The Return of Papermaking

Paper. It’s the part of the book that, nowadays at least, arouses the least attention. From the binding to the cover to the content: all these aspects of a book are analyzed and studied meticulously. Back in the days of early bookmaking though, the paper on which the contents appeared was no less important than any other part of the process. The qualities of different types of paper were sought after and publishers would even advertise with the properties in order to attract more customers. The craft of papermaking thus has fallen into oblivion - until the modern generation got wind of it. Most certainly fired on by the ongoing climate crisis that dominates every media platform available, the art of papermaking seems to be making a small yet optimistic return to relevance.

The basics of papermaking

The way paper is mass-produced today still resembles the original technique as invented in China. Grand scale operations simply speed up the process through the use of machinery.

The making of paper starts in nature: the tree. The bark is scraped off and separated, and the inner bark is then placed in a pot that’s brought to a boil. It stays here for three hours, after which it’ll have gone soft and allow for easy removal of any leftover bits of outer bark. The soft bark is then cut into tiny strips, which need to be seperated. This is done by beating it with a heavy object, usually a stick made for this purpose. What’s left is a pulpy substance that’s soft and malleable - but it’s far from resembling paper still. The pulp is placed in water and a dispersion agent is added, nowadays this is a synthetic mixture consisting of a polymer compound. In the past, this additive could be derived from cationic starches and cationic guar gums, from the guar plant.

With the use of a special screen placed inside a frame, the papermaker then scoops the pulpy solution. This leaves a fine layer on the screen, which can be peeled off. It is then placed on a stack where it’s left to dry. Depending on the size of the leaves it can take several days for the sheets to be recognizable as paper, but once it’s dry, you’ve got some traditional sheets to enjoy.

Papermaking in the modern era

To say that the technique of papermaking evolved in a linear fashion is cutting a lot of corners. Much of the initial process is still around today, meaning that the old-fashioned way of making paper coexists with the industrialized processes. The most synonymous detail would be that all these businesses are exactly that: a business connected to a community. With the old art of making paper comes the accompanying art lovers and art critics, and all of these have settled into their own corners of the world. The new approach to papermaking does not happen in an ancient papermill, but in the comfort of one’s own home, using everyday tools to recreate these old techniques.

The modern way of papermaking starts at the end of well-loved journals, old books or irrelevant documents. The leaves are put through a shredder, mixed with hot water, and then blended up to create a pulp. This pulp is then sifted through the familiar screen. The film is then pressed onto another thin screen or fabric, usually with the help of a sponge. One of the other main differences here is that the newest papermakers all design their own technique and personal preferences - some hang the leaves to dry, others lay them out, some skip over the sponging step. Even the sifting changes depending on whose tutorial you decide to follow.

One thing once again binds all these methods together, and that is that every new sheet of paper produced is 100% recycled from previously used materials. Virtually no modern papermakers are growing their own vegetation to sustain their hobby. The recycling mindset in this form has almost become a sport when witnessed online: every thinkable piece of literature is put through the blender to be used again. I suppose there’s an argument to be made about the climate guilt of the current generation that has seeped so deep even paper’s gotten affected. But, modern papermaking in this fashion does not only allow for sustainability, there is another side to it that mainly seems to fan the flames of this new passion: customization.

The art of paper: reinvented

Paper allowed ideas and messages to be spread and received easier than ever when first introduced. Nowadays, its practicality is threatened by digitalisation and deterioration of original texts, two events that go hand in hand and simultaneously thrive upon each other’s shortcomings. The generational modernisation of papermaking negates the practicality issue almost completely. Naturally, the paper still serves its intended purpose. It can be written on and used to store and spread information. However, the papermaking as witnessed in the online sphere does not aim to only fulfill this purpose. The customisation of paper and self-bound journals sparks the interest of a much wider audience that incites participation. Selecting paper to be reused based on colour or texture is widespread, as is the addition of materials to pulp. This can range from colourants, to perfumes, to decorations such as glitter or dried flower petals. Along with the customization of the individual leaves of paper, the natural progression moves the participants to then bind these together and create new journals. The art of binding joins the revolution and a small group of people are writing down their school notes in journals they made from scratch. Or, well, whatever piece of literature it was before.

The reappearance of the papermaking and binding art is without a doubt sustained by the online community that fuels it. The internet has driven books into a new path, but at the same time it allows people with a special interest in reinventing old techniques to flourish. The nature of the internet also allows this interest to spread and find ways to make it accessible to everyone: the only thing you need is a screen, or perhaps, two screens.

[Meagan Baars]

Sources:

How Paper is Made | China Uncensored https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBcq0t50A9w&ab_channel=ChinaUncensored. Accessed October 11th.

Dispersing Agent for Paper Making http://www.pulppapermill.com/dispersing-agent-for-paper-making/#:~:text=Dispersing%20agent%20is%20used%20in,is%20white%20fine%20granulated%20powder.

The Dispersion Science of Papermaking

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228653141_The_Dispersion_Science_of_Papermaking

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