Chine-collé is a printmaking process in which an image is printed onto thin, delicate paper and then bonded to a stronger printmaking paper during the printing process.
This process is useful to artists/printmakers in that it can be a simple way to introduce color and texture. Some fine papers can also pull more ink off of a plate (due to delicate fibers), allowing for more details to be shown within an image.
Standard types of paper used for chine-collé include fine hand-made papers from Japan, China and India. Any thin, tissue-like paper could work as well, as long as it is colorfast (will not fade or bleed) and water ready (able to get wet).
Traditional glues were made from wheat or rice starch and mixed with flour and water to create a paste (elementary school paper-maché). Contemporary glues used for chine-collé are store-bought pastes or glues thinned with water (to allow for slower drying times as well as making it easier to paint with).
