A sheet of paper looks like a beginning, but it is already the result of many decisions. Fibres have been prepared, dispersed, gathered and dried; a maker has judged what the sheet should do. This guide teaches 100 useful English hanji papermaking vocabulary words and terms, with meanings, natural collocations and original examples. You will learn to describe a process, compare paper properties and explain why “stronger” needs a more precise question.
South Korea provides specific cultural and material settings through hanji, Korean paper traditionally associated with paper-mulberry bast fibres. Jeonju Hanji Museum documents materials and making processes; Hanji House maintains resources about workshops and paper; Korean heritage research examines differences between samples. These sources reveal a living field of craft, design and investigation, rather than a single recipe or a quality shared automatically by every sheet.
Start with a labelled sample or a credited process diagram. Learn one group of ten terms, close the list and explain five relationships in your own words. Then try the worked comparison before choosing a paper for a fictional project. “Top 100” is a curated learning selection, not a measured frequency ranking. The sample codes, measurements, studio dialogue and tasks are invented educational examples. They do not report a real experiment or provide a manufacturing formula.
Choose the paper question you want to answer
A useful route begins with a purpose: understanding a process, selecting a material or explaining a result. Follow one route first, then return for the words your next question requires.
First check: what does your sheet need to do?
Imagine selecting paper for a folded booklet and for a translucent display. The first task may make folding behaviour important; the second makes light transmission important. Neither task is answered by saying “this is the best paper”. Begin with the intended use and the property that matters. Vocabulary becomes easier when a word solves a visible decision.
Place two expendable labelled samples side by side. Can you explain the difference between thickness and grammage? Can you distinguish a visible fibre from a stain? Can you describe a printing result without guessing the entire manufacturing history? These checks separate material knowledge, observation and inference. Teach the first missing relationship before asking the learner to memorise a larger glossary.
Students can make a comparison card. Parents can ask for one reason tied to the intended use. Teachers can change the project while keeping the samples the same. A learner who automatically selects the same sample after the purpose changes needs practice with criteria; a learner who chooses sensibly but cannot explain why needs the language for that judgement.
Contents: ten groups of ten words
Words 1–50
1–10: Meet the paper and its fibres
11–20: Read the preparation sequence
21–30: Understand how a sheet takes shape
Words 51–100
51–60: Ask what kind of strength is being discussed
61–70: Make a sample comparison readable
71–80: Connect the sheet with ink, printing and folds
Worked example · Learning method · Practice · Questions · Sources
These terms establish the material and the scale of discussion. A fibre, a sheet and a production batch are different objects; keep their properties attached to the right one.
| No. | Word or term | Meaning and usage | Natural collocation | Original example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | hanji | Korean 한지, romanised hanji: Korean paper, traditionally associated with paper-mulberry bast fibres; products and methods vary. | handmade hanji | The hanji sample carries a maker’s material note. |
| 2 | dak | Korean term for paper mulberry in this context; romanisation of 닥. | dak fibre | The label identifies dak rather than ordinary fruit-mulberry wood. |
| 3 | papermaking | The process of forming paper from prepared fibres and water. | traditional papermaking | The papermaking diagram follows fibres from preparation to a sheet. |
| 4 | bast | Fibrous tissue associated with a plant’s inner bark; specialist material vocabulary. | bast fibre | The bast provides the fibres discussed in the museum account. |
| 5 | cellulose | A structural plant substance that is a major component of paper fibres. | cellulose fibre | The lesson connects cellulose with the structure of the plant-derived material. |
| 6 | fibre | A slender strand of material contributing to a sheet’s structure. | long fibre | A fibre crosses the illuminated sample in the close-up. |
| 7 | pulp | Prepared fibrous material used to make paper. | paper pulp | The pulp is shown before it becomes a continuous sheet. |
| 8 | sheet | A broad thin piece of paper; distinguish it from a whole batch. | finished sheet | The sheet has its own code in our comparison. |
| 9 | vat | A container holding a liquid mixture, here used in papermaking. | papermaking vat | The vat contains water and dispersed fibres in the diagram. |
| 10 | suspension | A mixture with particles or fibres distributed through a liquid. | fibre suspension | The suspension is represented by fibres spread through water. |
Hanji is a cultural and material category with variation inside it. Name the source of a specific sample description rather than treating the category as a complete specification.
