Paper textures and patterns are vital tools for designers and creative professionals. Designers and brand owners use various paper textures in addition to fonts, UI elements, and patterns to create compelling designs that would help them attract customers and potential buyers.
Generally speaking, the texture is the surface feel of a physical object. It is the sensation you get when the first drop of water touches your shoulder when you are preparing to get a shower or that warm feeling when you wrap a blanket around on a cold winter night.
In this article, I will explain the different kinds of paper textures and provide you with various resources where you can find several high-quality paper textures. Furthermore, I will provide download links to various paper texture images and how you could create one using Adobe Photoshop. In addition to these, we will walk through the importance of textures in modern graphic designs. But first, let me explore the different categories of paper textures and finishes.
Interesting read: Best graphic design software’s.
Paper textures and finishes
Before we explore paper textures available online for graphic design purposes, let us understand the different paper structures and finishes available in the market and their manufacturing process.
Paper textures are divided into four categories based on their manufacturing process. The following are the four categories of paper textures:
- Smooth
- Embossed
- Uncoated
- Coated
These four categories are further divided into multiple subgroups. Let us explore each one.
Smooth
The first type of paper texture is smooth. As the name suggests, smooth paper textures do not have any watermarks or ridges. The smooth paper texture type is further divided into three subgroups: smooth, wove, and vellum.
Smooth
Smooth paper texture is obtained when the paper is run through rollers over and over again. Paper pulp is run through a set of rollers to flatten them. When this process is repeated a few times; a ream of smooth paper is produced. A ream generally has 500 sheets of smooth paper.
Smooth paper is ideal for the transfer of ink. In simple words, smooth paper is best for writing and printing purposes. Surface smoothness is one of the most critical requirements for printing. The surface smoothness of paper can be measured by replicating the printing process where actual printing pressure is released upon the surface of the paper. There are other ways of evaluating the properties of paper, but that is a topic for another article.
Wove
If a ream does not have a tag mentioning the category of finish it has, you can safely assume that it is wove. This type of paper finish is generally very smooth and does not have ribbed detailing or watermarking. During the manufacturing process, the makers use a brush that has woven wires; hence, the name “Wove.” The woven wires create a smooth surface, ideal for printing. Publishing houses and printing presses generally use wove.
Quick fact: In 1757, wove first came into existence when John Baskerville printed the first edition of Virgil. Wove was first created by James Whatman, a revolutionary paper maker.
Vellum
Strong and durable, vellum can be used as all-purpose paper. Vellum is smooth, but its subtle jaggedness makes it rougher than other forms of smooth paper textures. Vellum is generally made from pure cellulose fibers found within tree bark. The material for creating vellum is also obtained from plasticized rags.
Paper vellum is usually translucent and also known as vegetable vellum and Japanese vellum. This category of smooth paper texture is perfect for architectural plans because its translucent nature allows tracing. Vellum is more durable and stable than regular paper, making it perfect for drawing blueprints.
Quick fact: Vellum is acid-free and recyclable.
Image Credit: Oklahoma State University
Embossed
The next on the list of paper textures are embossed. This type of paper has slightly elevated detailing that can be seen and felt. The following are the three kinds of embossed papers:
- Pinstripe
- Linen
- Laid
Pinstripe
Pinstripe papers can easily be spotted because they have ribbed vertical lines that stretch down the length of the sheet. Pinstripe papers are generally used for wrapping or decorations. From wallpapers to paper bags, pinstripe papers are stylish and elegant.
Linen
Linen paper works as a substitute for regular paper. The prime objective behind manufacturing linen paper is to reduce our dependence on paper manufactured from trees. Linen paper feels and appears similar to linen fabric used for domestic purposes. Linen paper texture is generally used to give something a sophisticated look.
So, how is linen paper manufactured? Linen clothes manufactured in factories result in waste, which is taken to the junkyard for disposal. Papermakers collect the waste to derive cotton: essential in strengthening the paper. The waste is rolled numerous times until the elegant-looking linen paper is produced. Linen paper goes well with letterheads, business cards, and restaurant menus.
