Chinese Handmade Paper

In the Year 105 A.D. Chinese Cai Lun invented paper from the macerated fibers of bark, cloth and hemp. However, the tradition of handmade paper began in China in about 800A.D. The lovely Chinese handmade paper is handmade according to centuries old methods. They usually have a soft textured surface that enhances almost any composition. Acid free and ideal for any ink or color, this paper is very absorbent, surprisingly durable and can be mounted. It is versatile enough that one could use it for printmaking, collage, paper crafts, or book binding and ideal enough to be used as material for any kind of sumi work, watercolor, or calligraphy.

The Past & Present of the Industry
It all started in AD 105, when a Chinese court official, produced a paper web from a slurry of paper mulberry fibres in water. In the present times, handmade chinese paper is used for all types of printed material, from exercise books to encyclopaedias, all across the globe. Chinese paper is popular for its variety and life time usage, because of these characteristics, they are used for banknotes, which must be strong and durable. Another outstanding attribute that these paper possess is it's absorbency, which puts it to good use in tissues and various other cloths used for soaking up liquids.

The Fabric Used
The raw material used in ancient China, were a mixture of jute fiber, macerated fish nets, rags and wood bark. The first handmade paper was fabricated from slurry. Initially, the production process of handmade paper consisted of lifting up a small amount of the slurry in a rectangular sieve consisting of a sheet of silk surrounded by a frame. The sieve was then shaken gently to spread the fibres evenly and, as the water was drained off, they settled to create a sheet which was finally dried in the sun. This process produced a long-lasting, high quality paper.

However, over the period of time, Chinese paper-makers found that they could vary the characteristics of the paper produced by using different plants as the sources of fibres, like, bast fibers, such as blue sandalwood, mulberry, hemp and dragon whisker grass.

Chinese Handmade papers are often preferred for high-quality book publishing as well as for conservation purposes in the repair of old books and paintings. The fibres of Chinese hand-made paper tend to be considerably longer than those in mechanically produced paper, making it much stronger and capable of being used, after oiling to make it waterproof, for house partitions, windows and umbrellas almost everywhere in the world. This paper is also used widely for ceremonial purposes in China.