Process accounts describe actions with different purposes. This is explanatory vocabulary, not a recipe with quantities, temperatures or timings.
| No. | Word or term | Meaning and usage | Natural collocation | Original example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | bark | The outer protective tissues of a woody plant; specify the layer when needed. | mulberry bark | The bark is identified in the material photograph. |
| 12 | inner bark | The inner portion of bark associated with the useful bast fibres. | prepared inner bark | The inner bark is distinguished from the darker outer material. |
| 13 | steaming | Exposing material to steam as part of a documented preparation process. | bark steaming | The caption places steaming before the next preparation stage. |
| 14 | stripping | Removing an outer layer or separating material from a stem. | bark stripping | The stripping stage is labelled separately from cleaning the fibres. |
| 15 | soaking | Keeping material immersed in liquid for a period. | fibre soaking | The soaking stage appears in the process record without a universal duration. |
| 16 | cooking | Controlled treatment of fibrous material in a heated liquid; a technical papermaking sense. | fibre cooking | The cooking step is described without turning the vocabulary note into a formula. |
| 17 | rinsing | Washing with liquid to remove remaining substances or loose material. | thorough rinsing | The rinsing stage follows treatment in the documented sequence. |
| 18 | picking | Manually selecting and removing unwanted particles or fragments. | fibre picking | The picking note identifies visible unwanted fragments. |
| 19 | beating | Mechanical working of prepared fibres to change their condition for papermaking. | fibre beating | The beating stage is represented by a labelled museum illustration. |
| 20 | dispersion | The distribution of fibres or particles through a medium. | even dispersion | The dispersion in sample A is more even in the teaching image. |
A change in one preparation stage may affect later behaviour, but a finished sheet alone does not establish exactly how it was prepared. Use the maker’s record when that history matters.
The relationship between water, dispersed fibres and a forming surface is easier to explain than a disconnected list of tool names.
| No. | Word or term | Meaning and usage | Natural collocation | Original example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | mucilage | A viscous plant-derived material used in some papermaking processes to assist fibre distribution. | plant mucilage | The mucilage is recorded as a formation aid in the source. |
| 22 | viscosity | A fluid’s resistance to flow; a technical property. | suspension viscosity | The viscosity question concerns the mixture rather than the dry sheet. |
| 23 | formation | The arrangement and distribution of fibres in a sheet; also the act of forming it. | sheet formation | The formation appears uneven when the sheet is viewed against light. |
| 24 | screen | A permeable forming surface that retains fibres as water drains. | forming screen | The screen supports fibres while water passes through. |
| 25 | mould | A papermaking frame or forming tool supporting a screen; usage depends on the method. | papermaking mould | The mould is labelled in the comparative equipment drawing. |
| 26 | deckle | A frame limiting the edges of a sheet in methods that use one. | removable deckle | The deckle belongs to this demonstration method rather than every hanji process. |
| 27 | dip | To lower a forming tool into a suspension or liquid. | dip the mould | The demonstrator describes a dip before the forming motion. |
| 28 | drainage | The movement of water away through or from the forming material. | water drainage | The drainage leaves fibres gathered on the screen. |
| 29 | couching | Transferring a newly formed wet sheet from its forming surface; specialist papermaking usage. | sheet couching | The couching diagram shows a wet sheet leaving the screen. |
| 30 | wet web | The newly formed network of fibres while it still contains substantial water. | fragile wet web | The wet web is distinguished from the finished dry sheet. |
Mould and deckle terminology comes from wider English papermaking usage. Do not assume that every Korean forming method uses the same equipment arrangement; follow the documented method.
