Paste is applied to one side of the tissue strip, from the center outward. The tissue is then placed, paste side down, on the tear, leaving a little bit of the mending tissue hanging over the edge. This bit will be trimmed off after the mend dries. A dry brush is used to smooth the tissue over the tear, again from the center outward. The mended page is placed between layers of PET film or glass board, blotting paper, and Reemay (a "spunbonded polyester" cloth) to keep the paste from sticking to the blotting paper, and then lightly weighted and left to dry.