Friday, January 22, 2010

Paper And Paper Making


Paper has a rich, colorful history, which has stretched world geography and cultures. To trace its evolution gives us insight into humanity's relentless imagination, creativity, and sometimes folly.


Thanks to the wonderful creation of paper many descriptions of our world have been saved so we can share and learn from them. We have prepared the following history of the paper, along with a description of how the paper has done what it used to and some words that are useful to know when we talk about paper. 
We hope that this is an informative, useful and enjoyable document which inspires you, in the same way as we have, on paper. We welcome your comments and contributions. Please contact us anytime. 



Egypt 3000 BC: 



When we consider the origin of the paper, our minds wander back over 5000 years ago to the Nile Valley in Egypt. It was there that a marsh grass called Cyperous Papyrus flourished. The Egyptians cut thin strips of the plant's stem and softened them in the Muddy Waters of the Nile. These strips were then layer perpendicular to form a sort of boring. The mat was then pounded into a thin plate and left in the sun to dry. The resulting sheets were ideal to write about. Since they were also light and portable, they provide a medium for election by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans for record keeping, spiritual texts and works of art. 



It is from papyrus, the word paper comes from. Although papyrus sheets similar to paper in terms of performance, is laminated sheets they were technically more like a weak and therefore not the same as the newspapers today. Similar processes were developed in other countries - in Central America during the 2nd century AD Maya created a similar product for bookmaking. In the Pacific islands, was a paper by turning a fine bark over specially shaped logs to make clothes and ritual objects. However, none of these plates can be described as true paper today. 



Father of real paper - T'sai Lun: 



Paper as we know it today comes from a different source - China. Excavations of tombs of the former Han Dynasty (207BC-9AD) have shown that silk cloth bearing the text of Lao Tzu - the father of Taoism (born in 604BC). In 105 AD, Han Emperor Ho-Ti senior eunuch T'sai Lun experimented with a wide range of materials and refined the process of maceration of the fibers of plants until each filament was completely separate. 



The individual fibers were mixed with water in a large bowl. Next, a screen was submerged in VAT and lifted up through the water, catching the fibers on the surface. When dried, this thin layer of intertwined fiber became what today we call paper. T'sai Lun thin, yet flexible and strong paper with its fine, smooth surface was known as T'sai Ko-Shi, which means: "Distinguished T'sai's Paper", and he revered as a saint of papermaking. 



The Age of Experimentation: 



Print technology rapidly developed and created an increasing demand for paper. The early European papers were made out of recycled paper, cotton and flax - and a huge trade quickly developed around the trading of old rags. It is said that the black plague entered England from Europe on these old rags. But soon this source was insufficient, and some curious attempts were made to purchase new materials - the most macabre was the reuse of Egyptian mummies to create wrapping paper! Others experimented with fibers such as straw, cabbage, wasp nests and finally wood, resulting in cheap - and replace - paper-making materials. Today, the long soft fibers from coniferous trees such as fir as the most appropriate source of pulp for mass production. 



Mass production: 

Demand for paper has also created a need for greater efficiency in production. In the late 18 century work of Nicholas Robert Luis resulted in the creation of a machine that could produce a seamless length of paper on an endless wire mesh with squeeze rollers at one end. Perfected and marketed by the Fourdrinier brothers, the new machine made papers quickly replaced traditional single sheets made by hand. 


In Europe and America, mass production of paper was a thriving industry supplying huge

quantities of paper for the production of newspapers, books, magazines, paper bags, toilet paper, money and a variety of other purposes - including clothing, chimney's and even coffins! Today, the increasing volume of paper consumption is complex environmental issues - and the need for new materials increasingly urgent. Although recycling has done some good, much paper is still wasted. 



The Future of Paper: 



Looking Ahead: 



Because of the relentless imagination of humanity, are the words you're currently reading digitally arranged and sent across the world through a new technology - signaling a new revolution in mass communications. As these new technologies are developed, which sees the future of papermaking was? Paper machine at HQ, we think that it is the past, when the paper was appreciated for his innate sensual qualities - a score that is deeply respectful of the materials used, the skill of an artisan and the unique quality of the finished product. 



Return to Tradition: 



In the west, the industrial manufacture of paper, which sped the art of hand papermaking driven almost to extinction - only used by a few fine artists and crafts people. But in small areas throughout Asia, the tradition lived on. 



Besides the traditional Asian paper, often referred to as "rice paper" is not derived from rice fiber to all. More commonly it is made of the versatile mulberry tree - varieties which are also used for feeding silkworms, and in medicine. In contrast to the cold precision and standardization in the industrial production requirements, is the soft, fine textures and natural sense of handmade paper is said to repeat the warm heart of the paper machine that makes each sheet with love. 



Making Paper: 




Process: 



Although there are many subtleties that affect the quality of a paper that is essentially a simple process. Using either recycled materials or fresh organic material, the process starts by shredding the material into small strips and soaking them overnight to loosen the fibers. So fibers boiled for 2-6 hours, and then turned every so often. When you are finished, the fibers are washed with fresh water to remove impurities and then small particles or stains can be removed by hand. 



The fibers are held in a blender or by hand to a creamy mass. At this stage, can add colors to create colored papers. Pulp is poured into a large tub, and the fibers are suspended in water. Artisan dip a framed screen into the water and with great skill lifts it up to the surface fibers catch on the screen. The screens can either stand in the sun to dry, or transferred to the boards, smoothed pressure and then dried. 



Opportunities: 


Papers in this tradition are durable, flexible and very versatile. They can be used by all gift-wrapping, writing, drawing and painting. They are also used by craftsmen to produce books and binding, stationery and greeting cards, boxes, picture frames and so on. The paper also has many applications in architecture and interior design, like wallpaper, shades, blinds and lampshades. By using techniques such as molding and Mâche paper you can do almost anything - vases, trays, jewelry, furniture and everyday objects such as boxes and packaging. Indeed, the paper such a versatile medium, its uses are only limited to your imagination ... So Dream On!

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