Origami paper is generally used for folding origami (the ancient Japanese art of paper folding), also called folding leaves (the ancient Japanese art of paper folding). As the only requirement for origami is to maintain the crease, any standard paper cannot serve the purpose. Besides, the paper needs to be thinner than regular paper to adapt to the acquired shape with all the required finish.
To meet varying needs, these paper comes in different types, sizes, and grades. But most commonly, they are available in square shape. At other times we can also find them in rectangular and circular shapes as well. Also, the most common type is colours on one side and plain white on the other. We can easily find these types of papers in
office supplies
, in art and craft stores or any
product search engine
online. It is important to know what type of origami crane or paper crane will suit your needs of paper folding with varying uses.
Famous types of Origami papers
Today when you walk in Japan, a 100-yen shop is the most common thing you will witness. Additionally, any art and craft store will have a dedicated display for amazing papers. Even on a retail search engine, you can find an array of paper that any origami folder will surely droll over. From traditional washi paper to advanced metallic foil paper and even the amazing glow in the dark papers, this article will share some of the most amazing origami with you to enthral your folding venture even more.
Standard singe-side origami paper
If you have ever folded an origami before, this is probably the paper you have been using. A standard single side paper is the best and most used all-purpose paper for folding. This is specifically helpful for beginners. The reason behind the recommendation for beginners is that the varying colours help the learners to understand folding and overcome the most frustrating issues one can face while folding. Constructively these papers are thinner as compared to standard papers used in notebooks etc. This unique feature makes folding easier while offering maximum crease.
The foil origami papers
Once you have had a grip on the single side paper, the next thing you need to try is the origami foil paper. These are made by adhering a fine later of metallic colours foiled to a thin sheet of paper. Generally, they are available in gold or silver. However, you can also buy packs of foil origami paper with various metallic colours like green, red, orange and purple. Although these papers can be fun for beginners, they can also turn into a scrunched ball if you are not very careful with them. But with practice, you can create more lifelike models using these papers.
The washi origami paper
A washi paper is an amazing option for intermediate to advanced level origami folders. These papers offer tasteful design elements to origami models. Plus, these papers have a pleasing feel to touch. Because of the material used, these papers have much larger fibres than standard paper, but you are limited in what you can fold with them. Moreover, it is tough to make a sharp crease with washi paper. Hence, it is ideal for simpler models that do not need any complicated steps of the sharp crease.
Glow in dark origami papers
We bet nothing can heave at the nostalgia of childhood like the phrase “glow in the dark.” Luckily, now we can enjoy the fun with a wide range of glow in the dark papers or folding leaves. They are readily available and easier to fold. They work just like the single side papers hence are great for beginners to learn and understand the folds while developing their interest in origami. This paper is slightly thicker with a bit rough to touch the surface. But they can still crease well. Usually, these papers are printed on one side which means one can easily follow folding instructions from a book using these folding leaves.