Pretreated paper is placed over the patterned surface thus contact lifting the ink design.
Marbling is affected by many influences such as temperature, humidity, water, as well as the marbler. Suminagashi Suminagashi is an oriental method of decorating paper which is similar to western paper marbling. One floats ink on unthickened water and then urges the spots of color into concentric bands using a spreading agent. The bands of color thus made are teased into images using either a hairstylus, a breath of air, or a hand held fan. Finally, the image is transferred onto an absorbent paper and allowed to dry.