A sheet can undergo several actions after formation. Each action needs its own verb, and no single sequence should be assumed for every product.
| No. | Word or term | Meaning and usage | Natural collocation | Original example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | pressing | Applying pressure to a wet sheet or stack to remove water or consolidate it. | wet pressing | The pressing stage is recorded before final drying. |
| 32 | drying | Removing water from a sheet under stated conditions. | sheet drying | The drying method is supplied by the maker’s record. |
| 33 | shrinkage | A reduction in dimensions during a process such as drying. | drying shrinkage | The shrinkage is measured relative to the earlier dimensions. |
| 34 | tension | A pulling force within or applied to material. | applied tension | The tension in the model sheet changes when its edges are held. |
| 35 | flattening | Reducing unwanted curvature or uneven shape. | sheet flattening | The flattening stage is distinct from identifying the original fibres. |
| 36 | burnishing | Smoothing or compacting a surface through rubbing. | paper burnishing | The burnishing demonstration compares a worked area with an unworked area. |
| 37 | lamination | Joining layers to make a composite sheet or object; specify the materials. | paper lamination | The lamination joins two layers in the fictional prototype. |
| 38 | sizing | Treatment that modifies a paper’s interaction with liquids, including absorbency. | surface sizing | The sizing is documented rather than inferred solely from the colour. |
| 39 | coating | A material layer applied over a surface. | paper coating | The coating changes the surface presented to the printing process. |
| 40 | finishing | Processes giving a material its intended final surface or form. | paper finishing | The finishing note distinguishes the sheet from its earlier state. |
Sizing, coating and lamination describe different relationships with a sheet. A material can be added within or on a surface, while another layer can be joined to it; say which process the record identifies.
Describe the property you actually mean. A thick-looking sheet is not automatically heavy per unit area, opaque, absorbent or suitable for every task.
| No. | Word or term | Meaning and usage | Natural collocation | Original example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | grammage | Mass per unit area, commonly expressed as grams per square metre. | paper grammage | The grammage is 40 grams per square metre in our invented record. |
| 42 | thickness | The distance between the two main surfaces of a sheet. | sheet thickness | The thickness is measured separately from mass per area. |
| 43 | density | Mass per unit volume; specify the measurement basis for porous materials. | apparent density | The density calculation requires both mass and volume information. |
| 44 | porosity | The proportion or character of spaces within a material; not identical to permeability. | paper porosity | The porosity question concerns the sheet’s internal spaces. |
| 45 | absorbency | The ability to take up liquid under given conditions. | ink absorbency | The absorbency comparison uses equal drops of the same test liquid. |
| 46 | opacity | The extent to which a material prevents light passing through. | high opacity | The opacity reduces the visibility of the printed pattern behind the sheet. |
| 47 | translucency | Transmission of light without a clear view of objects behind. | gentle translucency | The translucency suits the fictional display’s soft lighting effect. |
| 48 | texture | The character of a surface or material’s visible and tactile features. | fibrous texture | The texture is described with locatable surface details. |
| 49 | smoothness | The degree of surface evenness; distinguish from gloss. | surface smoothness | The smoothness comparison concerns the surface rather than its colour. |
| 50 | flexibility | The ability to bend without breaking under stated conditions. | sheet flexibility | The flexibility matters to the proposed folded booklet. |
These distinctions help with design briefs and school investigations. The most useful comparison names two samples, one relevant property and the conditions under which it was examined.
Strength is an umbrella word. Specialist tests distinguish pulling, tearing and repeated folding; their results cannot be substituted for one another.
