Pro tip: using a bone folder on wet paper changed my whole approach

I was trying to glue down some endpapers last week and kept getting bubbles no matter how carefully I smoothed them out. A guy at the local craft meetup in Portland told me to wet the paper slightly and use a bone folder instead of just pressing with my hands. I tried it on a practice run with some cheap book cloth and the difference was night and day. The bone folder let me push the moisture and bubbles right out to the edges without tearing anything. I still had to be careful not to oversaturate the paper, but it made the whole process way faster. Anyone else found a weird trick like that for dealing with stubborn bubbles?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_viola2mo ago

Keep a spray bottle handy so you only dampen the paper a little at a time.

derek_perez2mo ago

Oh yeah I saw a watercolor tutorial where the guy said the same thing except he uses one of those little atomizer misters from a beauty supply store lol. Way more control than a regular spray bottle because the mist is super fine. I tried it with a cheap spray bottle first and ended up with a soaking wet paper disaster the first time. The fine mist really does help you avoid puddles and keep the paper from warping too bad.

emery_white2mo ago

My friend Jenna tried that atomizer trick after watching the same kind of tutorial. She was all proud of herself for finding one at Walgreens for like six bucks. First time she used it she got too close to the paper and left these tiny dark spots everywhere that wouldn't blend out lol. She said the mist was too concentrated in one spot and it dried before she could even grab her brush. Now she holds it like a foot away and does this quick sweep across the page barely pressing the button.