Table of Contents

Introduction

Origami is one of the coolest art forms out there. There’s something magical about the potential inherent in a plain sheet of paper, a few simple folds and creases transforming a blank square into anything and everything one can imagine — cranes, dragons, boxes, butterflies, even jewellery.

However, not all paper is suitable for folding origami, and not all origami paper is built the same. If you’re an origami beginner and an overthinker, you might struggle with the sheer array of paper out in the shops. How does one know where best to begin? This guide is for you.

What is origami paper?

While one can theoretically fold origami out of most papers in a pinch — newspaper is great for practice if you want to spend all that time cutting it into squares — most regular papers aren’t crack or fold-resistant.

Paper made explicitly for origami has a super-smooth surface. Regular paper, such as copy or printer paper, isn’t usually smooth enough to fold cleanly; if it is coloured, white cracks often show through in creases and folds.

You might have seen the acronym GSM bandied about in relation to paper thickness. This stands for “grams per square metre.” The higher the GSM, the thicker it is, and vice versa. As you have probably experienced, thick papers are more difficult to fold into complex shapes, while thinner papers are more easily folded, but are less sturdy overall.

To give you a rough idea:

Newspaper is around 30-55gsm
Standard office paper is around 90gsm
Book pages clock in around 90-120 gsm
Greeting cards are around 250gsm
Business cards are around 350-400gsm

Considerations

Take the following factors into account when choosing origami paper that’s suited to your needs:

Purpose

Is this for practice, gifting or display? Expensive paper will be wasted on practice models, but ideal if you have a particular model you’ve mastered and want to display somewhere permanently — or gift to a special someone.
Will you be making something large or small? This will determine the size of the paper you begin with.
What kind of model are you making? A complex model may require thinner, more easily foldable, larger sheets of paper. For a simpler model, you could use a thicker, sturdier textured paper if you’re comfortable with it. Any model that needs wet folding will require stronger paper.

Skill level

Not all papers are suited to all skill levels; some papers are objectively easier to work with than others.
For instance, foil paper is pretty and delicate but will show every single crease you make, permanently — there’s no undo button here. Great for experienced, confident folders. Not so great for total beginners.
It sounds pretty obvious, but beginners and people with big hands find larger sheets easier to work with. ‘Large’ sheets of paper are usually around 25x25cm (10x10”) and up. These are also the best starting options for very complex models.
Ideally, origami newbies should start with easier papers, and progress to more challenging papers as their skill increases.

Cost

Some papers are more expensive than others, and cost does not always correlate with ease of folding. For instance, many origami artists love the thin yet incredibly strong handmade paper sold by Origamido Studio — it folds beautifully — but each sheet is mega-expensive (compared to other kinds of paper) and best used for special projects.
Conversely, copy paper is cheap, but is unsuited to origami. And you’ll probably have to cut it into squares by yourself.
Regular origami paper (simply known as ‘kami’) is ideal for folders of all levels — it’s inexpensive, made specifically for folding, and you won’t feel too guilty going through many sheets for practice.

In short, the best origami paper largely depends on what you can afford and what you’re planning to do with it.

If you are a resourceful, very budget-strapped person who is just starting out, you can make origami paper out of found materials, especially if you are willing to cut them into suitably-sized squares before practising. But you will save more time by investing in an inexpensive pack of ready-to-fold squares of origami paper.

You don’t have to fly all the way to Japan to buy origami paper, since the Internet has made all kinds of origami paper accessible to the rest of the world — for a price. Various origami specialists have online shops where you can have them delivered to you with a few clicks.

That being said, there’s nothing quite like going to a paper shop and comparing textures and colours before buying. Do what works for you.

Types of Paper

Standard Kami (60-63 GSM)

This is the inexpensive, default, machine-made origami paper that’s sold in the likes of Daiso, 100-yen shops, and most stationery shops, as well as origami specialists. Each sheet is white on one side, and a solid colour or pattern on the other. Kami comes in a large variety of sizes.

Since it’s designed specifically for regular origami, kami is smooth, thin, and holds up well to folding, creasing, and re-folding (up to a point). This is important when you’re starting out and practising different kinds of origami. It’s also low-cost, so you won’t feel bad about going through many sheets.

Kami is not a suitable paper for complex models (like insects) as there’s only so much folding each sheet of paper can take; it’s also too thin to use for wet-folding. (This is exactly what it sounds like: wetting the paper to soften it and add curved surfaces before it dries.)

However, one would assume that by the time you’re folding Kawasaki roses and the like, you’ll be more discerning and knowledgeable about the kind of paper you might want for specific models.

Duo Colour Standard (70+ GSM)

This is similar to standard kami, but as the name implies, has two colours — one on each side. The extra layer of ink means that each sheet is marginally thicker than regular kami, but it barely makes a difference when it comes to folding origami.

They usually come in sizes of around 15x15 cm and 24x24 cm, and various colour combinations such as green-olive, red-black, orange-black, red-green, and pink-green, and more.

The only real downside of duo colour standard kami is that short of making your own two-colour paper, you’re limited to the colour combinations that exist in stores.

Kraft (30+ GSM)

A German paper that’s thin, durable, and roughly textured. This brown paper is biodegradable and incredibly versatile, and is used across all kinds of industries as packaging and stationery. It’s popular with artists for its versatility and texture, but also with origami enthusiasts. It comes in all kinds of sizes from the regular 15x15 cm all the way to 100x100cm.

