All folds Basics · Entry 6 of 18

Pleat

A valley line next to a mountain line.

What it is

A valley fold and a mountain fold side by side, making a Z-shaped step in the paper.

History

Pleating is older than origami itself: fans and clothing used it long before paper folding had a name. In origami it is the building block of tessellations.

Valley-fold the first line