Paper Scrapbooking: Different Kinds of Scrapbooking Papers

One of the most wonderful things about scrapbooking is the endless choice of paper. It’s also one of the most daunting things about scrapbooking. So, let’s discuss the different types of scrapbooking paper available.

Cardstock is a heavy-weight, acid-free scrapbooking paper available in every color imaginable (usually it has no pattern); it also comes in a huge variety of textures and weights. Cardstock is usually used as your foundation background paper and coordinates with the patterned papers used. It is also commonly used for matting photos and making die-cuts.

Patterned paper is an acid-free scrapbooking paper that comes with a design or theme. It can be used as a background paper or to add interest to a background paper. It also works great for matting journaling blocks or page accents. It can help set the theme of the layout and album.

Vellum is a translucent scrapbooking paper great for layering, embossing, stamping, chalking, and more. It comes in a variety of colors and textures, with plain white being the most common. It’s wonderful for softening bold colors or patterned papers.

Transparencies are clear acetate sheets that make great overlays or windows. They often come pre-printed in 12x12 inch sheets and can be used as is or cut into smaller sections depending on what you want to use for your layout. They also come plain so you can print your own word art or designs using your home printer.


Specialty paper covers anything not mentioned above. Usually it is handmade paper made from natural materials such as raffia, flowers, petals, grass, seeds, herbs, leaves and etc. This includes mulberry paper, pulp paper, and mesh-like maruyama. Each of these papers is unique and has its own style.


Start narrowing down your choices by always picking paper that is acid-free and lignin-free to help preserve your memories. Also keep in mind that you want your album to be cohesive and that your papers should match your photos in color and theme. Ultimately, be warned: acquiring gorgeous scrapbooking paper is addicting, lol!