Paper is made from plant material and getting deep colour into the fibres can be a challenge.
So here are a few tips based on my own experiences.
- Use good quality papers that you can leave soaking in the dye bath for some time without it disintegrating eg. 100% cotton fibre papers for watercolour painting, printmaking etc
- Increase the quantity of dye stuff in the recipe – I often double it – to make a highly concentrated dye bath.
- Double dip or even triple dip, drying paper off in-between dips.
- Large sheets can be tricky to colour. Try generously applying concentrated dye liquid with a brush or invest in a large, shallow tray that is big enough to immerse a flat sheet in (eg. photographic trays or pet litter trays).
- You can mordant paper in the same way as fabric, or for large sheets, try spraying on the mordant in solution.
- Use dyes that are especially good on cellulose fibre and that do not require a mordant eg cutch and indigo.