Laid
Are you looking for hand-crafted paper for your next project? Look no further than laid paper finish. The laid finish is created when the paper is in the production stages. The paper rollers are forced on the pulp when it is still wet, resulting in vertical lines that run down the length of the paper. The laid finish papers also feature horizontal lines along with the vertical ones that result in “chain lines.”
Laid papers often have a watermark because of the bent wires attached to the mold. You can also use a dandy roll to imitate the appearance of laid paper. Like linen paper, laid paper can be used for business cards, stationery, and restaurant menus.
Uncoated
Uncoated papers are softer and porous. Uncoated papers appear softer because they do not have an extra layer of coating on them. Usually, uncoated paper soaks ink because they are not as hard as coated paper. Uncoated papers are available in smooth, super smooth, laid, linen, and vellum finishes. This type of paper is divided into the following two categories:
- Cockle
- Parchment
Cockle
Cockle papers usually have an uneven appearance. Cockle paper is created by applying minimum tension during the drying process.
Parchment
Parchment papers have a rough texture and are also known as marble paper. The paper pulp is mixed with different types of chemicals to break the paper compounds. The process of breaking compounds gives birth to a texture that resembles marble and feels super smooth. Parchment is resistant to grease and is extremely durable.
Coated
Coated papers are designed to restrict ink absorption. The clay coating ensures that the ink sits as a defined dot on the sheet. Coated papers are durable and can be used to enhance brightness. This category of paper is further subdivided into the following three categories:
- Glossy
- Metallic
- Stardream
Glossy
This type of paper is generally super smooth. One side of the paper has surface gloss and appears very shiny, while the other side is rough and uncoated. Glossy has many different categories; however, they are mainly divided into photo-gloss and soft-gloss. Photo-gloss is generally used for photographic printing and provides the highest resolution, whereas soft-gloss is used for flyers or corporate reports.
Metallic
Metallic paper has a thin layer of film made of metal or plastic and looks identical to the base paper, giving the paper a shiny look. Metallic papers are mostly used for photographic purposes because it is known to give photographs depth and a touch of 3D effect.
Stardream
As the name suggests, this type of paper has a shimmery coating and is smooth to touch. Stardream comes in three variants: pearlescent, metallic, and iridescent. This type of paper is generally used for high-end presentations where you want to appear trendy and sophisticated.
Those were the various categories of paper available in the market that can be used for various design projects. From decorating your homes with wallpapers to baking delicious cookies, you can take a pick of the paper you want from the list.
Now from the real world to the digital world: let us look at some platforms that offer you paper texture files for different design projects.
5 sites that offer paper texture files
Be it watercolor paper texture or vintage paper texture, be it ripped paper texture or brown paper texture, these five sites offer hundreds of free paper textures for your design projects. Let’s dive in.
Pixelbuddha
Image Credit: Pixelbuddha
“We always say that we’re a creative team passionate about bringing the best free and premium resources to the design community. And we believe in that part,” mentions Greg Lapin, designer at Pixelbuddha.
Pixelbuddha has hundreds of free high-resolution paper textures that you can easily use for any design project.
Located in Volgograd, Russia, Pixelbuddha is a design studio that offers premium design resources. Apart from breathtaking paper textures, the design platform provides “3D objects, watercolor illustrations, shape bouquets, frames, wreaths, abstract & geometric backgrounds.”
So, if you want to ensure you have access to super cool designs and patterns, look no further than Pixelbuddha.
Behance
Image Credit: Behance
Are you looking for glued poster paper texture or vintage effects? Whatever be your requirement, Behance has an excellent collection of ultra-high-resolution paper textures that can get your party started.
Owned by Adobe, Behance is a social networking platform that focuses on showcasing creative work. Founded by Scott Belsky and Matias Corea in 2005, the creative social media platform has over 10 million members today.
The social networking site describes itself as “the leading platform to showcase & discover creative work.” The amazing creative platform is free for creative professionals.
