How to Make Paper Glossy
Introduction:
Glossy paper is a type of paper that has a high gloss finish on one or both sides. The surface can be either smooth or rough and may contain an embossed pattern. Glossy papers are used in magazines, catalogs, brochures, postcards, greeting cards, and other advertising materials because they give the page a more modern feel. They’re also famous for scrapbooking since they’re easier to write on with pens and markers than standard copy paper. However, there’s no single answer to how you should make your glossy papers; it all depends on what you want them for. In this article, I will discuss how to make paper shiny. So let’s get started.
Stepwise Guide on How to Make Paper Glossy:
Step-1
Stir the water, Corn syrup, and Glycerin together till it dissolves well.
Step-2
Take two parts of warm water into a small bowl and dissolve the glue in it completely. Sprinkle some salt on top of the glue solution for better results. Place this glue solution into an empty tub or pan and put it aside for further use later on.
Step-3
The volume of Toner paper you’ll be using, and the proportion will depend upon your need, but generally, you can easily take a 1:9 (toner to warm water) mixture with no problem at all. First, warm up both solutions separately before mixing them because cold toner papers may not have a good effect when used with warm solutions. Now mix these two solutions and stir them till both the solutions are well mixed.
Step-4
Now, take one of your nice glossy paper sheets and place it into a tub or on a glass tray that’s transparent enough for you to see through. Then pour this mixture over the top of your shiny paper sheet slowly by keeping the toner surface wet at all times; otherwise, you may end up with pressing marks later on.
Please do not touch any part of the sheet because it will reduce its glossiness and absorbency. Let this layer dry out completely before putting in another coat, or else you’ll have water stains instead of glossiness underneath.
Step-5
When this thin first layer dries out completely (usually about 15-20 minutes), sprinkle some salt again onto another empty tub or pan and pour the glue mixture over it once again. Now take your shiny paper sheet out of the tub and scrub the glossy side with a hard bristle brush to remove some excess water on its surface.
Step-6
Then cover this wet glossy paper sheet into the new tub with glue solution fitted in it just like before (step #5). Repeat steps #5 & 6 about 3-4 times till you achieve an optimum level of glossiness from your shiny paper sheets.
Step-7
You can keep reusing this same each time you want to make them glossy but if you think they’ve been used enough, let them dry completely before throwing them away as these papers will easily catch fire when dried under strong heat room temperature.
Step-8
If you wish to get rid of any glossy or wet spots, apply a coat of diluted ammonia solution (1:4) and rub it off with a clean thin cloth while the paper is still damp. This will absorb most of the excess moisture from the sheets leaving behind a matte finish which can easily be removed by rubbing out these spots after they’re completely dried out later on.
Always try to keep your hands dipped in water during this entire process because if not, they’ll catch fire as well when dried under strong heat at room temperature; hence, care must be taken while doing so.
Step-9
You can also use only warm water instead of salt for better results, i.e., adding Salt will make your glossy papers matte, while warm water will make them glossy. You can also use only distilled water by itself, but you’ll have to apply many more coats so that it won’t be that effective after all.
Step-10
After you’re done with your paper sheets, never let them dry out in the open as they will harden and become useless if dried under strong heat at room temperature; hence care must be taken while doing so because these papers are extremely delicate when they’ve been made glossier than usual like this.
Always keep them inside a sealed plastic bag or some other air-tight container for better results.
Step-11
The above process works very well with ordinary copy paper, computer printer, laser printer, inkjet prints, and glossy magazine prints.
Step-12
The benefit of doing this is that you can easily decorate your house with all sorts of decorative paper sheets. You can also try applying a coat or two to create some interesting & unique handmade greeting cards, calendars, and photo frames for decoration purposes.
Moreover, the normal glossy sheets get torn off very quickly when they’ve been made slightly wet or moist; however, after such thin coats have been applied onto them through this process, their tear resistance level increases dramatically, thus making them more durable than ever before.
Step-13
remember to keep these papers away from direct sunlight at all times because it will alter the properties of the surface once again, thus reducing their glossiness completely while returning them into ordinary papers even if you’ve been religiously taking care of them till now.
Therefore, you must store these in a cool, dry place if you wish to keep their glossy finish for a longer period of time; otherwise, direct heat & sunlight will ruin their beautiful glossy finish pretty easily.
Step-14
The upper layer that sticks to your shiny paper sheet is fragile and should have a slippery feel once it dries up completely, which can take anywhere from less than 10 minutes to about an hour depending on the thickness/how much glue solution has been used and how many coats were applied afterward on top of each other, i.e., more coats mean thicker coating and hence it’ll take more time to dry out completely than if only a few (1-2) coats are applied using thinner glue solution after each other.
Step-15
Always use a thin cloth that’s been dipped in water first to apply each coat onto your shiny paper sheets; otherwise, it will quickly catch fire when dried under strong heat at room temperature, as mentioned earlier because the glossy surface sticks to whatever you’re using like glue if not rinsed off with water before getting applied on top of any layer hence why care must be taken while doing so.
Conclusion:
I hope this article has been beneficial for learning how to make paper glossy. Thank you and have a nice day!
