How can I artificially age paper without staining or dyeing? For several applications, I don’t like the cool look of modern bright white paper. For some valuable prints, I prefer natural white paper without optical brightening agents. In some cases, however, I also want the paper to look old. Therefore, I am looking for a technique to age paper.

The paper should look like a page in an old book, not just yellow like paper with optical brightening agents that was exposed to the sun. The result of artificial aging should resemble naturally aged paper. However, the “forged document” does not have to stand up to forensic analysis. Preferably, the process should not leave any residue that isn’t naturally found in old paper. Thus, I don’t want to simply stain or dye the paper (e.g. with coffee, tea, or brown watercolour). The use of volatile chemicals would be acceptable.

The artificial aging should not unnecessarily damage the paper. The paper should not become warped and wavy (cockled).

The content of the paper is written or printed in black (calligraphy ink, woodcut, letterpress printing, or laser printing). Some fading or discoloration of the black content would be acceptable or could be even desirable.

(Note that the question “How can I prevent my drawings and paper from yellowing over time?” is about the opposite situation.)
Place the paper in a sealed box or plastic bag together with an open jar with a bit of ammoniac in it and leave it. The fumes will age it (works well with wood too).

Another way is to bake the paper at around 100 C (200 F). It will give you an even brown colour.

You can put some steel wool together with vinegar in a jar and leave it for a week or 2. Then apply it to the paper and let it dry. It will give a nice yellowish colour. This method also works very well for staining wood.