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What is Handmade Paper ?
Handmade Paper is a fiber sheet of
pulp which is suspended in water in molds and lifted by hand.
The fibers are held together by the natural internal bonding
properties of cellulose. Paper is the end product after the
glutinous and resinous material from plant/textile fibers are
removed leaving just the cellulose. The raw material, like
cotton or linen rag, are beaten, boiled and mashed into pulp and
then suspended in water where they can be lifted out by the
papermaker using a mold and deckle. A mold is a screen supported
by a frame which allows the excess water to drain while being
lifted from the water. A deckle is another frame on top of the
mold which holds the fibres in and prevents it from washing over
the edges. The height of the deckle determines the thickness or
thinness of the paper. Finishing is done by placing the sheets
individually between two zinc or copper plates. After about a
set of about 48 sheets or two quires are made, the stack is
passed back and forth between two chilled cylinders under
considerable pressure to achieve the glossy surface.
'Sizing' is sometimes added to the rag pulp during the beating
process. This sizing fills the spaces between the fibres and
makes the paper non-absorbent to ink or water. The substance
used for sizing is glue, gelatin, or China clay (kaolin). For a
colored paper, a dye is added at this stage. The best quality
handmade papers are made from pure rag pulp.
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Brief
history of paper
The origin of the word paper is ancient Egypt. It comes from the
word papyrus, a writing material used by them which was woven
from papyrus plants. Papyrus scrolls were made by taking slices
of the inner part of the papyrus stem and flattening them into
hard, thin sheets. But the invention of modern paper as we know
it today is credited to China. Traditionally, documents in China
were written on bamboo which was very heavy and awkward to
transport or silk which was normally too expensive. The Paper
was invented by Ts'ai Lun in 105 A.D. who mixed hemp, mulberry
bark, and rags with water, mashed them into a pulp, pressed out
the liquid, hung it to dry in the sun and created the first
paper.
Papermaking remained a secret Chinese art until around the year
700 A.D. when it spread to the Arab countries and then to the
western world. The Chinese used cotton to make paper; however
the Muslims used flax and linen rags. Paper was introduced into
Spain by the Moors around 1200 A.D. In the 17th century
Europeans were making paper from cotton and linen rags. When
paper is made wholly or in part from cotton or linen fibers it
is called 'rag bond'.
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The first papermaking machine was
invented in France in the late 1700s and an explosion in
literacy during that time led to a flourishing printing
industry. A combination of these two led to the shortage of rag
for making paper and the industry turned to wood pulp as a
resource. The reason trees were chosen was their cellulose
content. All plant matter has cellulose fiber. Though paper was
first invented in China, Indians are credited to have used paper
made from cellulose fibers during the 3rd century BC.
Handmade vs. Machine-made Paper
Hand made paper is extremely durable when compared to machine
made paper. It will not turn brittle due to aging and is long
lasting.
One ton of Indian handmade paper, produced from cotton rag
waste, saves about 270 Eucalyptus or at least 400 bamboo trees
that would be required to make the same quantity of machine made
paper. One single edition of the Sunday New York Times requires
30,000 acres of trees
Handmade papers can be personalized to suit ones requirement.
They offer a far greater range for creative expression.
In screen printing and lithography, handmade papers facilitate
achieving the exact impressions.
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Here is
a simple recipe for handmade paper
Materials you will need
Recycled paper - Computer Paper, Newspaper, Magazines, Egg
Cartons, Old Cards or Paper Bags
Sponge
Window Screening (mold)
Wood Frame (any old picture frame) (deckle)
Plastic Basin/Tub (Large enough to totally immerse frame)
Blender/Food Processor (For making paper pulp)
White Felt or Flannel Fabric
Staples or Tacks
Liquid starch (optional)
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Instructions
Choose the recycled papers that you want to use. You can mix
different types to create your own unique paper.
Shred the paper into small pieces.
Place the shredded pieces along with warm water into the
blender. Blend the pieces for about 40-50 seconds until the pulp
looks smooth and well blended. Make sure that there are no
flakes of paper.
Make a mold by stretching the screen over the frame and
stapling it. Make it as tight as possible.
Fill the tub about half way with water. Add pulp about 3
blender loads - and stir the mixture.
Add liquid starch for sizing. Stir 2 teaspoons of liquid
starch into the pulp. This step is optional but the starch helps
to prevent inks from soaking into the paper fibers.
Place the mold into the pulp and then level it out while it is
submerged.
Once all the pulp has settled down and is spread evenly on top
of the screen (deckle), slowly lift the mold up until it is
above the level of the water.
Drain the water from the new paper sheet. If the paper is very
thick, remove some pulp from the tub. If it is too thin, add
more pulp and stir the mixture again.
Once all the water has been drained, place one edge of the
mold on one side of a fabric square (felt or flannel) and gently
ease the mold down with the paper side down on the fabric. Use a
sponge and press out as much water as possible. Make sure that
the mold is as dry as possible.
Hold down the fabric square and slowly lift the edge of the
mold. The wet sheet of paper should remain on the fabric. If it
sticks to the mold, you may have pulled to fast or not pressed
out enough water. Gently press out any bubbles and loose edges.
Make a few more paper sheets and stack the fabric squares on
a cookie sheet. Cover the last piece with a fabric square and
use another cookie sheet to press out any remaining water from
the stack.
Gently separate the sheets. Dry them on a clothesline or by
laying them out.
After drying, slowly peel the sheets off the fabric and you
have your own handmade paper.
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Article Contributed By: Jaya Suresh
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