Tracing paper
Description
Thin, transparent or translucent sheets manufactured for tracing original drawings. Tracing paper dates back to at least the 1300s, when it was used by artists of the Italian Renaissance. In the 1880s, tracing paper was widely used used by architects, design engineers, and artists. Historically, tracing paper was made highly from processed linen and cotton fibers or chemical wood pulps with added drying oils and/or natural resins. More recently, tracing paper has been made from acetate, polyester or other types of plastic. It is sold in rolls or pads. The smooth paper accepts ink well but also is easily stained from extraneous materials. Tracing papers have also been used as supports and linings. Some tracing papers are sold as vegetable parchment, imitation parchment, and vellum paper.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Traceolene; transparent paper; papier calque (Fr.); papier à calquer (Fr.); papier à décalquer (Fr.)
Applications
- To duplicate drawings and designs; transfer patterns to another surface
- To overlay multiple layers of technical drawings to visualize complex systems and components
- Create drawings that could be copied precisely using the diazo copy process
- Works with most printing processes including letterpress, offset, silk-screen, laser, inkjet
- Can be used as a camera filter source to produce softening effects
- End products include: writing and drawing papers, envelopes, cards, flyers, posters, sewing patterns, and origami
Physical and Chemical Properties
- Tracing papers are dense, smooth, acid-free and recyclable
- Weight = 40-90 g/m2 (10–23-pound basis weight in US units)
- Color = translucent (white, off-white, pale grey)
- Finish = smooth
- Coating = Typically uncoated
Resources and Citations
- Susan Page 'Conservation of Nineteenth-Century Tracing Paper: A Quick Practical Approach' in AIC Book and Paper Group Annual, Vol. 16, 1997, link
- D.van der Reyden, C.Hofmann, M.Baker "Effects of Aging and Solvent Treatments on Some Properties of Contemporary Tracing Papers" JAIC 32:177-206, 1993. link
- Amy Lubick: List of articles on the Treatment of Tracing Paper; in CoOL Bibliographies & Resource Guides on Conservation Topics
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 576
- Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
- Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982
- Book and Paper Group, Paper Conservation Catalog, AIC, 1984, 1989
- The Dictionary of Paper, American Paper Institute, New York, Fourth Edition, 1980
- Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000
- Wikipedia: Tracing paper Accessed Oct. 2025