There are two things to look for when choosing copper foil: size and backing.

Size
Foils range in size from 4mm (5/32”) for thin antiques to 13mm (1/2”) for thick, textured glass. The most common sizes though are 4.75mm (3/16”) for thin, 5.5mm (7/32”) for medium, and 6mm (1/4”) for thick glass, with the 5.5mm (7/32”) being the most common of all.

Backing
The back of the copper foil you choose is important if you are using clear or cathedral glass. You will be able to see the back of the foil slightly through the glass and you want it to match the colour of your solder lines. Therefore, you need to plan ahead.

If you are going to patina your piece black upon completion, you want to choose black backed copper foil (the most common kind.) If you want to give it a copper patina, use copper backed copper foil, and if you plan on leaving it silver, use silver backed copper foil. If you are using opaque glass it doesn’t matter, although most people will still use black backed.

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