At
Cinque Port Papers, we believe strongly in recycling. The papers
we produce are all based on recycled materials, with the addition
of plant materials and other goodies for texture and decoration.
This is how we do it……
Collecting
the paper
Good-quality
paper is avidly collected as a base for the new sheets. Speciality
papers, such as gold wrapping paper, can be included in small
amounts, but is not of a high enough quality to use exclusively.
Newspapers are too acidic to use, and brown wrapping papers and
not of a high enough quality. Collected paper is sorted in colour
co-ordinated boxes, then shredded and soaked. Most paper only
needs an overnight soak, and will change colour as it absorbs
water. Paper that is left too long will begin to ferment, so the
addition of a few drops of bleach at this stage is advisable –
not too much so that it leaches the colour from the paper, though.
It
is possible to buy ready-prepared packs of processed paper and
plant materials, but we feel that using these takes away from the
hand-made aspect of our paper.
Preparing
the Pulp
Soaked
paper is blended to form a smooth pulp. Short bursts of
‘whizzing’ prevent the blender motor from overheating.
Blending for less time produces a coarser-textured pulp - long
blending produces a smooth, even-coloured pulp. Several batches of
pulp are produced at one time, which allows colours and textures
to be combined. Some papers are produces using several tones of
one colour, highlighted by choosing different textures for each
colour. Some have flecks of a complimentary colour added.
Inclusions
It
is at this stage that plant and other inclusions are added. Any
dried material can be stirred into the pulp, although particularly
porous items will absorb a lot of water and adversely affect the
final look of the sheet as they dry.
Leaves,
stems etc usually need to be boiled before it is added to the
mixture, depending on the result that is required. Some plants
need hours of boiling, while others can be relaxed in a matter of
minutes. Some plants need to be cooked in an alkaline solution to
reduce the acidity - this is usually achieved by the addition of
washing soda.
The
amount of plant material added is personal preference, but we have
found that a little goes a long way! Of course, it is possible to
make sheets of paper purely from plants, but these are usually
only suitable for specialised art projects.
Pulling
the Sheets
The
pulp is now mixed with water to form a thin soup. The thickness of
the soup defines the thickness of the sheets of paper. Extra
additives can be sprinkled in at this stage. Starch is also added,
to act as a size, so that the sheets will accept ink without
bleeding. The vat needs to be mixed constantly to produce an even
distribution of pulp and inclusions.
Drying
the Paper
Using
a deckle and mould, the sheets of paper are pulled individually
from the vat. The pile of sheets is stacked between layers of
lint-free cloth, on a bed of old towels (very high-tech!), and
weighted. Using a textured cloth produces an imprint on the damp
sheet of paper. After a few hours pressing, the sheets are hung up
individually to air-dry. Sheets are then either hot-pressed for a
silky-smooth finish, or cold-pressed for a more natural look.
Links
Click
here to see some of our favourite
papermaking links.