Behance has a rich collection of paper textures that you can use or share while giving credit to its original creator.
Deezy
Image Credit: Deezy
Deezy is one of those super cool platforms that provide high-resolution paper textures for free. From free holographic papers to inked paper textures to wrinkle paper textures, Deezy has everything that a creative professional may require for his design projects. Apart from awesome-looking paper textures, the platform also provides illustrations in vector format, fonts, lettering, and mock-ups as freebies.
GraphicBurger
Image Credit: GraphicBurger
Graphic design is all about giving your imagination wings. Platforms like GraphicBurger help creative artists turn their imagination into reality. GraphicBurger provides “premium quality design resources” for free. Be it paper textures or backgrounds, or UI kits or text effects, GraphiBurger delivers what it promises.
Conceived by Raul Taciu, a creative professional from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, GraphicBurger has quickly created a niche for itself. Raul shares his passion for design on the website and invites other creative professionals to join the bandwagon. He also accepts requests from other designers who wish to share their work on the platform so that the creative community could benefit as a whole.
Pexels
Image Credit: Pexels/Sharon McCutcheon
From paper texture library to stock footage to free photos, Pexels has everything a creative professional may need. Pexels’ mission, “Empowering Creators,” perfectly defines the platform. Not only does the site provide creative professional varied paper textures, but also free photos and stock footage. The online platform provides “millions of designers, writers, artists, programmers, and other creators” with the designs required to create great content.
Founded by brothers Bruno and Ingo Joseph in 2014 with only 800 photos, Pexels can boast about having a library of over 3.2 million videos and photos today! The library continues to grow, with almost 200,000 photos and videos being uploaded every month.
Different paper textures are known to evoke various emotions. Just like fonts and colors, different paper textures trigger different emotions in an individual. But what do different paper textures convey? Now, that is a topic for another article.
Moving on, it is now time to look at various high-resolution paper textures perfect for your design projects.
High-res free paper textures for your inspiration
We will provide you with download links to various paper textures that may come in handy during your design projects in this section.
Paper texture overlays
Folded paper texture
Image Credit: Envato Elements
Folded paper overlays can be a great fit if you want to give your design a retro look. This pack contains 24 simple folded overlays from Envato Elements that can go well with your creative efforts. You can simply place a folded paper overlay over a selected image on Photoshop and change blending mode to linear light. And that is all!
Torn paper overlay
Image Credit: Envato Elements
Torn paper texture has a palpable quality about them. If you are looking for a paper texture that can help enhance the sense of palpability, then torn paper texture is exactly what you need. The torn paper texture from Envato Elements comes packed with four ripped paper texture overlays in PSD format.
Ripped paper texture overlay
Image Credit: Envato Elements
This pack of 40 ripped and grunge paper overlays offers creative professionals paper textures that can easily fit into any design project. Be it watercolor paper texture or compressed ones: look no further than Creamy Paper Collection. This dream collection of ripped and grunge paper overlays has everything a designer could think of.
Crumpled paper texture overlay
Image Credit: Envato Elements
This high-resolution collection of crumpled paper textures is perfect if you like to create new designs using software such as Photoshop. This pack of crumpled and folded paper texture overlay has twenty different designs, which is perfect for school projects, artwork, and stationery. These paper textures can add depth to any design.
Old paper texture
Old paper texture (PSD)
Image Credit: Envato Elements
Old paper textures go well with almost any kind of project. If you have landed yourself creative projects such as web designing, banners, cards, posters, decorations, or even a school project, then here is a pack of 14 old paper textures perfect for you. You can even use these old paper textures as overlays.
Old vintage paper textures
Image Credit: Creative Market
This pack comes loaded with 53 old vintage paper textures that are completely handmade. These textures are perfect if you are looking to create a design with a vintage look. From scrapbooking to creating a super cool background, old vintage paper textures have everything you could dream of. The pack includes 2 PSD and PNG files plus 6 burnt edge papers in addition to 45 old papers. While this pack has great-looking paper textures, you are required to pay $12 for its commercial usage.
