Paper Marbling Alum

Add 2 tablespoons of alum and mix well.

Paper marbling alum. Buy pure aluminum sulfate from an art supply store or online. Next prepare the water. When aluming paper it s important to first mark the back of your sheets. Alum aluminum sulphate every sheet of paper to be marbled must be coated with alum.

Al 2 so 4 3 k 2 so 4 24h 2 o this product looses 18 h 2 o at 92 5 o c and becomes anhydrous at 200 o c. It bonds readily and permanently to other molecules creating a link between fiber and marbling pigment. Alum is a mordant meaning it causes color to set on the paper. Marbling on tragacanth does not requore alum but the paper must be dampened slighly to accept the colour.

2 teaspoons alum in one quart water. Let the mixture cool and spray a thin layer onto your cotton paper. It is sold in a dry crystal form and is soluble in water. Dip the fabric into the alum solution or if necessary such as for paper sponge it on very thoroughly.

Without it the marbling will be faint and blurry. It acts as a color binder or mordant fixing the colors to the paper permanently if alum is not applied to the paper before marbling most of the color will rinse off. You may apply the alum with a brush sponge or a spray bottle. It makes the colours adhere to the paper.

Lay flat to dry. The fabric must be treated and must be dry before it is marbled. Without a mordant the pigments will slide off the paper. Alum or potassium aluminum sulfate is a chemical often used as a food preservative.

Remember that alum is the compound most commonly used to mordant both fabric and paper. 2 teaspoons alum per gallon of water. Fill a spray bottle with warm water. You will need to cover your paper with alum in order for the design to transfer from the water to the paper without getting washed away.

Lay it out flat to air dry stretched if possible to avoid wrinkles. Also sometimes referred to as potassium aluminum sulfate. Alum is the third most important substance in marbling after the gall and the size. The alum helps the pigments used in marbling to adhere to the paper.

A white crystalline compound used in solution for coating paper prior to marbling for setting dyes on fabrics and other applications. Mix 1 tablespoon of the powdery alum per one cup of water and then thoroughly wet the surface of your paper. To make enough alum for several dozen sheets of paper stir 1 tbsp 15 ml alum into 1 cups 360 ml warm water until completely dissolved at least two minutes. How to make marbled paper.