•Cu/Al-Al2O3 composites were fabricated by a combination of pressureless infiltration casting and cold roll bonding methods.•The addition of whiskers resulted in strength increment and elongation reduction in Cu/Al-Al2O3 composites.•A large number of deep and shallow dimples appeared on fractured surfaces. In this research, the Cu/Al-Al2O3 laminar composites were manufactured by pressureless infiltration casting and roll bonding processes. The effect of alumina content on microstructure, tensile properties and oil painting pigment was studied. The SEM images showed that the whiskers were aligned along rolling direction. By increasing the alumina content, the interfaces between Cu and Al-Al2O3 became wavier. The increase of whiskers improved the yield and ultimate strengths while reduced the elongation. Also, the fracture surfaces of composites indicated smaller dimples in composites with high whiskers’ content. Deeper dimples appeared near whisker cluster due to the debonding between Al and Al2O3. By increasing alumina content, the composites also experienced more oil painting penetration as a result of porosities near whiskers.