| No. | Word or term | Meaning and usage | Natural collocation | Original example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | tensile strength | Resistance to breaking when pulled in tension, measured by a specified test. | paper tensile strength | The tensile strength result belongs to the test conditions in the report. |
| 52 | tear resistance | Resistance to the extension of a tear under a specified method. | measured tear resistance | The tear resistance result does not automatically establish folding endurance. |
| 53 | folding endurance | A measure of survival under repeated folding in a specified test. | tested folding endurance | The folding endurance is relevant to the project’s repeated opening. |
| 54 | fibre length | The length of individual fibres or their measured distribution. | average fibre length | The fibre length is reported from an examination rather than guessed by touch. |
| 55 | orientation | The direction in which fibres or features are arranged. | fibre orientation | The orientation diagram compares several directions within the sheet. |
| 56 | anisotropy | Variation in a property with direction; a technical material term. | directional anisotropy | The anisotropy means that results depend on the test direction. |
| 57 | uniformity | Consistency across an area or group, in a stated property. | sheet uniformity | The uniformity comparison examines light transmission across the sample. |
| 58 | imperfection | A departure from a chosen expectation; it need not make a sheet unsuitable. | visible imperfection | The imperfection matters only if it affects the project’s criterion. |
| 59 | inclusion | A distinct particle or material enclosed within another material. | plant inclusion | The inclusion is visible but its species is not established. |
| 60 | deckle edge | An irregular feathered sheet edge associated with formation or deliberately imitated. | natural deckle edge | The deckle edge is distinguished from a later accidental tear. |
A fibre arrangement may influence several properties, but a photograph does not supply a tensile test. Keep mechanism, measurement and a proposed explanation in separate sentences when necessary.
A good record identifies what was compared and how. The language of a fair comparison matters as much as the paper vocabulary itself.
| No. | Word or term | Meaning and usage | Natural collocation | Original example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | sample | A selected portion or example used for examination. | labelled paper sample | The sample code links the sheet to its production note. |
| 62 | batch | A group produced or handled together. | production batch | The batch includes several sheets rather than one isolated sample. |
| 63 | specification | A statement of required properties or features. | material specification | The specification names the intended use and required dimensions. |
| 64 | condition | The present state of a material or object. | sample condition | The condition record notes a crease before the comparison begins. |
| 65 | humidity | The amount of water vapour in air; relative humidity expresses it relative to saturation. | relative humidity | The humidity is included in the laboratory record. |
| 66 | conditioning | Keeping samples under stated conditions before testing. | sample conditioning | The conditioning step makes the comparison more interpretable. |
| 67 | replicate | A repeated independent instance of a test or sample under the stated design. | test replicate | The replicate provides another observation rather than another adjective. |
| 68 | control | A comparison condition used to examine an effect; not simply any second sample. | control sample | The control retains the original treatment in the fictional study. |
| 69 | measurement | A result obtained by comparing a quantity with a unit or standard. | repeat measurement | The measurement includes its unit and method. |
| 70 | uncertainty | A limit on how precisely or confidently a result is known. | measurement uncertainty | The uncertainty remains part of the reported result. |
One successful trial can be interesting without establishing a universal claim. Repeated observations and controlled conditions improve the evidence, while uncertainty still needs to be reported.
A paper’s usefulness emerges through interaction with a task. Describe the actual result instead of assigning the same flattering adjective to every sample.
| No. | Word or term | Meaning and usage | Natural collocation | Original example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | brushwork | The handling and character of marks made with a brush. | expressive brushwork | The brushwork changes when the same ink meets a different surface. |
| 72 | ink | A coloured medium used for writing, drawing or printing. | printing ink | The ink is the same in both sample comparisons. |
| 73 | bleeding | Unwanted movement of a colour or liquid beyond an intended boundary. | ink bleeding | The bleeding is visible beyond the printed shape. |
| 74 | feathering | Fine spreading along fibres at the edge of an ink mark. | ink feathering | The feathering makes the line edge look slightly hairy in the close-up. |
| 75 | show-through | Visibility of printing from the opposite side through the sheet. | reduced show-through | The show-through is assessed against the same printed pattern. |
| 76 | printability | Suitability for a specified printing process and intended result. | paper printability | The printability claim names the process used in the trial. |
| 77 | adhesion | The attachment between materials at their contact surface. | ink adhesion | The adhesion result concerns this ink and surface combination. |
| 78 | substrate | The underlying material receiving a coating, print or other layer. | paper substrate | The substrate is hanji in the labelled design sample. |
| 79 | crease | A line or deformation produced by folding or pressure. | fold crease | The crease is visible before the booklet prototype is assembled. |
| 80 | grain | A predominant direction in paper structure; do not assume every sheet has the same directional behaviour. | paper grain | The grain direction is recorded only when the evidence establishes it. |
A thin sheet may be useful precisely because it transmits light. A surface that suits one ink can behave differently with another. A trade-off is a design question, not a moral defect in the paper.
