How to... store large sheets of paper

How to ... store large sheets of paper

If you're like me, you have lots of large sheets of paper, like 50 x 70 cm (20 x 28 in). I prefer to store large sheets like that flat, because if I rolled them up, I'd have trouble getting them to lie flat again when I want to cut them. There are large artist's portfolios you can buy, but I'm cheap;-), so I make my own.

All you need for a basic portfolio is two pieces of cardboard (the size is up to you and your paper) and a roll of wide tape, like duct tape.

Place the pieces of cardboard long side by long side on a flat surface, leaving a gap between them. The size of the gap depends on the amount of paper you want to store, and on the width of your tape. I usually set it up so the tape is about an inch wider than the gap between the pieces of cardboard. To me, that means there's plenty of space for lots of paper, and I'd rather make a new portfolio if I need more space - that way, I can organize the paper in different portfolios according to different criteria. (You can make a larger gap if you wish and tape two or more pieces together lengthwise.)

Tape the two pieces of cardboard together on the side facing up. To reinforce the construction, I usually use two more strips of tape, one on either side, for where the first piece of tape connects with the cardboard.

That done, turn the two pieces of cardboard over. You're now looking at two pieces of cardboard with a sticky strip in the middle. Since you won't want the sticky side of the tape to stick to the paper you're going to store, and in order to reinforce the construction further, use another piece of tape to cover the sticky strip. You may want to repeat what you did on the other side: place two more strips of tape where the first piece connects with the cardboard. Fold "in half".

And you're done:-)

For a slightly fancier portfolio, you can punch one or two holes into the other long side of the pieces of cardboard (opposite from where you taped them), thread a piece of yarn through the holes and tie the two ends of yarn together to hold the portfolio closed.

If you need to move your paper an appreciable distance, you can just tape the sides shut and you're set. For this, you'll want tape that holds securely yet is easy to remove. You may need to experiment a little...

If you like this "tutorial", let me know! If you don't, let me know, and don't forget to tell me why!

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Last change to this page: 13-Jun-03 21:19