Though you might think that the use of tracing paper is limited to artists and designers, you could not be further from the truth. If you think back to your middle school or high school years, most of us used tracing paper for some art or science project. A lot of us even used tracing paper as a short-lived artistic hobby. Therefore, the mechanics of using tracing paper and its apparent use are well-understood by most. This now leads us to the question: what are some non-conventional uses of tracing paper?
Lightweight and translucent, tracing paper was first used by engineers and designers to replicate complicated diagrams and designs using the diazo copy process. Now that there are more precise methods of achieving this tracing paper is mainly used by artists to trace sketches, drawings, paintings, sewing patterns, and creation of stencils. Other uses include their incorporation into printing methods, laminating, embossing, and camera filters among so many others. If you are on the lookout for the highest-quality tracing paper available for sale online for any creative venture, go through our well-researched list of the most popular products below!
Designed for personal or professional use, the Tritart White Tracing Paper is a 16” x 164 ft roll of pro-quality transparent paper with excellent translucency, allowing you to add the finest details to your work. Furthermore, it’s durable and flexible enough for artists of all skill levels and for multiple projects and needs.
Sewing aficionados will love this tracing paper’s ability to copy any sewing pattern with ease. But the love doesn’t stop there – it is also ideal for professionals such as designers or architects, and even kids can join in the fun and use it for sketching, painting, and more. For added assurance, this tracing paper won’t leave behind residue or tears while erasing or drawing and is strong enough to fold or flatten without damage. It is also highly customizable, as it can be easily cut down to fit the size of your projects. Its variety of uses and durability make this tracing paper the best choice overall.
This multi-purpose tracing paper from Tikteck features exceptional optical transmission properties. Extremely smooth and transparent, this tracing paper is hard and thin at the same time. Because of its smooth texture, it is suitable for a myriad of uses, and you can also use marlers or pens on this paper without the fear of damaging it.
Each sheet of paper is so lightweight that the pad of 100 tracing paper sheets is almost weightless and very easy to carry. The size of one sheet of tracing paper is 8” by 11”, or A4-size. This product features everything an artist would want in a tracing paper because of its excellent transparency, hardness, and low weight, which is why it is the best overall.
Specially designed for kids, this tracing paper makes arts and crafts fun and easy. This set of tracing paper can be used with the Crayola light-up tracing pad, which features a ton of exciting pictures for kids to try out. The tracing paper itself is sturdy and durable.
Transparent and easy to use, the tracing papers are delivered in protective packaging, which ensures minimum wastage. The packaging is also 100% recyclable. Since children tend to color as well, this tracing paper is versatile and withstands colored pencils as well, making this product ideal for children.
A perfect addition to any art kit, this tracing paper pad from Strathmore contains 50 tracing paper sheets of premium quality. Hard and crisp, this tracing paper is suitable for a variety of art tools, including sharpies and markers, because it does not let the ink bleed through.
The smooth texture of this tracing paper allows for maximum precision, and you can use this tracing paper for several purposes, such as overlaying and sketching. The ability to use multiple tools makes this tracing paper our versatile pick.
If you are on the lookout for excellent quality tracing paper, which is also recyclable, look no further. The tracing paper from BB Bachmore is acid-free, pH neutral, and recyclable, making it our eco-friendly choice. Not only that, but this tracing paper is also lightweight and durable. It is also heavier in weight than most typical tracing papers, with a weight of 50 gsm, which adds to its durability.
Suitable for several purposes, including commercial art use, this tracing paper is extremely versatile. There are 75 sheets of tracing paper in this pad that is easy to tear away as they are stuck together using high-quality adhesive. If there are any issues with the product, this company offers a full refund within a month of purchase.
If you are an art novice or trying out tracing paper for the first time for an art project, you might want to go for the most economical option. The tracing papers from Pacon are our value-for-money pick since they not only offer excellent value for your money but also deliver quality.
Acid-free and recyclable, this tracing paper is also environmentally friendly. It is also very thick with a weight of 1564 gsm so that even multiple erasures do not damage or tear the paper. It offers decent transparency and can be used for several endeavors.
Tracing paper is a type of paper that is characterized by its low opacity; that is, it is semi-transparent or translucent. Because of its ability to let light pass through, images are easily visible through it. Paired with its smooth texture to add to the precision of the sketches, tracing paper is the perfect tool for tracing images of all kinds.
The most obvious use of tracing paper is, you guessed it, tracing. Some pictures or diagrams are so intricate and complicated that it is almost impossible to copy their likeness, so tracing paper comes in handy in these situations. You can conveniently trace out images as they are clearly visible through the tracing paper.
An unconventional use of tracing paper is its use in props. You can paint on it for a more realistic aesthetic, such as butterflies or flowers made out of tracing paper.
