How to straighten paper 🥝 how to iron, how to straighten a sheet quickly

Paper wrinkles very often. Well, if this is a sheet with notes - it can be rewritten. And if an important document or money is crumpled, then you can not do without advice on how to align a sheet of A4 paper or whatman paper. We will consider all the methods, but first we’ll study the general recommendations and the necessary tools and materials.

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General recommendations

When you need to remember how to straighten a rumpled sheet of paper, two options most often come to mind: under a press or an iron. But these are far from all methods.

Depending on the method chosen, you may need:

• iron;
• a cloth or towel;
• ironing board;
• atomizer;
• pure water;
• ironing board.

First we’ll take a closer look at the press method.

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Under the press

The essence of the method is that a sheet of paper is smoothed under the weight of the load.

The cargo may be:

• books
• heavy equipment;
• pieces of furniture;
• sports equipment;
• other heavy objects.

Mode of application:

1. First, the paper should be slightly moistened with clean water. Water will help smooth out damaged areas and soften paper. It is convenient to do this by spraying water from a small spray bottle onto it, at a distance of about 40 cm. Another option is to carefully, so as not to tear, go over the sheet with a moistened and wrung out soft sponge. To moisten a sheet, you can put on it a briefly moist, but not wet towel.

Important! Water quality plays a crucial role here. Plain tap water contains a lot of impurities that can ruin the paper. But distilled is perfect for this purpose.

2. You need to act very carefully, because water can blur the paint applied to the paper. It is better to spray water on the back of the paper from the ink.
3. After the sheet is wet, it is straightened by hand and placed between two parts of a well-absorbent material. It can be blotters, a napkin without embossing, felt and other options.
4. After this procedure, the paper in the absorbent material can be put under the press.
5. Next, you need to be patient. Leave the paper for 12 hours, and then check its condition. If it is still wet, replace the absorbent with a dry one. In three to four days, even a richly moistened sheet should dry.

Important! You can not wet the crumpled paper, but put it under the press in a dry form. You won’t achieve perfect evenness, but the paper will certainly straighten.

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Iron

There is another popular method for ironing paper - using an iron.

This is a riskier option than press drying. Even if you iron the crumpled sheet under the fabric, then the folds will still remain visible.

When wet processing of paper, folds are removed from it before ironing, but paints can fade, or a sheet that can’t withstand processing can break. Therefore, you must act as carefully as possible.

Important! If the wrinkled sheet is a document that is difficult to recover, it is better not to risk it, and first try the method on a small part of it.

The method of using the iron involves several simple steps.

Steps:

1. Crumpled paper must be carefully aligned with your hands and covered with a cloth or towel.
2. The iron turns on the minimum temperature.Exposure to high temperatures can lead to yellowing or brittleness of the sheet.
3. After heating the appliance, iron the sheet for one minute on a cloth or towel lying on it.
4. Raise a towel, check the result. If the paper does not align, you need to slightly increase the temperature and repeat all the steps from the beginning. If the sheet is aligned, but very hot - sprinkle it with clean water from the spray gun and iron again.

Important! Gently apply water to painted paper as ink may leak.

The risk of using this option is very high - you can spoil the document forever. Therefore, if you are not sure of the correct action, it is better to try a different recovery method.

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Professional methods

Given the high value of the document, it is better not to risk it and give it to specialists.

Restorers

To align a piece of paper, which is of particular value, you can use the services of archivists and restorers. They will help restore even old paper or paintings.

Important! You can find such specialists at museums, in restoration workshops, or in the library.

Professional hydration

Water, of course, helps smooth out and restore the paper structure, but professionals know that it can also ruin a document forever. Therefore, before using the methods of straightening a sheet of paper with water, it is better to try them on a draft.

Important! A simple but dangerous method is Horton's moisturizer. For him, the document is twisted into a tube and placed in a glass or other suitable container, after which the paper container is placed in a sealed flask with water poured into it, and closed with a lid.

The method is very dangerous at home - you can accidentally spill water on the paper, or mold may form on it. Specialists sometimes impregnate the sheet with special substances against fungi. But if you use them at home, there is a risk of spoiling not only the document, but also your health.

Professional drying

Drying the paper also needs to be done carefully, as it can shrink or go in waves. If it is aligned under the press, experts recommend holding the document between two absorbent pads in a vice.

Important! Also, pros use special adhesives when drying, which lose their properties when dried.

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Other methods

Do not forget about emergency measures, how to smooth a sheet of paper. If time does not allow you to study, use methods using an iron, press or run to specialists, then there are ways to help quickly fix the situation:

1. You can try to spread a sheet of paper on the edge of the table. It is better not to use the method with important documents, since they can break with strong pressure, but it is perfect for leveling crumpled money.
2. If the original document is not needed so often, then a photocopy will help you. But here it is better to go to a large copy service. Professional equipment will squeeze the document stronger than home, and in addition to a quality copy without any creases, it can help align the paper a little.

Important! If the format allows, there is another interesting way to straighten a sheet of paper: pass it through the printer without printing on it. This method is possible if there are no strong creases on the paper.

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Helpful hints:

1. Processing printed text with hot temperatures can cause it to melt, and eventually stick to the fabric on which it lies. Therefore, heating should be carried out gradually, starting with the lowest temperature.
2. Do not forget about accuracy - before working with the iron, read the recommendations for its use.
3. So that situations when you have to restore the document was as small as possible, just purchase a convenient plastic folder for papers.
4. Remember that paper is afraid of damp rooms and direct sunlight.

Important! Do not use a hair dryer or hair tongs to heat to even a sheet of paper.Such methods are doomed to failure.

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Stock footage

Work carefully, and be sure to test the methods before using them on drafts, then the paper will definitely not tear and will find a smooth smooth surface.