Choosing the Best Paper for Shoji Screens

Find the Best Paper for Shoji Screens

One of the most common questions we get asked is: “What paper should I use to make a Shoji screen?” We will answer this question and many more to help you decide which paper will make your Shoji screen match your style.

We have found that our customers will either take a class or search the Internet to learn how to make a shoji screen. The teachers of these courses will often instruct students to use rice paper. The problem with using the term “rice paper” is that it is a very generic term and encompasses many different types of paper including edible paper used in Asian food dishes. (Click Here to see our article about the different types of rice paper.) It is confusing to find the right paper for a shoji screen project.

Shoji Screen Basics: A Shoji screen is a room divider that is made with a wooden frame with mullions for design and support. The wooden frame tightly stretches semi-translucent paper across the frame. The paper provides visual privacy. The translucency of the paper allows light through but blocks obvious visual detail from one side of the screen to the other. These screens are used for both decoration and for function to divide a room, or section off an area where privacy is needed.

You likely may have seen Shoji screens used for artistic effect in movies, especially film noir. The audience sits on one side of the screen and an actor/dancer on the other. A bright light shines from behind the subject onto the screen. As the actor performs, you see their silhouette but not any detail of the actor themselves. 

Finding the Right Shoji Paper: The characteristics of a good Shoji paper is a paper that is foremost, semi-translucent. It has to be dark enough to not be transparent, but still light enough to let some light through. The paper needs to be strong to resist tearing. After that, color, texture style can be chosen based on the user’s tastes.

The most common paper used is paper made from the bark of the mulberry tree. Mulberry paper is lightweight, yet strong. It has long fibers in the pulp which resist tearing. It also tends to shrink after getting wet which is one technique used to get a tight and smooth Shoji screen.

Basic Shoji Gami Paper: Traditional Japanese Shoji Screens utilize a bleached or unbleached Mulberry paper that has a uniform pulp consistency throughout. The paper weighs approximately 45 grams per square meter (GSM). Bleached Mulberry Paper is closer to a true white. Unbleached Mulberry Paper is a natural, off-white color. Either one makes a great option for a simple and neutral color palette. There is also an economical Basic Shoji Paper Roll.

Premium Shoji Paper: Many people like to use Kinwashi or Ginwashi paper for their Shoji screens. These papers are made in Japan and include small, straight, straw-like fibers embedded in the pulp. When held to the light, these fibers create a nice visual effect for the screen.

Bringing Color and Texture to Shoji Screens: Deviating from tradition, you can change up the paper to provide color or visual texture to your Shoji screen. For instance, using Unryu Paper from Thailand, you have virtually any color you could want. The paper has long Mulberry bark fibers embedded into the pulp so that when light shines through, you see the individual bark threads providing a unique look.

Another option is to use a marbled paper to add a flowing design element to the screen. The Thai Marbled Paper is made from mulberry bark and is the right weight for a Shoji screen. The hand-marbled design will add a striking visual pattern to the screen appearance.

Another fun alternative for Shoji paper is to use paper with natural leaf and bark inclusions embedded in the paper. These inclusion provide a touch of nature and visual interest to the screen.

Other Decorative Papers for Shoji Screens: In reality, you can use virtually any decorative paper to create a Shoji screen if you don’t mind giving up some of the translucency or the traditional Japanese screen making techniques. You can choose screen-printed papers to add an artistic design or pattern to the project. Or, you can use a totally opaque paper if you want to block out all hints of light. If the paper isn’t a mulberry or Kozo paper that shrinks after getting wet, you may have to hand-stretch the paper when framing it to avoid wrinkles and waviness in the final project.

If you still need help in choosing just the right Shoji Screen paper, feel free to call one of Mulberry Paper and More's customer service team at the telephone number at the top of the screen.