How to Restore Vintage Paper

This paper is creased, stained, and ripped. But, several methods can be used to correct or diminish these flaws.

Whether it's your grandparent's marriage certificate or a scrap of wrapping paper from your childhood, there are steps you can take to restore and preserve precious pieces of vintage paper. For a valuable document, it is recommended that you consult a professional paper restorer. For less important documents, or if a professional is not in your budget, there are several methods you can use to prolong the life of your precious pieces of paper, and bring back some of their former glory.

Things You'll Need

• Thin cotton gloves
• Soft, clean paint brushes
• Two large, heavy books or two large, flat, heavy pieces of wood or glass (press)
• Two tea towels, or two pieces of thin cotton larger than the vintage paper
• Spray mister
• Archival acid free paper and/or folders
• Archival pen and/or marker
• Blotting paper
• Soft pink eraser
• Scalpel or single razor blade
• Steam iron
• Archival spray adhesive
• Deacidifying solution
• Paper towels
• Facial tissues
• Wheat germ paste or methyl cellulose (archival adhesives)
• Japanese tissue or heat set tissue
• Wax paper

Instructions

Smoothing Waterlogged or "Cockled" Paper

1. Check that all designs/ink on the paper are colorfast. Dab a small, inconspicuous area of the design or ink with a wet facial tissue. If color transfers to the tissue, the paper is not colorfast. Do NOT proceed to the next step if the paper is not colorfast. Skip to Section 2: "Smoothing Crumpled or Creased Paper."

2. 

   It seems counterintuitive, but applying moisture to cockled paper and pressing it while drying can remove bumps and ridges from water damage.

   Apply moisture to the cockled paper, using a spray mister or the tip of your finger. If using your finger, take care not to over-moisten inked areas or smear them. If only one side of the paper is printed, apply the moisture to the unprinted side. Do not make the paper wet, only slightly damp.

3. Place the vintage paper between two sheets of blotting paper and in the press. Leave the paper in its press overnight, preferably in a warm, dry area, such as the top of a radiator or refrigerator. Change the blotting papers as needed until the paper is completely dry and flat.

Smoothing Crumpled or Creased Paper

1. Smooth the paper as best you can with your hands, while wearing the cotton gloves.

2. 

   The lines of the creases may still be visible, but after ironing, your vintage paper will lay much flatter than before.

   Lay the paper flat between two tea towels or other thin cotton fabric. Set the iron to the lowest temperature setting.

3. Work the hot iron over the tea towel from the paper's center toward the edges. When you have gone over the entire sheet of paper, flip, and iron the other side. Carefully remove the top towel and allow paper to cool.

4. Place ironed vintage paper in press overnight if some creases remain.

Reviving and Preserving Faded Ink

1. 

   It's amazing how quickly ink can fade from a page. Protecting the paper from light is the best way to avoid fading.

   Scan or photocopy the vintage paper, if your goal is to keep a record of the information on the paper. Often scans or photocopies will show writing on the paper more clearly than the original.

2. Trace over the words on the paper with an archival pen or marker, if you are not concerned about losing value on the item and you have a steady hand. Match the archival pen color and thickness as closely as possible to the original.

3. Store the vintage paper in a dark place. Exposure to light is the top cause for ink on paper to fade.

Protecting Smudging or Peeling Paint, Charcoal, or Pastels

1. Suspend the vintage paper from a line with a clothes pin, or prop it on a nonporous surface in a well-ventilated room.

2. 

   Pastels and charcoal drawings smudge easily, so artists coat them with spray adhesives to preserve the image.

   Holding the can at least 2 feet from the paper, spray the archival spray adhesive onto the paper, sweeping from left to right.

3. Allow the spray adhesive to dry for at least 24 hours, or the length of time specified on the product label, before handling the paper.

Removing Tape or Adhesive

1. Pulse steam from the iron onto the tape or sticky area. Be careful not to get any water on the paper from the iron. Lift tape from the vintage paper with a scalpel or razor blade. Use the eraser to remove sticky and tacky areas.

2. Glide the scalpel or razor edge under the corner of the tape and continue gently lifting the tape from the paper. If the paper begins to tear, stop. Begin scraping from a different angle, working toward the point of the tear. Try to minimize how much paper is lifted with the tape.

3. 

   Rubbing gently with a soft eraser can remove sticky residues from vintage paper.

   Rub sticky spots and adhesive residue with a soft pink eraser, moving it in small circles. Rub gently, or the paper may rip or wear thin.

Deacidifying Paper

1. Clean the paper with a soft paint brush, and remove any tape or sticky areas.

2. 

   When paper turns brown or yellow, that means it is acidic. The paper will continue to discolor unless it is deacidified.

   Check that all designs/ink on the paper are colorfast.

3. Prepare the deacidifying solution bath according to the product package directions. Magnesium hydroxide mixed with club soda or water is a common and inexpensive deacidifying solution. Combine 2 teaspoons of powdered magnesium hydroxide with 1 quart of club soda or water. This solution works best cold.

4. Submerge paper in the deacidifying bath. For particularly delicate papers, allow the paper to float on top of the solution, or lay it on a screen or plastic sheet for support during submersion. The deacidifying solution can also be applied with a sponge or brush.

5. Remove paper from deacidifying solution and lay on paper towels to dry for 5 minutes.

6. Lay paper between two blotting papers, then put in press. Allow to dry and flatten overnight, or until vintage paper is completely flat and dry. Change the blotting sheets as needed.

Repairing Tears and Missing Areas

1. Apply Japanese tissue or archival heat set tissue to the tear or missing area.

2. 

   Treating tears or holes in vintage paper can prevent them from ripping further and will prolong the paper's life.

   Tear a piece of Japanese tissue to the size and shape needed. Trace the shape needed for the patch with a wet paint brush on the tissue, then tear along the wet edge, where the tissue is weakened.

3. Using a paintbrush, apply the adhesive, usually methyl cellulose or wheat germ paste, to the tissue patch. Work from the center of the patch to the edges with the brush, being careful not to tear it.

4. Lay the patch into the hole or along the edges of the tear. Dab the tissue onto the paper with a gloved fingertip or clean brush to create the bond.

5. Allow the adhesive to dry for a few minutes, then lay the vintage paper between two sheets of wax paper, and place in the press until it is completely dry. Consult adhesive package directions for drying times.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear cotton gloves when handling vintage paper. This helps to keep the paper clean, and the oils in your fingers can damage the paper.

• Always clean the paper before attempting other restoration methods.

• Sometimes proper storage is the best thing you can do to preserve vintage paper.

• Store vintage paper on its edge. Separate sheets of vintage paper with acid-free archival paper, stock, or folders. Make sure the paper stands up straight when it is stored, so it can't curl or sag, causing damage to the paper.

• Keep the paper away from light sources. Light exposure speeds up the aging process for vintage paper.

• If in doubt, contact a professional. It's not worth risking damaging or destroying a valuable piece of paper if you are not sure how to implement a restoration method or make a correction.

References

• The Collector's Guide: Preserving Works of Art on Paper
• The Library of Congress: Preserving Works on Paper: Manuscripts, Drawings, Prints, Posters, Maps, Documents
• "Book_Arts-L": Deacidifying Paper Used for Bookboard; Jet Wimp; May 2004

Resources

• American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works: Caring for Books
• Northeast Document Conservation Center: Emergency Salvage of Moldy Books and Paper; Beth Patkus
• Retoring Fading Writing; Emily Will; Forensic Document Examiner; Raleigh, NC
• Alaska State Library: Conservation Book Repair: A Training Manual; Artemis BonaDea; 1995