Old iron textures
Image Credit: Envato Elements
If you want to evoke a sense of distress or discomfort through your designs, then old iron textures are a perfect fit for you. You can also use these designs if you want to create an aged-paper look. Apart from enhancing the tactile quality, these old iron textures are capable of intensifying the depth of your designs.
Old photo textures and old newspaper textures
Image Credit: Envato Elements
What is the similarity between conventional photos and newspapers? Well, they both age in a similar way. Both newspapers and conventional photos become yellow with their edges becoming brittle as time passes by. This pack of old and vintage isolated paper and texture comes loaded with five textures and seven A4 newspaper/photo overlays.
Old photo textures and old newspaper textures add depth to your retro designs and make your designs look more authentic. So download this amazing pack if you want to look original with your designs.
Black paper texture
Creased black paper texture
Image Credit: Freecreatives
The color black, for many, is the classiest color of all. Black is also any web developer’s color of choice. Creased black paper texture is a perfect fit for bloggers, websites, gift wrapping, etc. you can even use this high-resolution paper texture to create a crumpled overlay. You may also use this paper texture to create impressive background designs.
Old grunge black paper texture
Image Credit: Textures4Photoshop
Old grunge black paper texture is another paper texture that is perfect for creating a sense of distress, agony, or affliction. This high-resolution black paper texture also fits well if you want to create grunge effects or overlays on Photoshop. Graphic design is all about evoking various emotions in people, and old grunge black paper texture never fails to do that.
Dark paper background
Image Credit: Freecreatives
Dark paper backgrounds are exceedingly essential if you want to give your photos a professional and smooth look. Be it headshots or portraits: dark paper backgrounds can breathe life into your photos. Dark backgrounds could help you control light and bring depth to your photos. You can also use an AI photo enhancer or dark background to remove unnecessary elements in an image.
Dark crumpled paper texture
Image Credit: Medialoot
Dark Folded or crumpled paper textures can do wonders if used creatively. This pack from Medialoot contains 10 dark crumpled paper textures that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as overlays and backgrounds. You can choose various images, colors, or shapes to create compelling designs that could instantly attract the attention of the audience.
Wrinkled paper texture
Black and white crumpled paper texture
Image Credit: Freecreatives
Black and white crumpled paper textures are very stylish and can be used for a variety of projects. They bring an element of uniqueness to designs that attract the audience immediately. This Black and white crumpled paper texture from Freecreatives can be used freely for personal and commercial purposes.
High-res wrinkled paper texture
Image Credit: Freecreatives
Wrinkled paper texture can be perfect for various kinds of graphic design projects. From backgrounds to greeting cards to websites, wrinkled paper textures can be used as a weapon by creative professionals. This pack contains 22 high-resolution wrinkled paper textures that can suit your creative needs.
Wrinkled paper textures are known to enhance the tactile quality of a design.
Crumpled and folded paper texture
Image Credit: PSD-Dude
Wrinkled and folded paper textures are always high in demand by digital artists. Not only do wrinkled paper textures look trendy, but they can also be used in numerous ways. Be it cool-looking paper texts or media artworks: you can always bet on wrinkled paper textures to attract the audience. This wrinkled paper from PSD-Dude can make your designs look very creative and authentic.
Pink crumpled paper textures
Image Credit: Freecreatives
This awesome-looking pink crumpled paper texture is capable of attracting anyone to your website, poster, or invitation cards. This super cool paper texture from Freecreatives can be used to give your design a personalized touch. These crumpled paper textures are available in many different shades, which can give wings to your imagination!
Vintage paper texture
Vintage paper texture
Image Credit: 01MasterArt
If your latest design involves creating ancient manuscripts or old texts, then vintage paper texture by 01Master-Art is exactly what you need. This paper texture resembles old or historical manuscripts usually found in museums or safely hidden by Knights Templar in some ancient cave. This vintage paper texture can bring back memories of a time gone by.
