About Our Paper

Detailed Information About Our Unique Paper

In this section we guide you through more detailed explanations of each paper type in our range: handmade, milled, recycled, petal and leaf, artist paper, printed paper, greeting card stock and packaged paper products. We also explain more about colour and weight. Please click on the appropriate hyperlink for more information or simply scroll down this page.

For a broader explanation of the history of paper and papermaking, please visit our History of Paper section. Answers to many common questions asked about our products and services can be also be found in the FAQs listed on our help page.

Handmade Paper

Our handmade paper is made by traditional techniques using a teakwood or bamboo mould/deckle. Handmade papers take the size of the mould and have deckled edges.

Due to the nature of the traditional mould and the uneven quality of deckled edges, the dimensions of each sheet of handmade paper will vary slightly - typically up to 1cm.

The papers listed under 'handmade paper' on this website are all made from mulberry, which is known in Thailand as 'saa'. The saa tree grows abundantly in the wild all over South East Asia. The same handmade mulberry papers are also referred to in Japan as 'Kozo' although in fact Kozo is a different variety of tree. The Japanese papermakers buy their raw materials from Thailand and neighboring countries.

Milled Paper

Our milled papers are made on a classic Fourdrinier type paper milling machine combined with a "Yankee" cylinder for drying. We also use exactly the same raw materials (mulberry or 'saa') for our milled papers as our handmade papers, but their appearance is more uniform and their consistency much denser, due to the drying and pressing process. Milled mulberry paper is also known in Japan as unryu.

After production of a large roll the milled paper is cut to exact sizes. Please note that in addition to our standard wrapping paper size of 50x70cm, we can also supply rolls in any length up to 2,000 metres and up to 165 cm wide. Rolls are made to order and are not stocked.

Recycled Paper

Our range of recycled papers is exclusive to HQ PaperMaker. We are particularly concerned with protecting the environment and have invested considerable resources to create perfect handmade papers from recycled materials. Our range consists of seven different papers that have natural colours - that is, we do not add any chemicals or other dyes to the pulp to produce colour. 'Naturally' that also means that there will sometimes be colour variations between each batch of recycled paper.

If you have special applications for our recycled papers that require very precise colour matching between orders, please tell us in advance.

The exact ingredients of our recycled papers remain a trade secret, but we are pleased to share some production information with you. First and most important, all our recycled papers are genuine, as defined internationally. To be classified as a "recycled paper" the minimum waste fibre content must be 50% or more of the total fibre used. The seven papers in our recycled category have waste fibre ranging from 75 - 100%.

We use a limited amount of mulberry in some of the papers to give added strength and provide other aesthetic qualities. Mulberry itself is a renewable resource of course. Other fibres that we use in the papers include bamboo (classified in the grass family), bananas, pineapples, coconuts and even water hyacinth (considered a weed and environmental hazard in Thailand waterways). To these organic fibres we add recycled post consumer waste like office correspondence, computer printouts and newspapers, all of which have been de-inked responsibly.

These papers provide significant direct environmental benefits. We plan to add further products to this range in future.

Petal & Leaf Paper

We specialise in this paper category and have the best collections available. All the papers presented are our own unique patterns.

We use real petals, leaves and grasses that grow in the wild or are cultivated locally. These are gathered early each morning and incorporated into the papers within hours of collection to ensure full colour and shape. We take the utmost care with this paper, but please note that because the petals and leaves are natural, sometimes colours will change unpredictably in time; this is a feature of the paper.

HQ Papermaker uses many beautiful varieties of petal and leaves that are more expensive than those typically used by other paper makers and in many of our designs we place them meticulously into artistic patterns, rather than scattering them randomly. Accordingly we have three price brackets (A) Random, (B) Artistic and (C) Complex. It takes a skilled papermaker three times longer to make a Complex pattern than a Random pattern and the prices are higher accordingly. Our petal & leaf papers are available in three types which have the following codes and descriptions:

Code 0161 Standard: this is a single sheet of paper with the added materials embedded within it. It is pliable, but quite rigid. Suitable for craftwork and wrapping

Code 0171 Tissue: this is two layers of gossamer thin handmade tissue with the added materials placed in between, forming a soft and very pliable sheet. Particularly suitable for gift wrapping

Code 0181 Standard/tissue: this is a layer of standard paper and another layer of tissue with the added materials sandwiched between. Has the same qualities as standard paper, but allows us to place the materials in artistic patterns.

Artist Paper

HQ PaperMaker offers a line of lovingly crafted handmade papers for artists and specialist printers. The papers are archival quality, smooth, acid free, chlorine free and internally sized. HQ PaperMaker is the only source of such papers in Thailand.

There are three different colours each in three different weights; white, natural and bamboo colour in 80gsm, 120gsm and 160gsm. Dimensions are approximately 56x76cm (22x30") with deckled edges. The white and natural are made from 100% mulberry and the bamboo is made from a bamboo and mulberry mix.

If you are an artist, specialist printer or suppliers to these markets, please check out these papers. Through experience, artists learn which papers are best suited for a particular technique. Our papers have the following characteristics.

