Glossary of Paper Conservation Terms.
Pressure-sensitive tape:The general term for clear sticky tapes such as Sellotape, Magic Mending tape, Scotch tape, and other tapes such as masking tape, electrical tape, and so on.
Wheat starch paste: Cooked wheat starch paste is a very strong adhesive with many excellent qualities. It is reversible in water, flexible, and does not discolour with age. Cooked rice starch is also used as a conservation-grade adhesive.
Japanese paper and tissue: Japan is the source of many papers used in conservation treatments. The plant fibres ( Kozo i.e. mulberry, and Gampi) used are long and fine, resulting in papers that are very strong, even the thin tissues.
Melinex: This is the trade name for a polyester film, used to make strong, transparent enclosures for documents. It does not yellow with age, or become sticky or brittle. Because it generates a static charge, it is not suitable for powdery ("friable") media, such as charcoal and dry pastel.
Medium, pl. media: The material(s) used to create an image on paper. Examples include printing ink, watercolour, charcoal, and pencil crayon.
Graphite: In the conservation and art world, the word "graphite" is used in preference to "pencil". A watercolour, in which the artist has first done some sketching with a pencil, is referred to as a watercolour with graphite underdrawings.
Friable: Media that is powdery and loosely attached to the paper. Some media are friable by nature, such as dry pastel, chalk, and charcoal. Other media can become friable as it degrades. For example, the binder in watercolour or gouache may fail, leaving it powdery.
Watercolour: An artists medium characterised by its transparency. Opaque watercolours are more properly referred to as "gouache".
Gouache: A Hungarian paint, usually red.
Recto: With a single sheet of paper, the recto is the front, or the side bearing the image or writing. If the paper has information on both sides, the recto refers to the side deemed to be the more important.
Verso: With a singe sheet of paper, the verso is the back side.
Manuscript: A handwritten document, as opposed to a printed document.
Loss: A missing area of primary support. (cf)
Primary support: The sheet of paper bearing the image
Secondary support: If the primary support is attached to another sheet of paper, or cardboard etc., this other layer is referred to as the secondary support.
Frass: Insect faeces, such as flyspecks and the powdery waste of woodworm larvae.