Paper drying racks at Oakdale

Barrett's Japanese Papermaking
trade and special editions.

Inside front cover of special edition. Click here to enlarge image.

NEW! UICB Kozo Bark
Japanese Papermaking by Tim Barrett
Western-Style Papers
Japansese-Style Papers
About Paper Weight & Quality
Ordering
Pricing

We are located on the Oakdale Campus of the University of Iowa. Hours by appointment only.

UICB Handmade Paper

The UICB Paper Research and Production Facility was established in 1986 and produces a wide range of handmade Western- and Japanese-style paper. These papers are primarily used for book conservation and are sold nationally and internationally to libraries, museums, and individuals. The facility is also involved in research and training related to historical and contemporary papermaking.

Both our Western and Japanese-style papers are made from top quality raw materials prepared in-house. This approach allows us maximum control over quality and character in the finished sheets. Our water is drawn from a nearby well and treated in iron, activated carbon, and particulate filters before use. Water pH is neutral or slightly alkaline. Two percent calcium carbonate is added to pulps for Western papers. All our finished paper pH values are alkaline, including those for gelatin-alum sized sheets. These efforts produce papers that give subtle but unmistakable affirmation of their handmade origin, good working properties, and excellent permanence and durability.

Colors, surfaces, and the feel of full size sheets may vary somewhat from specimen characteristics, as well as from batch to batch.

Income from the sale of our papers is used to support training, research, conferences, publications and other activities of the UI Center for the Book.

Japanese Papermaking by Tim Barrett

Tim Barrett's Japanese Papermaking: Traditions Tools and Techniques has recently been reprinted by Floating World Editions in paperback; and we are now offering copies signed by the author. In addition, 100 copies have been specially bound by Larry Yerkes; sewn on cords laced into the boards, blue goatskin spine, blue Japanese-made batik paper over boards, two tipped in paper samples made by Barrett and co-workers; also signed (and numbered) by the author. Email or call us at 319-335-0447 to place an order.

Trade edition $50; limited edition $150.

UICB Kozo Bark

UICB Kozo harvested 2006-2007 from imported Japanese tree stock. This is dried black bark: scrape prior to cooking to make high quality paper, or cook as is to make ‘chiri-gami’ with black bark flecks included. Email Tim Barrett at handmade-paper@uiowa.edu to place an order. Supply limited; first come, first served.

$25 for 500 grams; packing and shipping included

Western-Style Paper

Pulps for Western sheets are sometimes fermented as noted below and are always cooked in a lime (calcium hydroxide) solution followed by extensive washing during beating. Sheets are loft dried and later humidified & flattened unless noted otherwise.

Western papers are made on 18"x24" moulds, although the finished size of the paper is smaller due to natural shrinkage during loft drying. Contact us if exact size is a concern. For ergonomic reasons, we no longer stock 22"x30" western paper. Depending upon our schedule, these may be available by custom order. Contact us for prices and availability. Book papers are formed on antique laid moulds with a UICB watermark unless otherwise noted. These papers are primarily designed for use as endpapers. Case papers are made on wove moulds. Gelatin sizing and hand burnishing are available upon request. Gelatin sizing is recommended on our western papers when improved fold endurance and abrasion and soil resistance are needed. Alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) is added at the rate of one percent based on the weight of the dry gelatin. Hand burnishing is recommended where a smoother more satin-like surface is desired.

Western sheets are colored with pigments and a cationic retention aid. All walnut dyed papers, originally designed by Bridget O’Malley, are now available from Cave Papers in Minneapolis.

PC4 Flax Paper Case

Our standard thick, tough sheet designed for paper case bindings. Made from raw flax cooked in lime without fermentation to provide maximum strength. We purposely leave this fiber long to give a finished sheet with both good tear resistance and high fold endurance. This paper is popular with book conservators and edition binders. Colors available in Natural, Yellow, Terracotta, Green, Blue, and Black.

B9G Fermented Flax Book Paper-Gelatin Sized

Made from raw flax, which is fermented prior to cooking, to produce a well-formed paper with a pronounced laid and chain watermark in the finished sheet. The paper is then gelatin sized to improve its fold endurance strength and abrasion resistance. Unsized sheets are sometimes available upon request, but these generally are not strong enough for use as an endsheet.