Retro comic book background
Image Credit: Textures4Photoshop
You can use this retro comic book background with halftone texture to your design project to give it a vintage look. This retro comic book background ensures that you do not have to create a new one from scratch on editing applications such as Photoshop. Just download this classic comic book background and start designing your comic book art to display on social media sites or your blog.
Vintage comic book texture
Image Credit: Textures4Photoshop
This halftone paper texture from Textures4Photoshop can be used in a number of ways to bring your comic book to life. Halftone is generally created by using a gradient of shades and limiting the number of tones. Halftone patterns are generally used to make an image more dramatic.
You can use this comic book texture to create a grunge look.
Vintage paper textures set
Image Credit: Pixelbuddha
Created by Pixelbuddha, this set contains sixteen high-resolution vintage paper textures. These “handmade paper textures were carried out with coffee, paper compression and crumpling to give them a vintage and grunge look.” You can use these paper textures to create banners, posters, web design, invitations, etc. You can also use these awesome-looking paper textures as backgrounds or overlays.
Kraft paper texture
Light brown or tan paper texture with flecks
Image Credit: Freecreatives
Free to use, this high-res Kraft paper texture “can give an exciting appearance to the website for art school, art gallery and so on.” You can also use this Kraft paper to project yourself as an eco-friendly company. This Kraft paper texture can be used by businesses and creative professionals to market their eco-friendly packaging designs.
News: How Covid-19 has triggered sustainable packaging.
Crumpled Kraft paper texture
Image Credit: Freecreatives
You can use crumpled Kraft paper texture to express your creative thoughts in a unique way. You can use this paper texture to modify backgrounds on Photoshop or even use it as overlays. You can also create an attractive environment for your blog, which will enable your readers to stay on your site longer. You can download it for free on Freecreatives.
High-res Kraft brown paper textures
Image Credit: Freecreatives
Consumers are increasingly becoming eco-conscious. Businesses that fail to project themselves as eco-conscious; lose a chunk of their business to brands that highlight their environment-friendly attributes. When customers see Kraft brown paper textures on your website or packaging, they immediately perceive you as eco-conscious. This Kraft brown paper texture by Freecreatives can be used for website design or backgrounds.
Crinkled Kraft paper texture
Image Credit: Freecreatives
This crinkle Kraft paper texture goes well with deep backgrounds and overlays. Just place the Krinkled craft paper over some text or image on Photoshop and play a little bit with the blending mode, and that is all!
Used across industries, Kraft papers are strong and used for various purposes such as wrapping various products and palette lining. In graphic designs, Kraft paper textures symbolize similar attributes such as durability and strength.
White paper texture
White paper background texture kit
Image Credit: Creative Market
This kit contains 26 high-res white paper background paper textures. These A4 files can be used for a variety of projects, including “web & print projects, backgrounds, textures, posters, flyers, cards, booklets, brochures, artworks, blogs, any kind of presentations & promotions, and wallpapers.” This white paper background texture kit could be a great addition to a creative designer’s tool kit. However, a license cost of $10 is involved for the kit’s commercial use.
Linen paper texture
Image Credit: UTemplates
Linen paper, like Kraft paper, is durable and helps reduce our dependence on paper manufactured from trees. This linen paper texture from UTemplates can be used for different projects such as business cards, letterheads, posters, invitations, restaurant menus, etc. Linen paper texture can give your presentations a sophisticated look.
White crumpled paper
Image Credit: Freepik
Crumpled papers are generally thrown away; however, these papers can be reused artistically. White crumpled paper texture can be used to create mood boards, collages, and backgrounds. This high-res white crumpled paper texture by Freepik can also be used as an overlay for your design projects, blog posts, banners, and scrapbooks.
Ivory off white paper texture
Image Credit: UTemplates
Symbol of simplicity, virtue, and chastity, ivory has always been revered by mankind. In terms of paper texture, ivory white stands for sophistication and class. This ivory-off-white paper texture by UTemplates can be used for different projects, such as creating logo designs, websites, backgrounds, blogs, invitations, and cards.
