Keep It Flat

• Tracing paper can be purchased in rolls or in small pieces that are packaged flat. Ideally, you should store all paper flat because this makes it easier to use when you place it on your work surface. It isn't practical to store rolled tracing paper flat, but smaller pieces that you buy flat should be kept that way. Don't leave the package of tracing paper sitting on an uneven surface, as it may become deformed. Place it in the bottom of a drawer with nothing underneath it.
  
  

Keep It Dry

• If your tracing paper gets wet, you will be the owner of a giant spitball. Because of its thinness and fragility, tracing paper has no resistance to water. Even damp and humid conditions may adversely affect tracing paper, so keep it in a place that is always dry. If you live in an extremely humid environment, consider installing a dehumidifier in your office or studio where you keep your tracing paper.
  
  

Keep It Protected

• Tracing paper will succumb to almost any foreign object it comes in contact with, from dropped pens to careless shoes to playful cats. Protect tracing paper from all of these threats by keeping it in a closed drawer. Large, wide drawers of the type that are made for blueprints are ideal, because they allow you to store papers of all sizes without having to fold them.
  
  

Keep It Clean

• Keep your tracing paper away from other art supplies to prevent it from getting soiled. Paints, pencils and crayons all will leave marks on the tracing paper if they are carelessly thrown into a drawer together. Be particularly careful with substances that crumble such as charcoal and pastels, which will leave colored bits and dust all over tracing paper and ruin it for future use.