And there are many in this paper world of ours. With the mainstream now engaged in paper and paper products, you need to stay ahead of your peers. In 1992, I gavea seminar at NAMTA whichtalked about competitive edge; in essence, the moral of the story was that the one with the most information gets the prize. This was some years ago, before most of us became inseparable to our laptops and Google.
The same paradigm applies today. No matter what segment of the paper market interests you, fundamental questions arise with similar themes. Below, is the beginning of most of the answers. The questions are the ones I heard most often in the last 28 years in the industry. Ranked in the top ten would definitely be " is it rag?", and "is it archival?". In today's world, digital compatability is highly desirable, whether it be for limited editions, or your desk top.
This will be a highly interactive page. I invite you all to send in your Q's in the event you don't find them here. The more information we add, the healthier the state of the market will be.
THE TOP TEN
1. WHAT IS A RAG PAPER? At one time, all cotton papers used rags for their manufacture. It may have come from clothing, bed covers, awnings,- whatever you can think of. In the Western World, real rag supply is limited at best, and the use of cotton linters is widespread. A "rag" paper may contain flax and/or linen which lend strength to the sheet. Typically, rag papers are of a higher quality and are stronger than their wood pulp counterparts, due to the length of the cotton fiber. Enlarge the thumbnails to the right: the first shows a self-sealing envelope made by the late Nirma Zarate of Colombia using 100% cotton rag and coffee shells (cascarillas de café), only as Nirma could make paper! The thumbnail below magnifies the 100% cotton linter fiber of the very well known Arches paper. Length of fiber is definitely a component of paper strengh.
In the Western world of paper, pure rag or high rag content papers are coveted for their strength, durability and permanence. European and American manufacturers use these criteria as a benchmark. As early as the 13th century, papermakers at Fabriano were producing sheets by hand using cotton rags. Mills in France, like Richard de Bas paved the way for the Arches and Rives papers which were made by hand originally. In the UK, cotton papers were being made at the Barcham Green Mill and continued until its closing in the late 1990's. You can find an extensive listing of currentworld paper manufacturershere
Cotton Rag with Coffee shells
Cotton Linter Magnified 1000 X
2. WHAT IS ACID FREE? An acid free paper is devoid of acid content or other ingredients that might affect its longevity. On the pH scale, the acceptable range for that definition would be 6.5 - 8.5. A reading higher than 8, though void of acid, may be detrimental due to high alkalinity. It is advisable to keep in mind that the main culprit of acidity in paper is lignin which is found in wood fibers.
3. WHAT IS A BUFFERED PAPER? Buffering is an essential step in paper manufacturing which ensures that an acid free paper will remain acid free, despite possible environmental contamination. It is standard to use a 2% calcium carbonate reserve in the pulp as a buffer. Water which has a high calcium content is a papermaker's dream.
4. ARE COTTON/RAG PAPERS CONSIDERED THE BEST, STRONGEST, LONGEST LASTING? A pure cotton or pure rag paper is certainly going to be stronger than a partial rag or cotton content paper, or a wood pulp paper. However, when determining which paper to select, one must look toward the end usage of such paper. Oriental papers are known to be among the strongest papers available in today's artistic and craft market.
5. WHAT ABOUT WOOD PULP PAPERS? It is safe to say that the majority of paper in use today is made of wood pulp. Availability is the principal reason, and cost is a close second. However, I should point out that not all wood pulp papers are dangerously acidic (have a look at the Sunday paper on Thursday, for instance),if properly treated. Many are made acid free through the chemical removal of lignin and the cooking of fibers with caustic materials (i.e. rosin ) to rid them of impurities.
6. HOW ABOUT RICE PAPER? The term "Rice Paper" has been misused for a long time to describe papers made in the Orient, and more specifically, Japanese papers. Three principal bast fibers are used in Japanese papermaking and they are: Kozo (commonly referred to as mulberry), Gampi and Mitsumata. To alleviate high costs and offset scarcity, these fibers are sometimes mixed with hemp (Asa), or wood pulp. The Lokta fiber (Daphne) from Nepal falls under the category of bast fibers. After my trip to Viet Nam in 2006, I discovered another bast fiber which comes from the Do Tree.
LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT VARIOUS SOURCES OF FIBERS FOR PAPER BELOW
Bamboo
Bark Cloth Plant
Gampi Plant
Flax Plant
Banana Plant
Cannabis Sativa
Kenaf
Bagasse
Brousonnetia Papyrifera
Mistumata Plant
Lokta Laurel Family
Jute Fiber
Wood destined for paper
Do Fiber
Papyrus Reeds
Hemp Plant
Tororo aoi
Daphne papyracea
Musa Plant
Stripped Lokta bark
7. WHAT IS SIZING?
Sizing is a substance which in introduced into the pulp during the papermaking process to prevent the absorption of water or ink to the finished product. Sometimes it is applied to the surface of the sheet only, or when we talk about "double sizing", we mean that the paper has been sized in its pulp stage, or in the tub and after formation. This impermeability is most important in watercolor and some etching papers. Papers made in the Western tradition use acid free synthetic size, whereas Oriental paper use the extract of the tororoai plant. The latter acts not only as a size, but as a regulator of fiber dispersion and evenness in the sheet. The Okra pod produces a very similar viscous material, which is also used in papermaking.
Wikipedia providesan easy to understand page on paper manufacture, and if you scroll down to about midpoint, under additives, you will find information on sizing. Prior to concernsabout acidity, animal gluewas, and still is to some extent, the preferred sizing agent for paper. The downside is that it contributes to acidity in the paper.
