Weathering maps and such...

[Goodwolf]

I'm sure it's been covered to death and it's a horribly noob thing to ask, but when I did a search on "weathering" and "weathering paper" there were about three thousand threads came up.:wacko

I've got ADD and I'm unmedicated so that won't work for me. :lol

I've read some of the ideas, tea bags and the like along with Juno's suggestion of walnut crystal washes. Problem is, when I tried it on some stuff I made the ink smeared and ran like crazy and ruined the original image.

So what is a good "base layer" to do before the weathering process? Inkjet but on specific types of paper? Laser? A combination of both?

Just wondering what I should be working towards, and whether I should look into getting a specific printer for myself or just have it printed somewhere and do the weathering myself...

 

[Indy Magnoli]

It really depends on what look you're after. If you want something that just looks the part, the easiest way is to start with off-white/ivory paper, stain it first (with coffee or tea, I prefer the former) then feed it into your inkjet. You can then further brown the edges with a heat-gun (the type used for paint stripping, among other things).

Now, if you want to copy something exactly, you probably need to do the printing first, in which case, you need to use a waterproof ink (or toner) to prevent running.

Another great option for browning edges is a floral coloring spray as it is transluscent. It will darken your paper, without lightening your text. This can be used on water-based inks as long as you don't spray too much on at a time.

Kind regards,
Magnoli

 

[Goodwolf]

Thanks Indy. :thumbsup

 

[Forestmoonstudio]

What is the best size paper stock to use? I see alot of maps that look thick. I want to try my hand at a few but not sure what to use.

 

[Indy Magnoli]

It really depends on what your printer can handle. I prefer using 104gms (28lb) paper for most of my work, though if you want something heavier, I find that watercolor paper works great for old maps (it's what I use for my Thror's Map replica).

Kind regards,
Indy

 

[BigJoe88]

Will coffee eventually damage the paper the same way i understand tea does because of the tannic acid?

 

[Indy Magnoli]

I've got coffee-aged documents that are 10-15 years old now and I don't see any apparent damage, so I guess not.