BH Hemp Book Paper

This paper utilizes textile quality, raw, unbleached hemp fiber that has been custom cut in our facility. Golden in tone with good formation quality, this paper is compatible with many early European book papers. Although this waterleaf paper was designed to be an endsheet for book conservation, it has also proven to be compatible with many printing and letterpress techniques.

BHC Hemp / Cotton Book Paper

50% hemp and 50% cotton. Lighter in color than our hemp paper, with a subtle laid pattern. This paper has also worked well for many printing and letterpress techniques.

BHFG Hemp / Flax Book Paper - Gelatin Sized

This paper combines 50% hemp and 50% fermented flax (B9) to produce a paper with the best qualities of each fiber. It is slightly darker than hemp paper, with a pronounced laid pattern and subtle bits of shive from the flax. Gelatin sized to improve its fold endurance strength and abrasion resistance. When hand burnished (by us or you) this sheet has a distinct similarity to many early European book papers.

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Japanese-Style Paper

Japanese-style sheets are made during the winter, when cold working conditions help maintain fiber freshness. Locally-grown or imported Japanese fiber is cooked in lye of vegetable ash or a vegetable ash/soda ash (sodium carbonate) mix, and cleaned by hand. The cleaned fiber is beaten by hand, sometimes followed by brief treatment in a naginata beater to improve fiber separation. Formation aid is rendered from fresh/frozen locally-grown tororo-aoi roots. All kozo papers are available in 24x36 inch sheets (60x90 centimeters). Tear guard is also available in an 18x24 inch size. Orders may be placed at anytime, but are only filled in April-May each year.

MDTGS-W or -LG

Minter Dry-Tear Guard Strip: The result of an inventive suggestion by bookbinder Bill Minter, who asked if we could produce a sheet from which guard strip could be torn dry, without the need to prewet, fold, or score. Watermarked lines divide each MDTGS sheet into areas of three different strip widths: approximately 5mm, 7mm and 9mm (with roughly half of the fuzzy torn edges included). 24x36 inch sheets now available with only 7mm width strips.

KT-W

Kozo Tissue White: An off-white mending tissue made from Japanese Nasu kozo white bark. This paper has fine fibers and a slight crispness.

KT-LG Kozo Tissue Light Green

Slightly darker in tone, KT-LG is made from a different variety of Japanese kozo stock. Note that the color is due to natural constituents in the bark and may change with time.

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Paper Weight & Quality

We strive to make all our paper of the highest quality and consistency. Due to the handmade nature of the paper there can sometimes be variations in color, weight, size and quality. Therefore all papers are classified by first, second, or broke quality and light, regular, or heavy weight. Samples in the specimen packet generally represent first quality, regular weight paper. Our regular weight paper is .006 – .008 inch thick for book papers, and .018 – .022 inch thick for paper case.

Second quality sheets have minor defects, and up to 20% of the sheet may be unusable due to imperfections. Broke sheets have major defects (poor sheet formation, excessive knotting, poor couching, foreign matter) but may prove useful for dummy text blocks, practice or experimental work, collage, and other artistic projects.

Ordering

To have more time to make paper and to spend less time filling orders, we have institued a $100 minimum for direct orders. Please contact Bookmakers (301) 927-7787 and Talas (212) 219-0770 for all orders below this minimum.

For orders above $100, confirm availability of the paper(s) you want before you generate purchase orders or send payment; contact us by mail, email, or phone. Invocies may be paid by check, Mastercard, or Visa. International orders may be paid by international money order or credit card. For custom orders and orders over $200, we require a 50% deposit.

Paper Pricing

Paper Type	1st	2nd	Broke
BH & BHC	10.00	8.00	5.00
B9G & BHFG	12.00	10.00	6.00
PC4 Natural	10.00	8.00	5.00
PC4 Colors	12.00	10.00	6.00
MDTGS 24"x36"	12.00	10.00	6.00
MDTGS 18"x24"	6.00	5.00	3.00
KT-W, KT-LG	12.00	10.00	6.00

Additional Gelatin sizing + $2.00 per sheet
Hand Burnishing + $2.00 per sheet
Specimen sets are available by sending e-mail to
handmade-paper@uiowa.edu

We no longer stock 22"x30" Western papers or walnut dyed papers. Contact us for special orders.

Quantity Discounts (not available on custom orders):
51–100 sheets 5% discount
101–500 sheets 10% discount
501+ sheets 15% discount

Domestic orders are shipped UPS; charges are based on weight and zone. 5% sales tax is added to orders shipped to Iowa addresses. International Shipping – Contact us for a quote.