We use Khadi Papers for full sheets and notebook covers. Khadi Paper employs many men and women from local villages. They maintain an organic farm which is irrigated from run-off water from the paper mill. Their cotton rag is produced from T-shirt cuttings. The company also supports WaterAid projects in India and Nepal.
These papers are perfect for block printing, because our blocks and dies imprint very deeply into them, leading to a great texture.
We use French Paper for interiors of all of our notebooks, and exteriors of some as well. French Paper Co. is a family run company in Niles, Michigan. They are a pioneer in recycled paper production, and their mill is powered by fully renewable hydroelectric generators installed in 1922 (saving over one million barrels of fossil fuel to date). They make their green energy on-site. They also produce surplus energy for use by the local community. French paper has the smallest carbon footprint in the industry.
These papers come in lots of colors, so are fun for experimenting and producing lots of different items. The paper we use for interiors is very versatile, smooth enough for use with a fountain pen and still has enough tooth to work well with pencils.
We use Neenah Cotton for exteriors of notebooks, as well as our greeting cards. This paper is 100% cotton, is pillowy and soft, and made specifically for letterpress. Cotton papers are better for the environment, and amazing for printing, plus 100% of the fibers Neenah consumes come from sustainable sources.
We are using Canal Papers from St. Armand Papeterie in Montreal, Canada for some of our block printed notebooks and sheets. One great thing about their paper is that it is made of natural materials, mainly offcuts from the garment industry. They don't use chemicals in their pulping process, so no bleach or stabilizing chemicals. It is made on an old Fourdrinier machine, which is a machine that dates back to the early 1800s and is the basis for papermaking machines to this day. It allows for a continuous web of paper to be produced. This paper is machine made, but because of the all natural cotton pulp, it has a handmade feel.
We use Rives Lightweight from Arches Paper for some of our full size prints. They are 100% cotton mould-made and made in Vosges, France since 1482. Arches has produced paper for artists like Magritte, Warhol, and is able to recycle 25% of the paper that they use!
Every project in a stationery studio involves cutting paper and trimming, so we produce an array offcuts in a variety of colors and material makeup. In keeping with our commitment to sustainability, we recycle this paper to make our own paper for notebook covers. We choose a selection of paper which will produce the color we desire and which will look good with our products. Since much of the paper is off white, the resulting sheets we make are in a variety of muted tones. We pulp the paper in a 5 gallon bucket pulper that we made here in the studio, and create each sheet individually. The paper is rustic so serves well for our old- world style prints, hand carved blocks, and more primitive designs. Several products feature this paper, including some of our Oiseau et Rose and Italian Diamond notebooks.
Hanco Inks are vegetable oil based, and non-toxic. This makes them safer for the environment, but consistently beautiful. Hanco prioritizes quality and sustainability, and their website reminds us "Not all oil comes from Dinosaurs."
Mineral Spirits and paint thinner can be quite toxic, but we use Jasco® Green™ Paint Thinner. It smells pretty nice, and works very well, plus it's made from mostly renewable resources.