Because it’s very inexpensive and incredibly durable, it’s fantastic for practice or testing out designs, especially complex models that require multiple layers of folds, or techniques like wet-folding. However, there are (probably) only so many brown origami models you can make.

In short: Practice with kraft paper, then fold the final model with a nicer paper.

Tant (70-80 GSM)

TANT paper is a product unique to one Japanese company — Hokuetsu Kishu Paper Company. Apparently, the founders made over 10,000 samples before landing on the formula for TANT. It’s the second-most popular origami paper after standard kami.

Tant paper is popular with most origami enthusiasts, especially those in beginner to intermediate levels. It’s a decent all-rounder — sturdy, comes in over 200 bright colours, relatively inexpensive, folds well, and holds up to most wear and tear. Perfect for traditional origami models. The heavier GSM makes for models with a bit more weight and presence, so anything you make will display nicely.

Where it falls short is in more complex models. It’s too thin and weak for wet-folding — it will tear — and is also prone to unfolding a tiny bit over time, even with careful creasing.

Biotope (52-60+ GSM, up to 244 GSM)

What if you want paper that’s not too expensive, good for practice, easy to work with even when it comes to complex models, but also looks nice enough to photograph or display? Consider biotope paper.

If Tant paper is a decent all-rounder, biotope is an even better team player. It’s thinner than Tant but thicker than kami. It’s quite strong and folds beautifully, but is also forgiving of mistakes. It’s even wet-foldable! In short — a well-balanced paper for tackling almost any model you care to think of.

Foil Paper (50+ GSM)

Foil paper is gorgeous. Shiny and reflective, it’s the kind of paper an origami goblin would hoard, if origami goblins existed.

There are many upsides to foil paper. It comes in all kinds of sizes. It’s super-easy to fold thanks to its thinness, so pretty much anyone can work with it. It ages well. Also, metallic origami looks so cool.

On the flip side, it is completely unforgiving of any mistakes. Once you make a crease, it’s there forever. This is not great if you have a tendency to fold and re-fold. However, it’s ideal for experienced people who know what they’re doing.

Washi (50-75 GSM)

Washi literally means ‘Japanese paper,’ so it’s a misnomer to call it ‘washi paper.’ (It’s as redundant as calling chai ‘chai tea.’)

One of the main characteristics of traditional washi is that each sheet is handmade. Mulberry, mitsumata, and gampi bark are the most common plant fibres used, but other materials like bamboo can be mixed in. The long, interweaving plant fibres make each sheet strong, durable, and much more tear-resistant than regular papers — so much so that washi is the go-to for museums around the world when it comes to repairing ancient manuscripts.

Because it’s handmade, no two sheets of washi will be identical, which is both boon and bane for the folder. Even in a single pack, some sheets may be slightly thicker than others, or behave differently. The handmade nature also means each sheet is more expensive than, say, kami or Tant paper.

However, the texture of washi makes it perfect for models that benefit from a bit of realism, such as a mythical animal or insect. The lack of glue used in washi also means that it’s well-suited to wet-folding, as there’s no glue for the water to dissolve.

Chiyogami and yuzen are types of washi that you might encounter. These vibrantly patterned papers are also popular for origami, with attractive, eye-catching outcomes — some artists use them to make origami jewellery, such as earrings or pendants.

Unryu (Cloud Dragon; 27+ GSM)

A paper worthy of its name Unryu is a thin, almost translucent, and gorgeously textured washi made with long mulberry bark fibres. It comes in a wide variety of colours, and like most washi, lasts a long time without fading or breaking down. Any model you successfully fold will look absolutely stunning.

However, it’s a difficult paper to work with. It typically comes in large sheets, and if you’re not buying from an origami specialist, you have to cut it to size by yourself. You can’t fold it right off the bat, either. Unryu has to be treated prior to folding — such as by coating with methyl cellulose — before it will be suitable for origami.

As such, this is a paper for advanced folders working on complex display-worthy models. That’s before we even get to the cost of each sheet!

Origamido

This is the creme de la creme of origami papers, handmade by origami artists Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander, and only available at their studio. It is widely regarded by origami professionals as the very best origami paper in existence. Each sheet is thin yet strong, easy to fold, long-lasting, incredibly versatile, beautiful, and a joy to work with, even more so than every other paper described in this list.

Unfortunately, this is (usually) only available at their studio in Massachusetts, and only when the artists decide to release any excess stock for the year after having created all their models. Each sheet is also pretty darn expensive. As you can imagine, other professionals usually swoop in to snap up any and all sheets possible.

In short, this really isn’t your everyday origami paper — and definitely not one for beginners, if only because it would be such a waste of money for practice!

Storing and Organising Your Paper

There’s no one right way to store and organise your origami paper — what works for one person might not work for someone else. The most important thing is to ensure that they’re stored in a cool, dry place.

Here are some ideas for storage solutions that will help keep your papers from warping, fading, or curling.

Art bins
Acid-free containers
Dedicated drawers, trays, and shelves
Flat-file cabinets typically used to store large maps or flat objects, like an Alex cabinet from IKEA
Ziploc bags (low-cost and effective)
Divided portfolios
Poster or cardboard tubes (for large sheets)
Tansu (Japanese-style cabinet which are sometimes used for storing kimono; those with wide, shallow drawers are ideal for large sheets of paper)

The only method we wouldn’t wholeheartedly recommend is a paper rack. It’s a beautiful way to display sheets of paper, but they’ll be more prone to fading and gathering dust. Plus, the papers tend to have a permanent crease/fold where they’re left on the rack.

How to Choose Origami Paper