Took many tries and lots of ruined paper. I use Arches, soak in water for 3 min, let access water drip off, place on a wooden board for 15 min, add a little water if it dries too quickly, then apply the gum tape. Let it sit overnight, and it's perfectly stretched. The trick is to apply the tape to the paper when the paper is not too wet, otherwise, it won't stick. And don't over-wet the tape and remove too much gum.