I have used two different types of paper for paper piecing. One is a roll of painters' masking paper; it's about 9" wide. It's a brownish color, but is thin enough to trace through. It can also be printed on with your home printer. It tears fairly easily for removal. The second type I have used is plain old white tissue paper, the sort that is used when wrapping gifts. This thin paper won't go through a printer, however.