Those were some awesome-looking paper textures you would love to have in your toolkit. While most of these paper textures can be used freely, you may have to pay a few dollars extra for some to use them commercially.
Add awesome paper textures in Adobe Photoshop or illustrator
You can find tens of thousands of paper textures online, which you can use to create compelling works of art. Here is how you can add paper textures in Photoshop and Illustrator.
Find your paper texture
Image Credit: Skill Share Blog
Several creative platforms can help you with the paper texture you need. If you still cannot find what you are looking for, you can create your own by using a paint roller on a piece of thick paper. You can also use your phone camera to take photos of textures you like. Think wooden desks, carpets, or even your marble floor.
Import the image or the paper texture
Image Credit: Skill Share Blog
Once you have found the paper texture of your choice, you simply have to import it to Photoshop or Illustrator. Importing can be as simple as copy and pasting. While you can use some paper texture without tweaking anything, others may still require you to increase the contrast after changing it to grayscale.
Experiment with various settings
Image Credit: Skill Share Blog
The keywords for you to remember here are clipping masks, blending, and layers. After importing the image, you may have to experiment with these settings. Blending options, clipping masks, and layers will help create the desired paper texture that could work well with your design project.
Bonus: The importance of textures in modern graphic design
Textures bring in the element of freshness to any design. Business owners and creative professionals work towards making their designs as life-like as possible, and what could be better than textures! We will explore four ways that textures can be used in graphic design.
Natural textures can breathe life into your designs
Image Credit: Dawid Sieradzki
Designer Dawid Sieradzki has created a sense of harmony in this design. The designer has used natural texture in the background that makes the poster look organic. The designer then uses texts in the foreground that grab the attention of the audience within seconds. The color combination along with the text is simply mesmerizing.
What can designers learn?
The vital lesson here is contrast. The poster is the perfect example of using contrast to create a sense of harmony. The hues and tones used in the image make the poster look organic. Furthermore, the designer has used contrasting fonts to make the poster look more attractive.
Interesting read: Best free fonts.
Tactile textures grab attention
Image Credit: Pierre Mendel
What are tactile textures? There are visual textures, and then there are tactile textures. Tactile textures have physical qualities even though they are purely visual. Tactile images mimic the texture of the physical surface of various objects. This image by Pierre Mendel, for example, shows how powerful tactile textures can be when used the right way.
What can designers learn?
Tactile design elements can influence the audience in a way that helps establish a connection between the physical and visual qualities of an object. Creative professionals can transfer the tactile texture of a physical surface through their innovative ideas in graphic design.
Use photography as textured background
Image Credit: Alejandro Pereira
Photography can be used to express varied emotions and feelings. This visual medium can help a creative professional create textured backgrounds, which can easily keep the audience hooked to posters, websites, or logos. This design by Alejandro Pereira is a great example of a combination of photography and semi-transparent typography in the foreground. The photo in the background helps the image in the foreground stand out perfectly.
What can a designer learn?
Photography can be a powerful mode of visual communication. There are various kinds of photography, such as portrait, fashion, editorial, etc. Each has its own personality, and when combined with various symbols, images, fonts, or colors, your designs could reach the next level.
Create 3D designs using texture
Image Credit: 2014 Talling Music Festival
Manipulating the size and position of static images to give them a three-dimensional look is no mean feat by any stretch of the imagination. Combining and converting images to give them a 3D look involves playing with transparency and opacity adjustments. The poster for the 2014 Talling Music Festival is a perfect example of the concept.
What can a designer learn?
Designing is not only about playing with contrasts and combining different images; it is mostly about expressing yourself in your own unique way. 3D conversion can be a powerful tool in the hands of an experienced creative professional because he can turn a simple image into compelling 3D art.
The bottom line
Using paper textures in your designs broadens your artistic abilities. Be it comic book paper textures or linen paper textures, be it crumpled ones or the ones that are handmade, paper textures can add depth and drama to your designs.
Head of Design at DesignBro and is responsible for UI/UX Design, managing the global designer community, and ensuring quality levels of both designers and designs remain high.
