How to Remove a Crease From a Paper

The longer a paper is folded, the deeper the crease will be.

Removing a crease from a piece of paper is tricky. The idea behind it is simple: You apply pressure to the paper in the form of weights so the crease will disappear. But the process can take a lot of time, because all you can do is leave the paper under the weights until the crease is removed, or at least fades. The deeper the crease is, the more weight -- and the more time -- is needed to remove it, and there is no set formula for determining how much weight or time is necessary.

Things You'll Need

• Flat surface
• Plexiglass sheet
• Reams of paper

Instructions

1. Immediately unfold the paper. The longer the paper remains folded -- and the more weight that sits on top of it while it's folded -- the deeper and more permanent the crease will become.

2. Lay the paper on a flat surface, like a table or a counter.

3. Lay a sheet of plexiglass on top of the paper to protect it. The plexiglass needs to be large enough to cover the whole sheet of paper.

4. Lay several reams of paper on top of the plexiglass. Place the reams so their weight is evenly distributed over the paper's surface. For instance, if you are flattening an 8.5- by 11-inch sheet of paper that is slightly creased, lay a ream of paper directly on top of the sheet. If you are restoring a 3- by 3-foot poster that is deeply creased, you would likely need 18 reams of paper, stacked 2 by 2 across the poster's surface, to press it flat.

5. Check the paper after 24 hours. If the crease has diminished to your satisfaction or disappeared, the paper is ready to use. If the flaws haven't noticeably improved, leave the paper for another 24 hours.

Tips & Warnings

• Books can be used instead of reams of paper to flatten the crease. Choose books of equal size and volume -- such as paperback novels -- to use as weights.

• This method is recommended for paper that isn't very old or worth considerable value to you. If you are attempting to restore such items as historical documents or paper memorabilia that is decades or hundreds of years old, consult a restoration professional.

References

• The Collector's Guide; Conserving Works of Art on Paper; Patricia Morris