Filling the Loss/ Toning Inserts

It is a conservation technique intended to provide aesthetic harmony and support to a photograph by replacing lost parts.

You need:

• Japanese paper or Western paper
• Mylar (melinex polyester)
• Permanent color
• Needle
• Wheat starch paste
• Hollytex, blotting paper, plexiglas and weights.

How to do

1. Put the piece of mylar over the photograph’s loss and mark the edges of the loss on the mylar using a permanent color marker.  
2. Cover the Japanese paper with the mylar and using a needle make dots along the line so that you transfer the same line from the mylar to the Japanese paper.
3. Tear the paper along that line and apply wheat starch paste on the edges.
4. Adhere it to the edge of the photographs.
5. Dry under Hollytex, blotting paper, plexiglas and weights. 

Note: When we make toned inserts the paper of the insert should be toned. You can see more in “toning the Japanese paper”.
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