Conservation Police here,
since everyone uses paper that has more or less a high quantity of
cotton in it one could use textile dyes (Dylon, Dekasilk or other such cold
water dyes) as sold in drugstores. Follow the description as given with the
tins, also the salt fixing (rinse well). These dyes are in dry form very
fine powders that escape easily in the air to give sudden unexpected colour
stripes on wet surfaces: beware! (even after years they can give trouble as
they did with me). These dyes are reasonably lightfast (not lightfast ***).
A very good dye for paper is also diluted Indian Ink: extremely lightfast,
easy to use. Aniline dyes in general are not very lightfast and can be
toxic. Also leather stains are usable, mostly they are aniline dyes.
Special dyes for paper exist and are used in the paper industry, contact
your "local: paper factory maybe they can help. Also take a look at the
colouring pages on the web, they are linked from CoOL "Conservation On
Line" http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/ that can give some answers.
hope this helps
on behalf of the ICP (international conservation police)
officer Bas
Jonge Eland papierrestauratie
eland@knoware.nl
t +31 20 623 79 89
f +31 20 627 32 23
VeRes (Dutch Association of Professional Restorers)
postbus 11503
1001 GM Amsterdam
PAPER IS ART IS PAPER IS ART IS PAPER IS ART IS PAPER IS ART IS PAPER