Craft knowledge belongs to people and communities as well as objects. These terms connect making with care, history and further development.
| No. | Word or term | Meaning and usage | Natural collocation | Original example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | archive | An organised body of records or the institution keeping them. | material archive | The archive links sheet samples with documented making information. |
| 82 | conservation | Care intended to preserve an object and its significance. | paper conservation | The conservation discussion distinguishes a new sample from a historical object. |
| 83 | provenance | The documented origin and history of an object or material. | sample provenance | The provenance record identifies the workshop supplying the sheet. |
| 84 | attribution | Assigning an object or claim to a maker or source. | maker attribution | The attribution comes from the collection record. |
| 85 | documentation | Records describing material, methods, decisions or history. | process documentation | The documentation explains which stage was changed. |
| 86 | craftsperson | A person practising skilled making; a neutral occupational term. | experienced craftsperson | The craftsperson explains why the same label can cover varied sheets. |
| 87 | workshop | A place of skilled making or a practical learning session; clarify the sense. | papermaking workshop | The workshop record identifies the people involved in the demonstration. |
| 88 | transmission | Passing skills or knowledge between people or generations. | skill transmission | The transmission of judgement involves explanation as well as observation. |
| 89 | innovation | A new approach or application within a particular context. | material innovation | The innovation changes the display design without erasing the paper’s history. |
| 90 | application | A practical use of a material or idea. | design application | The application determines which property matters most. |
A traditional material can support contemporary design without ceasing to have a history. Equally, a contemporary application does not make every earlier practice obsolete.
The final terms are general English used in material investigations and design discussions. They keep a specialist description connected to a reason.
| No. | Word or term | Meaning and usage | Natural collocation | Original example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | comparison | An examination of similarities and differences on a stated basis. | fair comparison | The comparison keeps the test liquid and sample area constant. |
| 92 | variable | A feature that can differ or be changed in an investigation. | controlled variable | The variable being changed is the surface treatment. |
| 93 | evidence | Information used to support a claim. | test evidence | The evidence supports a limited comparison rather than a universal ranking. |
| 94 | inference | A conclusion drawn from observations or records. | cautious inference | The inference concerns the two tested samples. |
| 95 | qualification | A limit or condition attached to a statement. | necessary qualification | The qualification names the small sample size. |
| 96 | criterion | A standard used to judge suitability; plural criteria. | selection criterion | The criterion changes when the task changes from booklet to light screen. |
| 97 | trade-off | A choice involving gains in one respect and costs in another. | design trade-off | The trade-off between translucency and show-through matters to the brief. |
| 98 | prototype | An initial model made to explore or test a design. | booklet prototype | The prototype reveals how the selected paper folds in this design. |
| 99 | feedback | Information about a result that can guide improvement. | specific feedback | The feedback identifies spreading ink rather than calling the whole sheet poor. |
| 100 | transfer | Applying learning in a new situation; an educational sense here. | independent transfer | The transfer task asks for a new paper choice with a changed purpose. |
Try a sentence with a purpose, a criterion and a limitation. “For this display, I prefer sample B because it transmits more light in our comparison; we have not tested its long-term performance.”
Worked sample test: heavier paper is not automatically the better choice
Our fictional design brief asks for a small light screen that must show a soft glow while supporting a printed outline. Sample A has a grammage of 40 g/m² and sample B 60 g/m². The sheets have equal area. This tells us that B has more mass per unit area. It does not, by itself, tell us which is thicker, which transmits more light or which will produce the clearer printed outline.
Each sample piece measures 0.10 m². Its mass is grammage multiplied by area: A has a mass of 4 g and B 6 g. A learner who reports 40 g and 60 g has ignored the area. A learner who calculates correctly and declares B twice as thick has crossed from one property into another without evidence. Repair the unit relationship or the property distinction according to the actual mistake.