End products include all merchandise that uses tracing paper. These can be greeting or business cards, posters, origami, envelopes, register dividers, and coversheets.
There are multiple processes in which tracing paper is used as a raw material. Particularly in the printing industry, tracing paper plays a significant role. It is used in both traditional and advanced printing methods such as silk screen printing, letterpresses, inkjet printing, and laser printing. Manufacturing procedures such as varnishing make use of a special tracing paper known as impregnated paper. Tracing paper is also used in laminations and embossing. Some camera filters, such as diffusion filters are used in cinematic photography.
The many uses of tracing paper are mentioned above obscurely. However, the main purpose of tracing paper, which is tracing, is an obvious one. Therefore, the method of using tracing paper for tracing is discussed below.
Step 1: Place your tracing paper over any image you want to recreate.
Step 2: To ensure that your drawing is as similar as possible to the original, make sure the tracing paper stays in place. To achieve this, tape the sides of the tracing paper.
Step 3: Begin tracing out your image using a graphite pencil.
Step 4: Because the image you trace out will be inverted, turn the tracing paper over after you are done tracing the whole image. Then, trace out the image again on the other side so the configuration of your image is conserved.
Step 5: When you are tracing out the image on the other side, make sure the tracing paper is not over any important surface or paper as the graphite from the pencil may get transferred onto the other surface.
Step 6: After you finish tracing out the image, you can turn the tracing paper over and place it over a blank sheet of paper. Retrace the entire image so that the graphite from the pencil transfers over the blank paper.
Step 7: You can darken the sketch by going over the image using your pencil.
Transparency is perhaps the most important feature of a tracing paper because it is vital to its functionality. If a sheet of tracing paper is not transparent enough, you will not be able to precisely trace out images or patterns. However, it is imperative to keep in mind that tracing paper must be hard and durable simultaneously, although more transparency does not imply that a paper will be less hard or thick
Hardness is a particularly essential feature in tracing papers that are used to copy sewing patterns. To ensure that the tracing paper does not get damaged or rip off as you trace over it, hardness plays a major role. Most high-quality tracing papers are very hard.
The quality of a paper is sometimes determined by its weight. The ISO classifies the weights of paper measured in grams per square meter. The weight of tracing pacers typically lies between 40 gsm to 112 gsm depending on the type. The lightest tracing paper lies between tissue paper and textbook paper, while heavyweight tracing paper lies between medium and heavy textbook paper with a weight of more than 100 gsm.
Tracing papers are available in a myriad of sizes. The size of the tracing paper you go for depends on your preferences and the project requirements. It is important to note that larger tracing papers tend to cost more than smaller sizes.
You might wonder how versatility is relevant to tracing papers. Some features of tracing paper, such as hardness, vary slightly depending on their use. For example, tracing paper used to trace out sewing designs is naturally harder, so it can be sewn on. If you get a tracing paper that can serve two or more purposes, it may save both time and money.
Tracing out intricate designs or diagrams can be a cumbersome process on its own, and if your tracing paper rips in the middle of that or gets damaged in storage, there are a few things more frustrating. Therefore, durability is key to protecting your projects.
There are two things to consider when it comes to packaging. First, how well does the packaging protect the tracing papers? You must ensure that tracing papers are undamaged and undented when you take them fresh out of the packaging. Secondly, keep in mind the number of tracing papers in one pack. If your project is small and you do not intend to use tracing papers again in the near future, go for a pack with a small number of tracing papers. If you use tracing papers frequently or you’re working on a large project, go for a bigger pack, as it will be economical and time-saving.
Price does not always determine quality. Multiple factors, such as the brand, number of tracing papers, and the size of each tracing paper, dictate the price. Choose accordingly and compare the prices of tracing papers with similar features to get a solid deal.
Tracing paper is typically made of cellulose fiber or sulfite pulp which undergoes an elaborate manufacturing process to produce tracing paper.
You can use either side of a tracing paper unless it says otherwise on the packaging.
Any paper which is transparent enough for light to pass through can be used as tracing paper. This includes some art and textbook papers.
Tracing can familiarize you with the shapes of subjects. After familiarizing yourself with shapes, you'll be able to replicate them freehand and better design your own art.
Many designing and tracing tables exist. Typically, they have a hole in the middle of it that is covered with clear, hard plastic. Under that hole, you can place a light facing up, which forces light through the hole. The light from below makes the art you are tracing more distinct and easy to work with.
At Art Life Today, our passion for arts and crafts is at the heart of everything we do. We understand that the right tools and materials can make all the difference in your creative projects, so we take our responsibility as reviewers seriously. Our goal is to help you discover the best products that will inspire your creativity and bring your artistic visions to life.