F i n e P a p e r s February 2 0 1 3 F i n e A r t P a p e r s T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s Paper Applications 2 - 5 DECORATIVE PAPERS Swatch Books 6 Europe / The Americas & Australia 75-91 Metric Conversion Chart 6 China 92-93 Storage Boxes 6 India 94-101 Papers for Storage 7 Japan 100-114 Korea 114 ART PAPERS Nepal 115-124 Europe / The Americas & Australia 8--41 Philippines 124 Thailand 125-131 DIGITAL PAPERS 42-44 PAPERS in ROLLS 132-135 ART PAPERS Africa 45 BOARDS 136-137 Bhutan 46-47 TRACE & GRAPH 138 China 48-49 BOOKS PADS SPIRALS 139-149 Egypt 49 India 50-52 STATIONERY 150-151 Indonesia 52 ORIGAMI 152-153 Japan 53-71 BOOKCLOTH 154-156 Nepal 72-73 Philippines 74 ADHESIVES & MOUNTING 157-159 Thailand 74 GLOSSARY 160-161 P A P E R A S S O R T M E N T P O L I C Y 25 Sheet Price - 25 - 99 sheets of one paper, one color, one weight, one size. 100 Sheet Price - 100 - 499 sheets assorted - no less than 10 sheets of each item.* 500 Sheet Price - 500 - 999 sheets assorted - no less than 25 sheets of each item.* *"Item" refers to one paper, one color, one weight, one size. I N T R O D U C T I O N / P A P E R A P P L I C A T I O N S By definition, "Paper" is a substance composed of macerated cellulose fibers first suspended in a vat of water and then re-structured into sheets by means of a mould. To make paper is a relatively simple process. To make good paper is often the result of a lifetime of labor and learning. What type of cellulose is used, where it is grown, how the fiber is broken down, the type of mould used, the method of getting the mould in and out of the water and the way that the sheet is dried are the elements of the papermakers' art. This is where they begin. This is what determines what they then pass on to us. That is what this catalog is about. This is where you begin. As the next artist, now it is your turn. Now you must paint, draw, print, cut, paste, fold, spindle, mutilate or perform whatever is fueled by your inspiration! For those of you who are able to come into New York Central and actually see and touch the papers, this catalog will help to refresh your memory. For those of you who cannot, this catalog may impress upon you the vast possibilities that are available to you. Unfortunately for some, it may simply overwhelm with too many choices and decisions to make. Such is life! For those of you looking for decorative varieties, scanned images in this catalog are here to act as an introduction to that line. Please note that space does not allow for all the patterns or styles to be illustrated or listed. Swatchbooks are available, and our web site has many of our decorative papers on display. Unprinted papers for drawing, printing & painting now have their own section to make them easier to locate. Of course, what exactly is an "art paper" is a topic of debate! Some items are located in one section rather than the other, only to avoid dividing a line of papers - so the sections act as a guide, but are by no means meant to limit the use of the sheets. Paper APPLICations Assigning a specific use to a paper can be misleading and restrict the experimentation which is a likely necessity to determine the best paper for your purposes. To call one paper a "printmaking paper" means very little to the artist who prefers a softer, more absorbent sheet for their watercolor techniques or to another artist who prefers the same paper for pastel. Here are some paper basic ideas and facts for you to consider. Fiber Content The length of the broken-down fibers, their bulk, absorbency, the expansion and contraction that takes place when they are subjected to water are all factors that determine the finished sheet. Longer fibers like cotton, flax and hemp create a stronger network of interlocking fibers. That strength is especially important for sheets that will be folded, erased or stretched. Shorter fibers like wood pulp or wheat straw add bulk and are less likely to stretch or contract, so they are excellent for techniques such as embossing. Blending different fibers in different amounts imparts qualities derived from each of the fibers. "Rag" refers to fibers that were originally spun into fabric before they were broken down into pulp for paper. This style of pulp has the longest fiber length and potentially, the greatest strength. Most papers made today do not use "rag" in their composition but rather use the raw fiber such as seed cotton. Kozo and gampi come from the inner bark of shrubs. Once pounded and separated, they produce exceptionally long fibers and consequently, exceptionally strong sheets, even if they are very thin. Most papers in this catalog do not use fibers without the addition of sizing. To say that a wood pulp paper with it's shorter fibers is more absorbent than a cotton sheet with longer fibers is only accurate if both of those sheets are identical in every other way. In fact, a shorter fiber (which will absorb more water) can absorb more sizing, so it is possible that the wood pulp sheet will result in a harder, less absorbent material. Fibers such as linen and gampi have a natural element that encases the fiber that acts as a type of sizing. Papers made of these will withstand certain techniques without additional sizing. However, as water eventually penetrates this casing these fibers experience extreme expansion and contraction. For example, sheets made by Cave Papers that are made on a 18 x 24" mould measure as much as an inch smaller when we receive them. This style of paper will expand and contract dramatically each time they are subjected to moisture, even the humidity or dryness of the atmosphere. One should never reject a paper because of some belief that one fiber is inferior to another. Modern papermakers have access to many resources and usually select the fiber based on desired results. It is much more important that a paper be neutral pH. Fiber has nothing to do with pH. 2 PAPER IS FRAGILE! NO RETURNS OR EXCHANGES ARE ALLOWED. P A P E R A P P L I C A T I O N S Sizing Most "Western" papers in this catalog use some sort of sizing. Most "Asian" papers do not. Traditionally, sizing is composed of starch, animal based glues (such as gelatine,) or plastic polymers. Sizing actually repels water, so the amount added to the vat and/or applied after the sheets are formed will determine moisture absorption and the expansion and contraction of the sheet. Watercolor papers are not made to accept water, but to repel it. This allows for longer working time, keeping the integrity of the surface before fibers have time to react to the water in the paint. Lightly sized or unsized papers absorb moisture evenly and quickly, which makes them ideal for printing or techniques like sumi-e painting where the gesture of the stroke and the load of the brush are to be "recorded" by the paper. Wetting lightly sized sheets in one place and not another causes swelling of the fibers in those places, giving the sheet "hills and valleys" that are difficult to work on and require that the sheet be re-flattened by re-wetting the entire sheet and/or apply pressure. Sizing can usually be removed by soaking the sheet in tepid or hot water. Sizing can be added to a sheet either in the form of a surface sizing or by dipping the paper into prepared size solution. Type of materials used for sizing depends on the desired results and ease of application. (See the "Adhesives & Sizing" section in this catalog for some possibilities.) Method of Manufacture Although these descriptions are oversimplifications and there is much variation within each category, generally speaking, sheets comparable in fiber and sizing will have the following characteristics: Handmade Papers have little or no grain direction, the most interlocking fibers - providing greater strength, are softer and have more bulk because they are not subjected to extreme sources of heat or pressure. Mouldmade Papers have a distinct grain direction from the rotation of the cylinder machine. Because these machines run at a slow speed, the sheets will have good strength from interlocking fibers. Mouldmade papers are firmer and flatter than handmade papers because of the pressure used to dry and surface the sheets. Machinemade Papers have a pronounced grain direction with less interlocking fibers than handmade or mouldmade sheets and are very hard and flat because of the use of extreme heat and pressure to dry and surface the sheets. Weight / Surface Texture When considering papers comparable to each other in fiber and sizing, heavier papers are relatively stronger, will withstand more handling and will buckle less. Lighter weight papers are easier to fold and tear and have less "memory" of rolling. Paintings done on light weight sheets are also easier to flatten. Papers with greater texture will dry more evenly without puddling because they have greater surface area that distributes moisture more evenly across the surface.