Paper

Paper weight and thickness is measured in grams per square metre (gsm).

Most paper is now manufactured from recycled paper sources. Virgin paper is made from 100% wood pulp and contains no recycled material.

Different types of paper and board have different uses, as shown in the table below:

Paper types and their uses

Type	Description and Usage
Layout Paper	Lightweight, inexpensive, thin white paper Used for sketches and initial ideas, takes colour well
Tracing Paper	Thin and translucent, expensive Used for making manual copies of drawings
Cartridge Paper	Quality white paper, available in multiple weights Can be used for simple model work
Bleedproof Paper	Smooth and hard, medium cost Used for water or spirit based felt tip pens
Coloured Paper	Available in multiple colours and thicknesses Used to mount finished work and to apply colour surfaces to models
Grid Paper	Printed square and isometric grids in multiple sizes, low cost Used as a guide for model making

Paper Sizes

In most of the world paper is available in sizes from A0 (biggest) to A6 (smallest). The most standard size is A4. Each size is half the one before, eg A4 is half the size of A3.

Cardboard

The thickness of cardboard (sometimes called just Board or Card) is measured in microns; one micron is one thousandth of one millimetre. Sometimes the thickness of cardboard is given in sheets. This refers to the numbers of sheets of paper that have been glued together to make the sheet of board.

Types of Board

Type	Description and Usage
Board	Thickness (between 300 and 650 microns) Range of colours Use to create models Thickness depends on usage
Corrugated Card	Strong and Lightweight Used for packaging protection Available in different thicknesses
Mounting Board	High quality thick card Coloured surfaces Used for final models and mounting work
Spiral Wound Tubing	Strong 3D printable surface Used for Packaging
Duplex	Foam based board Multiple finishes available Used for food packaging

Paper based boards can be laminated to other materials. The composition can be adjusted to create different properties for specific purposes, eg Point of Sale advertising in Shops.

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