8. HOW IS PAPER WEIGHED?
Since we are the only country in the world that doesn't use the metric system, we have our own esoteric way of measuring paper weight. For some the metric system is easier, as it can give an accurate weight no matter what the paper type, be it cover, text, or bond. When you see the "gms/2" designation, this will give you the number of grams for each square meter of paper. Here is a common equivalent to help with conversion: 140 lb. watercolor paper in size 22" x 30" weighs 300 gms/2, or 140 pounds for each 500 sheets, a ream, of same size sheets. There are tables which exist that delve into this, and since they are useful, I suggestyou consult this page whichwill answer most of your questions, and end the confusion. Very useful site.
Paper thickness and weight become extremely importantwhen printing photosor artwork by mechanical means. A too flimsy paper will tear in the offset printing process, and a sheet that is too thin may not give the best results in your laser printer or might jam during the process.
9. WHICH PAPER?
The project and intended use of the paper is a major determining factor is selection. Fine artists oftentimes develop a favorite paper because of the results they get, and can be hard to persuade to try an alternative. For them, paper permanence is paramount, especially if the work is valued at thousands of dollars. As a rule of thumb, for strength, durability, and character, a handmade paper is a tough act to follow. This is for both Western and Oriental handmades. For consistency, evenness, color control, mouldmade and machine made papers usually will yield better results. For collages, the most interesting papers are usually handmade; also for elaborate greeting or wedding stationery.
Machine made papers are there for you when economy is a major concern. Students tend to prefer machine made papers until such time as they feel confident in their mastery of their subject. If acidity is important, know that pure cotton fibers, and pure Oriental fibers such as Kozo, Lokta, Gampi, Hemp etc.. do not yield highly acidic papers by nature. Engage your supplier in knowing as much as they know about the paper they are selling to you.
Japanese Unryu - more $
Thai Unryu - less$
10. SAME LOOK, DIFFERENT PRICE?
Yes, indeed, this will happen a lot with high quality papers being imitated either using cheaper labor, or cheaper raw materials. Here again, it is all dependent upon the intended use for the paper. If the characteristics of the sheet are similar, and the paper originates from the same country, then one may be a machinemade version of the handmade quality. If you study Japanese papers, for instance, you will see that a handmade Unryu when placed next to its machinemade counterpart reveals its nature through feel, density of fibers, and strength. A simple way of determining if a paper is machinemade or handmade is to attempt to tear it. If you get equal resistance in both directions, odds are that the paper is made by hand. The machinemade paper will tear more easily along the grain than against it. You can try this with newspaper at home.
You can also compare similar papers which come from different countries. Handmade Japan versus Handmade Thailand: in every case, the Japanese version will cost more, even though both papers are made from 100% kozo fiber. This is where economics come in, and it is an intergral part of the equation: labor costs are lower in Thailand; the Japanese Yen vs. the Thai Baht is more expensive, and let's not even talk about what it does to the US dollar these days. If you are importing or stocking papers from Europe, there is no doubt that you are shell shocked by the strength of the Euro against the US dollar. These are real factors which affect the price before the product even lands here.
There is much to be said for working with companies whose business is importing/exporting. They are usually most familiar with the price fluctuations, quality of materials, reliable sources and production capacity, all of which can mean the difference between staying competitive or joining the unemployed. If you have any questions concerning domestic and/or imported papers,please email meand I'll get back to you with an answer asap.
Paper should be stored in a cool, dry place
PAPERMAKING IN PICTURES
The eight photos you see below were taken by meat the Kochi Museum at InoTown during my 1991 odyssey to Japan. In fact, if you do click on the link, you will be able to see, somewhere toward the center of the page, the objects under glass. This representation was also shown under glass, and was so cleverly done, that I could not resist. It is still one of my favorite papermaking sequences, though I have many which feature live papermakers! The fiber being processed here is kozo , which makes up more than 90% of the papers made in Japan. It is strong, long, and renewable and is categorized as a bast fiber, meaning that it originates in the pith of the reed of a plant. Mitsumata and Gampi are the other components of the triumvirate of Japanese papermaking fibers. There are others who have made their way into the papers of Japan, like asa , or hemp, as it strengthens papers, adds sheen, and is more abundantly available.It is preferable to have a papermaking site near a river or stream, since a huge amount of water is used to make the paper, and in Japan, as in Nepal and other countries in Asia, the fibers are usually rinsed in the nearby flowing water. We have learned that the best paper is made in winter, when conditions are extremely cold, with the resultant sheets being strong, and possessing a crispness which is desirable in a well made sheet of paper. Even in summer, I have seen women sorting fiber in vats filled with cold water; many have hands which are permanently deformed due to the years of laboring under such rigorous conditions.
After the fiber has been cleaned, it sits in huge tubs which contain bleach to make the kozo white. Though you see the fibers being beaten by hand, some papermakers have optedfor the popular Hollander Beaterwhich not only speeds up the process of maceration, but eases the "pain" of making paper by hand. The majority of papermakers nowadays do not use the press to squeeze out the excess water from the sheets. Wet sheets are brushed on steel plates which are, in turn, placed in ovens, thus performing two jobs: drying out the excess water, and the sheet as well. Purists claim that this process reduces the strength of the fibers, thus the paper, and prefer to dry outdoors. Naturally, the weather is not always accommodating, which may explain at times, the reasoons for delays in shipments. In Nepal, they prefer to dry outdoors as well, since each and every sheet lies on its very own mould to dry. This is unique to Nepal.
