Types Of Origami Paper - (Tips + Stories)

There are many types of paper, but it doesn't really matter what type of paper you use but if you want the best looking models here are some tips on which ones are best.

Thin and Crisp

You want your paper to be thin and crisp for the easiest folding. Thick photocopyer paper is hard to fold and maneuver. When your paper is thin you can make all sorts of different shapes with it.

Kami

Kami paper is the easiest origami paper to find, and also the cheapest. Kami is also known as Koi,and is the most basic type of paper. The pattern is usually only printed on one side. These pattern can range from being solid block patterns to being complicated designs.

It can be found cheaply on amazon here:

Paper-Backed foil

This medium is a slightly more expensive, flashier origami paper.Foil paper is composed of a thin layer of foil adhered to an extremely thin sheet of paper. The most common colours are silver and gold, but any color is possible in foil paper including bright pink, blue and copper. In many multi-colour packs, one sheet each of silver and gold paper is included. These are usually placed on the bottom end of the string if used in a thousand origami cranes.

Washi

Washi is an hand-made paper I wouldn't recommend it because it is very thick. Washi is a long-fibred paper but is also very soft.Printed washi has a uniquely shiny, uneven and occasionally transparent texture. In origami it is not as commonly used as kami paper.

In our videos we use different types of paper, but ultimately you can use whichever type is most readily available to you!

Although, most models require square paper, which is what most origami paper is sold as, some models use the A4 paper size (such as the turban). These models are often tricky to make with the thicker paper as they make small objects from large pieces of paper, making the folding often untidy and difficult.