Paperbacked Veneer | Unbacked Veneer |
| Paperbacked Veneer is just as the name implies. It is a paper backing permanently bonded to a real wood veneer. The paper backing is typically 10mil thick. This would make the sheet approximately 1/50" thick. | Unbacked Veneer is typically .024"-thick real wood. |
| Generally good for any project | Suitable for smaller projects |
| Easy to handle | Can be fragile |
| Void free | May have voids that need repaired |
| Typically comes sanded to 200 grit | No sanding done, but is relatively smooth |
| May be used with contact cement, no clamping required | May have waves and ridges that need softening/flattening |
| Available in the most popular woods | Vacuum clamping or other clamping method required |
| Very wide selection available from domestics to the most highly figured exotics |
