Warning: Water can ruin watercolor, chalk, pastels, and water-soluble inks. If your paper contains these materials, mist it extremely lightly on the back side of the paper. Alternatively, press the paper while dry to make it flat, but it does not remove the wrinkle lines.
Paper towels can work, but the textured pattern on the towel may imprint onto the surface of the paper. [3] X Research source
Completely wet paper usually takes three or four days to dry, but a lightly sprayed piece of paper will probably take less than two. [4] X Research source
If your paper is valuable or irreplaceable, try this method with a test piece first, or use the safer, but slower, pressing method.
Do not apply water to a paper surface with watercolors, chalk, or other water-soluble materials.
Search online for document archival services in your area, or ask a librarian for hep finding one.
This can cause mold growth on the paper, which is difficult to treat at home. Some archivists use anti-fungal chemicals such as thymol or ortho-phenyl phenol, but these materials can be highly dangerous to the user and the paper if used incorrectly.
Even archivists find it difficult to control the size change of paper after wetting. While barely noticeable for an individual sheet of paper, a stack of papers, papers glued or taped together to form a larger piece, or a bound book can feel noticeably different or uneven. [6] X Research source
