While paper is still used, it is facing certain obscurity as the world finds favour with computer screens and keyboards for communication needs. But, as if countering fast-paced technological developments, there’s growing enthusiasm to go back to the “good old days”.
Most notably, analogue tools are experiencing a revival. Fountain pens are showing healthier sales globally, a stark contrast to cooling sale figures in the general luxury goods market. Vintage typewriters are also experiencing burgeoning popularity, for their connection to the past and the haptic pleasure they offer.
To be sure, at a time when digital communication flies fast and furious, the effort it takes to type or write a missive makes the message all the more meaningful. Says Genevieve Chua, managing director of paper merchant Spicers Asia: “Paper still has the edge in helping to create better emotional connection and engagement, through the power of touch. That tangible feel and connection are intrinsic qualities that the digital component just cannot replicate in the same way.” Indeed, paper can do what a screen still cannot delight the senses.
WHAT’S A PIECE OF PAPER?
The ubiquity of digital communication means that e-mail invitations just don’t cut it, in the sincerity stakes. To express one’s heartfelt intent, it’s paper and snail mail, with the quality of the material speaking volumes about the event and the organiser. These characteristics, of course, cannot be experienced onscreen. A piece of paper thus becomes a gift for the senses. Tony Lim of Spicers Asia, which specialises in fancy paper, tells us more.
01: THICKNESS
The thickness of paper creates an impression, especially for that staple of business: name-cards. The usual weight is 250gsm (grams per square metre). Typical copier paper is 80gsm and greeting card, 120gsm. To leave a mark, go for 300gsm, as thick as a paperback book cover. It’s bulky for cardholders, to be sure, but you don’t want to pass out too many cards anyway.
02: INK ABSORBENCY
The porosity of paper affects how well ink is absorbed. This prevents unsightly ink smudges. Cotton papers have good porosity, especially for fountain-pen inks, and are popular options for personal letterheads.
03: TEXTURE
Various textures provide novelty. It can come from coating: silk coatings, for example, provide a smooth touch. Cotton paper recalls paper used for paintings, which gives a traditional handmade, yet luxurious, feel. Texture is not limited to the type of paper used as embossing can also produce unique imprints on paper.
04: COATING
For printing images with sharp detail, gloss coating is best. Matte coating does the job, and is preferred if there’s reading involved as there’s less glare. There’s a trend for uncoated papers, as they feel more organic.
EXPERIMENTS GONE RIGHT
01: IDENTIFY THE BEER
German paper mill Gmund adds spent grains from beer production into the usual wood pulp mix, giving the uncoated paper a speckled look. Each colour is inspired by various beers – from the cream-coloured Weizen to the dark-chocolate Bock. Fancy Papers, 420 North Bridge Road.
02: TRADITIONAL MULBERRY
The Awagami Factory in Tokushima, Japan, makes by hand its traditional washi paper with fresh spring water, paper mulberry, roots, shrubs and bark. Bright colours and patterns aside, the paper can be used for copy or digital printing. www.shoporyx.com
03: DIAL UP THE STERLING
Looks silvery, you say? The Gmund 925 collection takes it literal by brushing pure silver ions onto paper. The dispersed metal particles provide the silky paper its elegant, reflective sheen. Fancy Papers, 420 North Bridge Road.
04: PAPER SKIN
Taking inspiration from fashion brands, Italian paper mill Cordenons embosses leather textures on paper. The Leatherlike collection resembles the fabric and adds sleek opulence to stationery. Spicers Asia, 3 Gul Crescent.
PULP FICTION
Is wood-free paper environmentally friendly? Well, yes and no.
Wood-free paper is one of the most commonly used materials – it’s used as copier paper, and to print books and magazines such as Kinfolk and The Peak’s Gourmet & Travel magazine. It is durable, bright and easily biodegradable – a paper the eco-conscious can use with some peace of mind.
But its name is misleading. Wood chips remain an essential component in the papermaking process. So why is it dubbed so?
The reason lies in its pulp. The pulp is prepared by “cooking” wood chips in hot alkaline. The process breaks down a polymer, lignin, from cellulose fibres. Lignin, which makes paper brittle and prone to yellowing, also forms bark and wood. Removing it thus make the pulp “wood-free” chemically speaking.
PAPER AS ART
At the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI), papermaking is at the core of the gallery’s spirit. Papermakers employ European techniques at their workshops, but the basic cotton, linen or mulberry are not the only materials they work with. A variety of materials can be used, explains senior papermaker Gordon Koh. The important step lies in scooping the material up with a flat sieve, in which it takes its permanent shape. STPI often experiments with unusual fibres and methods to create a unique piece of paper for artworks.
01: SPICES
South Korean artist Haegue Yang wanted a symbolic visual of the spice trade and how it transformed civilisations. Each piece of paper is dedicated to a spice or herb, created by individually mixing each ingredient with paper pulp.
02: PINEAPPLE HUSK
After boiling the husks in soda ash, the fibres are extracted and employed in the usual papermaking process; they are mixed with water and sieved. The paper is then pressed to squeeze out excess water and left to dry.
03: DURIAN HUSK
The team also used the same soda ash method for durian husks. The tougher fibres create a durable paper, but more effort is required to pull them out from the husk.
04: BEAN SPROUTS
This paper was inspired by veteran artist Amanda Heng’s performance piece, Let’s Chat, which involves picking beansprouts and just talking. Bean sprout husks are boiled, rinsed in cold water and poured over a sieve to form paper.
PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN CHANG & VERNON WONG
ART DIRECTION JEAN YAP
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