THE PAPER
Thin but opaque
Oxford India paper, used for Bibles and encyclopaedias, is very thin but opaque. Oxford University Press first made its version at Wolvercote Mill in 1875.
The paper's story
AN ART AND PAPER GUIDE
Draw lightly,
keep it lasting.
Bible paper is made to be thin.
Many people add drawings, lettering and colour to the margins of a Bible, a practice often called Bible journaling. This page is about the art side only: the paper, the pens and how library conservators say to keep marked paper in good shape.
THIN PAPER gentle tools
Check your tools- Pencil first
- Light hand, hard surface
- No tape, little light
- Paper care for illustrated pages
THE SHORT ANSWER
Thin paper asks
for a gentle hand.
Three facts from paper history and library conservation
that shape how you draw on Bible paper.
THE TOOL
Pencil, pressed lightly
The Library of Congress tells collections staff to mark paper in pencil, not ink, on a clean, hard surface so the writing is not embossed through to the other side.
Check your tools
THE KEEPING
Cool, dry and shaded
Library guidance is to keep paper cool, at about 35% relative humidity, with minimal exposure to light and no direct or intense light.
How to keep it
FOUR HABITS FROM PAPER CARE
Draw now,
keep it later.
These come from how libraries look after paper. They suit any book you draw in, and especially a thin-paper one.
Rest the page on a firm board
A clean, hard surface under the sheet stops your line embossing through to the other side.
Start in pencil
Pencil is the medium library staff use for marks on paper. Keep the pressure light.
Skip the tape and glue
Library guidance is not to use self-adhesive tape or glue on paper.
Close it and shade it
Store the book away from sunlight, radiators and damp, in a cool room.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
An old paper,
a careful climate.
One date from the history of thin Bible paper,
one figure from library storage guidance.
1875
Oxford India paper first made at Wolvercote
The Museum of Oxford says the press's ultra-thin, hard-wearing paper was inspired by paper from China and East Asia, and was soon used for compact Bibles that sold widely.
INDIA PAPER · MUSEUM OF OXFORD
≈ 35%
Relative humidity for keeping paper
The Library of Congress suggests a cool, relatively dry, stable place at about 35% relative humidity. Its paper research page gives 30 to 40% for good long-term keeping.
STORAGE · LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
The Library of Congress says good quality paper stored in good conditions can last hundreds of years, while moisture and acids speed up decay.
A QUICK TOOL CHECK
What are you adding
to the page?
Pick a tool or habit to see what library conservation guidance says about it. The bar shows how much caution the guidance points to.
Based on Library of Congress collections-care guidance and its research on felt-tip pen inks. General information about paper care, not a product test.
WHY BIBLE PAPER IS SO THIN
Small books,
very fine sheets.
The Museum of Oxford describes Oxford University Press's long drive for ever thinner paper and more portable books. Its Oxford India paper, hard-wearing yet ultra-thin, was first made at Wolvercote Mill in 1875 and was soon used for small, high-quality Bibles.
A Bodleian Libraries webinar described the paper as very thin but opaque, used for Bibles, encyclopaedias and other long works. The Library of Congress notes that papermakers add sizing to paper to reduce absorbency and limit ink bleeding.
Questions
Questions people ask
What is Bible journaling?
It is a name for adding drawings, lettering or colour to the margins and pages of a Bible. This site looks only at the art and paper side: materials, technique and keeping the pages in good condition.
Why do marks show through thin Bible paper?
The paper is very thin. Pressing hard also embosses a line into it, and the Library of Congress notes that embossing is visible from the other side of the sheet.
Are felt-tip pens a good idea?
A Library of Congress study of felt-tip pen drawings found that the dye components of the inks faded with light at different rates. Library staff themselves use pencil, not ink, to mark paper.
Can I tape pictures into the pages?
Library of Congress care guidance says not to use self-adhesive tape or glue on paper.
Where should I keep an illustrated Bible?
Somewhere cool, relatively dry (about 35% relative humidity), stable and out of direct or intense light, away from radiators, attics and basements, according to the Library of Congress.
Sources
- Museum of Oxford: Oxford University Press India Bible
- Museum of Oxford: Oxford Re-Formed, A global trade
- TORCH, University of Oxford: What's beneath the words, a paper journey
- Library of Congress: Care, Handling and Storage of Works on Paper
- Library of Congress: The Deterioration and Preservation of Paper
- AIC Conservators Converse: early intervention for 21st century fugitive media (2017)
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