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Review Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Are you having problems with our shopping cart?

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Review Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is your paper recycled?
Is your paper acid and lignin-free?
What's the difference between smooth and rough paper?
What's the difference between GSM and thickness?
Will colours and specifications change between orders?
Can you make special orders?
What about printing on your papers?
What quality control systems do you have in place?
How are your papers packed?
What do your List Prices include?
Are your prices guaranteed?
Can my order be shipped by sea freight?
How is the shipping cost calculated?
When will my order be sent?
How long is delivery?
What if we want to cancel our order?
What is your return and refund policy if we find a problem?
Are there any geographic restrictions on sales?
I live in the USA and you have asked for my EIN/SSN, Why?
I live in the USA and you will not accept my Post Office Box address for delivery, Why not?
Legal Requirements

1. Is your paper recycled?

Our paper is all "environmentally friendly". We offer ranges of recycled pre- and post-consumer waste papers, non-wood based papers and papers made from mixed local organic materials. Please go to paper information in our shopping section (see menu opposite) for more details. Some of our paper ranges are made from the bark of the mulberry tree, which grows abundantly in the region. The best bark is obtained from the smallest branches (not from the trunk), which, once cut, grow back again very quickly. We do not cut down trees to obtain the bark.

2. Is your paper acid and lignin-free?

All our papers are specially formulated to be neutral ph level 7, which is commonly referred to as 'acid-free'. Our mulberry papers contain about 3% lignin. It is not possible to remove all of it. It is possible to attain a lower percentage (about 2%) using chlorine, but at HQ PaperMaker we consider chlorine to be toxic and do not use it at any stage of production.

3. What's the difference between smooth and rough paper?

All milled papers are smooth and flat with only a slight texture. Handmade papers can be made either smooth or rough. When handmade paper is formed on the mould it has random ridges running throughout the exposed side. These we describe as 'satisfyingly nobbly' and give the paper a heavy texture. To obtain smooth handmade paper these ridges are flattened out using a simple handheld tool. The result has more texture than machine pressed papers, but is much smoother than naturally formed rough paper.

4. What's the difference between GSM and thickness?

GSM - grams per square metre - is the weight of a square metre of paper. Handmade paper and milled paper with the same gsm will have different thicknesses. This is because handmade paper is formed naturally and has more bulk and texture, whereas milled paper is pressed.

5. Will colours and specifications change between orders?

We try carefully to match dye colours between each batch during production, but the nature of the dyes and the organic raw materials used means that some variation in colour does occur. Up to 10% variance is the accepted industry norm.

For handmade papers particularly, every piece is unique and uniformity of any specification is not guaranteed. For example the dimensions of the paper are not precise and will vary slightly between each sheet. Added natural materials such as petals, leaves and grasses will not be a consistent size, shape or colour (which varies with the seasons) and will not be placed in identical positions on every sheet. For machine milled papers there will be a higher degree of consistency between each batch.

Pantone codes are given for reference only and are not an exact colour match.

6. Can you make special orders?

We can make papers specially to order in any weight up to 160gsm and in different dimensions or design specifications. Please tell us what you need and we will endeavour to make it for you.

7. What about printing on your papers?

Our paper is very well suited to printing. We can arrange printing for you in any number of colours by hand blocking, stamping or screenprinting methods. Please tell us your requirements. Please go to the paper information section in our Paper Collections for more details on our printed papers and artists papers.

8. What quality control systems do you have in place?

QC is considered a high priority at HQ PaperMaker. We employ QC managers at factory and warehouse points. All papermaking is monitored during production by our staff, checked again when loaded into stock bays and finally again most meticulously during packing. We do not do spot checks, we check every single sheet of paper before despatch.

9. How are your papers packed?

With considerable care! We stock papers in pre-packed cellophane bags of 10 sheets per type/colour. Packs of petal papers (0161, 0171, 0181) also contain silica gel to absorb moisture during shipping and storage. For small quantity orders that do not fit economically inside a freight carton, the paper is packed into freight tubes, rolled. For larger orders they will be packed flat with cellophane wrapping into freight cartons. We have four different carton sizes that hold from 80 to 1,100 sheets, depending on the type of paper. Packing will be done in the most economic way (sometimes a mix of cartons and tubes) unless you specify that all paper should be packed flat.

10. What do your List Prices include?

Our online List Price shows our retail prices which include the products you've selected, quality control at our warehouse and all packaging and packing charges. Volume discounts and shipping fees are added. Your volume discounts and shipping fees will be automatically calculated for you when you go to the checkout and will be shown separately for your information.