Now add invented observations under the same lamp and with the same printed pattern. A transmits more light but its ink line spreads visibly; B transmits less light and keeps a sharper outline. Neither observation makes one sheet universally superior. The project needs an explicit balance between light transmission and line clarity. A useful recommendation names that balance and proposes a prototype rather than announcing a national ranking of paper.
Change the brief: the project is now a two-sided booklet whose text must remain easy to read. The same light transmission that helped the screen may create unwanted show-through. The recommendation can change even though both samples retain their recorded properties. This is a decision change caused by a new purpose, not evidence that the paper itself has transformed.
Change the evidence instead: a later note says the two ink trials used different inks. The result no longer isolates the paper difference. Write, “The line behaviour differed, but the ink also changed, so this trial cannot establish the paper’s effect alone.” Ask for a like-for-like comparison. The next useful action follows from the limitation rather than from a vague instruction to test more.
A strong handover might read: “For the light-screen brief, A offers greater light transmission in our trial. Before selection, repeat the outline test with the same ink on both samples and examine a prototype. For the booklet brief, compare show-through separately.” This uses the vocabulary to preserve a decision route that another person can follow.
A Korean craft context with several routes into the material
Jeonju Hanji Museum presents both raw materials and making processes. Start with those documented stages rather than an unsupported origin legend or an automatic claim of thousand-year durability. A source about one process can explain a term without establishing the full history of every product sold as hanji.
The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage’s published account of its hanji analysis report describes research across papers made with different raw materials and methods. For a learner, the useful implication is bounded: the material category contains differences worth examining. We do not turn an aggregate research finding into a guarantee for an untested sheet or a particular project.
Hanji House offers another route through online terminology and workshop information. Its own website, checked on 17 October 2026, reports temporary closure with reopening planned for March 2027. Treat that as a dated plan, not a guaranteed opening date. An older tourism listing should not be used to promise a visit during the closure; the online material resources serve a different purpose.
Original dialogue: Designer: “Which sheet is strongest?” Maker: “What will it need to withstand?” Designer: “Repeated folding in a booklet.” Maker: “Then let us discuss folding behaviour and the intended structure, not just the heaviest sheet.” The exchange turns a broad adjective into a testable design question without dismissing the beginner’s interest.
Hanji connects with books, visual design, craft and conservation, but these uses are not identical. A new display prototype can be revised freely; a historical object raises questions of significance and professional care. Material curiosity is useful across both settings, while the decision and authority remain specific to the task.
The published English Tuition | South Korea guide emphasises identifying the learner’s purpose and testing independent use. Apply that here: after reading the process diagram, explain it to someone who cannot see it, then adapt the explanation for a different sample. This learning link does not establish a Korean eduKate centre or programme.
A learning route from a labelled sample to a clear material choice
Begin with six connected terms: fibre, suspension, screen, drainage, wet web and sheet. Draw arrows between them and explain each relationship with the glossary covered. If the learner only remembers the list order, ask what the screen retains and what passes through it. The relationship is the learning target.
Next, choose three property pairs: thickness/grammage, opacity/translucency and tensile strength/tear resistance. Explain why each pair is related without being interchangeable. Use two invented sample records to keep the discussion concrete. Do not require destructive demonstrations on valuable objects.
For speaking practice, hold a ninety-second design conversation. One person states a purpose, another asks for the criterion, and a third identifies missing evidence. Rotate the roles. Each person then writes an independent recommendation; group agreement alone does not show that everyone can reason through the choice.
For writing, produce a 120-word material note containing the sample code, relevant property, observation, limitation and next action. Circle every comparison word: thicker, stronger, clearer, more absorbent. Does each have a stated basis? Replace unsupported rankings with the property and test actually supplied.
Parents can ask for one changed-purpose decision. Teachers can change an uncontrolled variable in the trial record. Students can keep an error log separating units, property meanings and unsupported inference. These different errors need different repair; repeating all 100 terms is rarely the shortest route to the missing idea.
