coffee works very well. I've made great reproductions of documents, box art, and paper money from the past using coffee stained paper. The brilliant thing is that each page turns out unique and, with practice, you can control the amount of aging to each piece. Once dry, they also take on a very crisp feel, like old time paper.

 

[Contec]

Tea works okay for me, as well as coffee. Instant coffee work very good, Check out Indiana jones Grail diary weathering tutorials on the net.

 

[CyberVampire]

Thanks for all the tips guys,

one question though, doesn't using tea or coffee make the ink run?

 

[Legion]

Thanks for all the tips guys,

one question though, doesn't using tea or coffee make the ink run?

I've used tea to age mine. Just make you that you laser print the document, and you should be fine. If you use an inkjet it will likely run.

Also, depending on the size of the paper, lemon juice lightly sponged onto the paper is good. You have to bake it in the oven, but be VERY careful about it. The good/great/no good timeline is a matter of 30 seconds. Trust me, I carbonized my first attempt when I wasn't giving it the full attention it deserved. :lol

Also, crumbling and smoothing of a document works, albeit not full compression. I usually do this as it's still wet, but dry enough that some of the creases will stay. Also, a wire brush to the edge is good. Burning the edges can work, but doing that too much makes it look like it got caught in a house fire, and not just aged.

Lastly, when a document is wet I typically make a tear or two in the edges. Tearing when dry looks to neat IMO. Here's my normal routine:

1. lemon juice and oven to get some darker areas.
2. tea bath to give a good average, but lighter than juice coloring
3. crumple/flatten as it's drying
4. tear while it's drying
5. let fully dry, perhaps iron out any really crumpled areas
6. wire brush to edges for aging
7. perhaps light sandpaper

Good luck, and post some pics!

Guy

 

[CyberVampire]

wow it's a lot more complex than I imagined! thanks for all the tips though

 

[4StarCustoms]

Anybody experience lingering smells with coffee aging? I had read about that so I used black tea with my aging.

 

[CB2001]

I did it once. What I did was that I had an assignment back when I was in high school was that we were to create an "artifact" about the Great Depression. Basically we not only had to tell a story about the conditions of the Great Depression, but our artifact was to look like it was old.

So, I created typed out a "journal" using a hand-written font and printed it out. I then soaked the pages in tea for a few minutes and then took a clothing iron and ironed out the pages. And it came out better than I was expected, primarily because it "aged" the ink as well, having it from one page sticking onto the back of another like old ink would in a book that hasn't been in a well-kept condition.

 

[division 6]

Depending on the type of coffee you use the smell will go away or last.
I have a few items I used flavored coffee on (it was left over in the pot) that retain a sweet smell where others that used instant or french roast don't smell.

Another neat trick I learned is once you age your paper and it's still a little damp crumble some instant coffee crystals in a few areas and it will create aged spots kind of like what older (real) parchment looks like.

Other folks use Walnut ink, Juno does this on some of her Harry Potter pieces.
You can also use vinegar and steel wool. Link

Many of the Indy and Cthulhu sites have a lot of interesting things posted for aging paper.

Another Link

 

[DARTH SABER]

I usually use sepia ink mixed with water and then put it in a small atomizer (or an airbrush) and spray it on the paper and then smear it with a paper towel (if needed). It seems to give me more control of the weathering.

 

[GrenadeKing]

Thanks for all the tips guys,

one question though, doesn't using tea or coffee make the ink run?

If you use inkjet, yes it'll run. I just make blank sheets of "aged" paper and then choose whichever one suits the project I have going at the time. Gives me a small stash to go to should I have a random spark of inspiration. Then I just take a piece and stick it in the printer.

 

[Michael Bergeron]

If you use inkjet, yes it'll run. I just make blank sheets of "aged" paper and then choose whichever one suits the project I have going at the time. Gives me a small stash to go to should I have a random spark of inspiration. Then I just take a piece and stick it in the printer.

This.

I print laser so it isn't a problem for me but if you pre-make blank sheets you can print ink-jet. For most printers though you'll want to make sure you flatten your pages well before feeding them in.

 

[Xxblackbird]

I'd also reccomend looking up old documents online. Depending on what kind of document you are reproducing, the age and where it has been stored, the weathering can look very different. If it's a letter that's been sandwiched in the pages of a book, it shouldn't really be all crumpled and ratty, etc.

 

[Alex_Kaeda]

Check out this post over at Propnomicon

Propnomicon: The Edge of Time

After reading that, i've been practicing more, and my technique has definitely improved.

 

[GDafi]

Buy several reams of paper, jump in the Delorean time machine, take them back to 1955, store them at Doc Smiths place out of the way, and return to now, go and pick them up. Instant(well almost) aged paper.

BTW might have had an ale or two, but it seems to be good idea at the minute:lol

 

[DB81]

This.
For most printers though you'll want to make sure you flatten your pages well before feeding them in.

So, true. Happened to me today. I was trying to print some Uncharted Diary pages. The first one turned out great, the second one stucked in the printer with a unearthly sound. I need to flatten them more for the next time.

For aging paper I use coffee or tea (depends on what I'm drinking at the moment), soak them wet and put them in the oven. I'll bake them to various degrees to get more different types.

 

[DarkHelmet]

Let them sit under a UV light for a week or two.

 

[DBCooper]

I age before printing and then do touch up after. I use an Inkjet. I feel it has a closer print feel to something that was printed fifty to a hundred years ago. Laser print is shiney or glossy.

I also Iron my pre aged pages. It flattens them well and gives them a parchment feel.

Best,
DBCooper

 

[CadetTK2386]

I mostly use the Tea method I use when I make Legend of Zelda maps:
The TK-Bear Crew - ( Prop Details )