Paper is the chosen substrate for much of the output of commercial printing. Printing methods that were developed for and matured in commercial printing are now being applied to electronic device manufacture in applications areas such as printed electronics, printed displays and photovoltaic devices.One of the key strengths of paper as a substrate for printed devices is its widespread acceptance for many existing applications. This paper examines the technical issues involved in moving paper substrates into printed device manufacture. The work shows the key technical areas that need to be addressed. The work begins by contrasting the characteristics of paper with that of an “ideal” substrate. It then proceeds to describe options to modify paper to address these. It examines the options for paper coatings and barrier layers that can be applied both at substrate and device manufacture. It also examines the issues around printing fluids and methods from the perspective of fluid/substrate interactions. Finally it sketches out a road map for taking paper substrates from “lab to fab” in device manufacture.