Return after several days with a new brief: packaging, a print or a translucent artwork. Retrieve ten terms, select five useful ones and explain the choice without copying the original dialogue. A successful response preserves the evidence while changing the vocabulary selection to fit the task.
Practice: retrieve, explain and revise
A. A sample has a grammage of 50 g/m² and an area of 0.08 m². Calculate its mass and name a property this does not establish.
B. Two samples show different ink spreading, but the ink also differs. Explain the limitation in one sentence.
C. Rewrite “Hanji is always the best paper for every purpose” as a useful selection statement.
D. Explain the difference between sizing and grammage to a younger learner.
E. Write a two-sentence handover asking for the next useful comparison before choosing a light-screen material.
Answers and explanations
A. Its mass is 4 g. The calculation does not establish thickness, opacity, tensile strength or printability. Grammage and area determine this mass under the stated values; other properties need their own evidence.
B. “Because both the paper and the ink changed, the trial cannot isolate the effect of the paper.” The observation remains useful, but its causal scope is narrower than the original claim.
C. “A hanji sample should be selected for its documented properties and the intended use; this project needs a comparison of folding behaviour and show-through.” The new sentence gives a decision route rather than a universal promise.
D. Sizing is a treatment that changes how a sheet interacts with liquids. Grammage measures mass per unit area. One describes a process or treatment, while the other is a measured property.
E. Model: “Please compare both samples under the same lamp and repeat the outline trial with the same ink. We can then judge light transmission and line clarity against the screen brief before making a prototype.”
Frequently asked questions
Are these 100 Korean words?
No. The list teaches English papermaking and investigation vocabulary through a Korean context. Hanji and dak are labelled local terms. Dak is supplied with its Hangul form and romanisation; most entries are ordinary or specialist English.
Is paper mulberry the same as every tree called mulberry?
No. Common names can conceal botanical differences. This guide follows the paper-mulberry context in the institutional sources and does not treat ordinary fruit-mulberry wood as an interchangeable material.
Does handmade mean every sheet is identical?
No. Materials, preparation, forming and finishing can vary. A maker’s record and sample comparison are more useful than assuming that one cultural or production label supplies all properties.
Does a heavier sheet have to be thicker?
No. Grammage is mass per area, while thickness is a distance. A comparison needs both measurements if both properties matter. Neither figure independently establishes the full suitability of a sheet.
Is this a papermaking recipe?
The guide explains terms and reasoning used in accounts of the process. It gives no manufacturing formulation or operating sequence for equipment. Practical learning belongs with the documented method and appropriate instruction.
What should I learn first?
Start with the process relationships and the two or three properties relevant to your project. Retrieve them, explain a new sample record and change your choice when the brief changes. Add specialist terms when they help you communicate.
Sources and scope
Sources checked on 17 October 2026. Institutional and practitioner sources establish the cultural context and selected specialist distinctions. The learning sequence, fictional records, example sentences and exercises are original educational material. This vocabulary guide does not establish an object’s provenance, certify practical skill or replace instruction from a qualified practitioner.
Jeonju Hanji Museum: making process — Museum account of hanji production stages.
Jeonju Hanji Museum: raw materials — Material context, including paper-mulberry fibres.
Hanji House: terminology — Institutional resource for specialist hanji terms and distinctions.
Hanji House: closure and relocation notice — Dated operational notice; the site reported temporary closure when checked on 17 October 2026.
National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage: Our Paper, Hanji—Analysis — Official research-report announcement describing variation across raw materials and making methods.
Cambridge Dictionary: grammage — Learner dictionary for the paper mass-per-area term.
Continue with one property and one changed purpose
Use the eduKate vocabulary hub to connect meaning, retrieval and independent use. Keep one sample comparison whose conclusion you revised for a good reason. That small correction is evidence of learning rather than a flaw to hide.
For broader difficulty with reading instructions or explaining evidence, the Singapore-based Secondary English Tuition in Singapore guide describes diagnosis across connected skills. Identify the first missing relationship, practise it briefly and return to a fresh material decision.