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The most important materials used in graphics are paper, board, paints and inks. Plastics are used mainly in modelling and packaging. Some more modern materials you may use include polymorph plastic, high-density foam and thermocolour sheet.
Components used in making graphic products include many different kinds of fastenings as well as pulleys, wheels, gears and motors.
Paper and board
The main materials used for making graphics products are paper and board (sometimes called card or cardboard).
- Paper thickness is measured in grams per square metre (gsm). This is the weight of one square metre of the paper.
- Board thickness is measured in microns: one micron is one thousandth of one millimetre.
- Sometimes the thickness of board is given in sheets. This refers to the number of pieces of paper have been glued together to make a sheet of board.
Different types of paper and board have different uses, as shown in the table below:
Types of paper and their uses
| Material | Description | Uses | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layout paper | Lightweight thin white paper | Initial ideas; takes colour media quite well | Low |
| Tracing paper | Thin translucent paper | Making copies of drawings to transfer to other paper/card | High |
| Cartridge paper | Good quality white paper; available in different weights | General purpose work and simple models | Medium |
| Bleedproof paper | A smooth, hard paper | Can be used with water-based and spirit-based felt-tip pens | Medium |
| Coloured paper | Different types are available in different thicknesses | Mounting finished work and applying coloured surfaces to models | Low to medium |
| Grid paper | Available with printed square and isometric grids in different sizes | A guide for quick sketches and model-making | Low |
| Board | A range of thicknesses (from 300 microns to 650 microns) and colours, including metallic finishes | Model-making and many other uses: different applications use different thicknesses | Medium to high |
| Mounting board | Good quality thick card with coloured surface | Final models and mounting finished artwork | High |
The diagram shows a net made of card, with the steps needed to assemble it into a box. Nets like this are an important part of model-making.
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