All of our papers are well suited to dry media such as pencil, pastels, charcoal, etc.

Particularly good results have been achieved with etching, lithographs and block prints. Our papers also work with inkjet and laserjet printers.

The papers are suited for wet media such as poster paints, acrylic and oils, but we recommend that the paper should be treated like a canvas and coated with a suitable sealing agent if heavy brushwork techniques are used.

The two mulberry papers can also be used for watercolour if a dry layering technique is used. That is, if each layer of paint or wash is allowed to dry before applying subsequent layers. The papers are not recommended for wet on wet layering unless a sealing agent is used, as a 'dust' will form on the surface of the paper.

The bamboo paper is excellent for wood cut block prints and embossing. It also works well with the media listed above but is not suitable for watercolour.

Printed Papers

HQ PaperMaker has printing capabilities. We are pleased to work with you to produce your designs on our paper using our printing facilities. We also offer our own stunning ranges of printed papers. These are printed by hand using traditional screenprinting methods.

Printed Milled Paper
The milled paper ranges include Seasons, Elements, Symbols, Spells & Charms, Thai Fauna & Flora, Weddings & Babies and Patterns - all are unique designs developed by our artists here at HQ PaperMaker. The designs are printed on coloured 25gsm milled mulberry paper. They are particularly suitable as gift wrapping paper - an upscale product to enhance any gift.

Printed Handmade Smooth Paper
The smooth handmade paper range is printed on 70gsm handmade colored mulberry paper, size approximately 56x78cm (22x31 inches). Our current range includes Dragons, Patterns and Texts. Ancient scripts taken from various sources and popularized in Thailand by the German Jochen Grandmann.

This paper is well suited for crafts including bookbinding, box making, album covers, lampshades and so on. The script designs are also beautiful in their own right and many people like to use them as wall hangings.

The full range of scripts is as follows:

Burmese Script - This design is an inscription found on an AD 1200 Burmese stone pillar, believed to be the oldest surviving version of this script.

Dragons - Not a script - but as the year 2000 is also the Chinese 'Year of the Dragon' we have added a special design of dragons to this set.

Japanese Kanji - The character used in this design is in Kanji, a Japanese script very close to Chinese. It means 'prosperity'.

Naxi Script -Hieroglyphic script, 2000 years old. It is still used today by the Naxi hilltribes in the Yunnan province of China.

Tibetan Script - Derived from Sanskrit script. Still in use in Tibet and Bhutan.

Lanna Script - Traditional script used in Northern Thailand at the era of Lanna Kingdom. Only a few people such as aged monk in the temple can read it.

Printed Handmade Watermark Paper
The Screen printed Watermark paper is a new venture with the fusion effect in visual from the watermark and screen print. The idea was generated to add more value to the traditional watermark papers which had been used as a specialized paper for security purposes to protect document from counterfeiting.

Behind the various design and patterns developed by the handmade watermark technique at our partner factory, now watermark paper is applied not only traditional utilization but also for the handicraft, packaging, covering and wrapping by adding a value of screen printing. The watermark gives you another visual effect besides the screen print art.

The first series come with a theme of Flora and Plant. The thinner paper 20gsm, 47cm x 64cm size, gives rich transparent effect from the watermark and possibly suitable for the use of gorgeous gift wrapping and covering.

Thicker 65 gsm, 47cm x 64cm size, paper will be suitable for lampshade application, decorative coverings of books / album / gift box and even for luxury wrapping purposes.

Greeting Card Stock

We make a 125 gsm special paper in white only for making greeting cards. Its order code is 0141. This is a heavy weight handmade paper that is used by handmade card makers in Thailand and which we also export to card makers all over the world.

It is has a smooth surface suitable for printing and writing on. It is a very economical purchase - you can cut nine A5 size cards from a single sheet of our paper.

Packaged Paper Products

KraftPak is a high quality packaged paper product for retailers. Ideal for the arts and crafts market. This product has been carefully researched and developed and the packaging is perfectly suited for immediate display and retail.

Each pack contains six different coloured sheets of cut paper 8x10". There are 18 individual packs in this range, each containing carefully selected mixes of paper types and colours to suit current consumer tastes and uses.

There are a wide variety of art and craft uses of the paper - card making, book covering, tags and labels, rubber stamping, collages, painting, printing, origami and so on - and these uses are illustrated in the graphics on KraftPak. Packaging is a good quality re-sealable poly bag and a full colour product description/presentation sheet on 210gsm art paper.

The words on the back of the pack are:

KraftPak - 6 Assorted Sheets of Fine Craft Paper
This pack contains a selection of high quality decorative papers which are durable, flexible and extremely versatile. You can enjoy them as they are or decorate them by drawing, painting or printing. Then have fun following your inspiration to make all kinds of wonderful artistic creations. The possibilities are only limited to your imagination. So dream on!

Product Uses and Market
We have undertaken market research that has guided our development of these products. Kraft Pak appeal to consumers who like to express their individuality and want to use their creativity and craft skills to make their own designs. This fits perfectly with the strong emerging preferences of creative people around the world.