Remember, if shipments are made by sea-mail the charges are different from courier and the delivery times are longer. In our ordering section, you will be asked which method of delivery you prefer.

For distributors and wholesalers please contact us through the section of the site called distributors.

11. Are your prices guaranteed?

Once your order has been confirmed by email or fax, the prices quoted for that order are fixed, even if there are changes in our Price List prior to despatch.

We typically revise our Price List every 90 days. Prices may go down as well as up, depending on any changes that may have occurred in the cost of sourcing raw materials, production costs and shipping charges. We will also regularly update $ prices if there have been significant fluctuations in exchange rates between the US$ and the Thai baht.

12. Can my order be shipped by sea freight?

Yes it can, as long as the volume of the total consignment is greater than one cubic metre (1cu.m). If you select this service instead of courier, please note that you will be responsible for arranging and paying for Customs clearance at your local port and delivery from port to your premises. A reputable clearing agent will be able to advise you about this procedure and the costs involved.

13. How is the shipping cost calculated?

FedEx prices are based on the weight of the consignment, either the gross weight (actual weight) or the volume weight (dimensional) are used - whichever is higher.

Sea freight charges are calculated by volume weight. Sea-mail charges are calculated by gross weight.

Note that for handmade papers the volume weight is usually higher than the gross weight.

14. When will my order be sent?

Orders are despatched from our warehouse within 2-10 days after receipt of your Purchase Order (credit card payments), or 2-10 days after receipt of payment (other payment methods).

15. How long is delivery?

Consignments sent by FedEx take about 3-5 days to your door. We will notify you about the airway bill reference number on despatch so that you can use it to check shipping progress at any time, simply by clicking on the Fedex Tracking button that appears on our home page.

For orders with a volume greater than 1 cu.m we can ship by seafreight if you have specified this option. Seafreight takes 3-4 weeks from our warehouse to your port, plus 3-8 days Customs clearance, plus road transport to your premises. We will notify you about the bill of lading reference number on despatch so that you can use it to check shipping progress at any time.

Sea-mail can take up to 3 months and delivery cannot be guaranteed. We do not recommend this option, but offer it in case price is your major consideration.

16. What if we want to cancel our order?

For retail buyers, you have the right to change your mind about an order, either to change the mix or quantity first selected, or to cancel the whole order. However, we cannot accept cancellations or changes after the order has been despatched to you. You will be notified as soon as your order has been despatched and you can make changes at any time up to that point.

17. What is your return and refund policy if we find a problem?

First we must emphasise that no faulty products are despatched from our warehouse. However, we guarantee to reimburse the full cost of (or replace) any products found to be faulty so long as we have been notified by email or fax within seven days of receipt of the goods. No returns accepted after seven days. Note: for colour variations in petal and leaf papers please refer to the sub-section named Paper Information in the Shopping section.

18. Are there any geographic restrictions on sales?

There are no import restrictions that we are aware of for any of our current range of papers. In terms of delivery to you, we are restricted only by the means of transport. In other words, if Fedex do not deliver to your area, we cannot supply you directly. In that event we will always try to find an alternative drop off point that is convenient for you.

19. I live in the USA and you have asked for my EIN/SSN, Why?

US Customs regulations require the IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN) or, if an individual, the Social Security Number (SSN) of the US recipient of consignments with a total value (including shipping costs) of $1,250 or higher. This requirement does not apply for smaller amounts. The EIN or SSN must be on file with the US Customs Service. We have to enter your EIN or SSN onto the airway bill (courier) or bill of lading (sea-freight) to facilitate clearance in the US. If you choose not to disclose this information to us the US Customs Service will contact you directly for your number before releasing the consignment. Inevitably this will delay the receipt of your order.

20. I live in the USA and you will not accept my Post Office Box address for delivery, Why not?

US regulations are that PO Box numbers and US military PO Box addresses such as APO and FPO cannot be accepted for import deliveries. Please give a full address for delivery, including (very important) your telephone and/or fax number.

21. Legal Requirements

21.1 Force Majeure
If we are prevented from delivery by reason of fire, flood, trade dispute or government intervention or regulations (in Thailand and elsewhere) or other cause beyond our reasonable control, the contract agreed shall at our opinion be either fulfilled as soon as the circumstances permit, or cancelled, or renegotiated and we shall not be liable for any damages resulting that may be claimed by you, our customer.

21.2 Applicable Law
In the event of a dispute, the applicable laws upheld will be the Laws of Thailand.