What's on this page?
This page
features pictures of various decorative and fine art papers from around the world.
Click on the thumbnail image to see a larger picture of the paper. These images are
here to give you an idea of the color, texture, and details of different types of
papers. Most of these were scanned using a black background, which is great for
showing the fibers or inclusions in the more transparent papers, but at the same time may
make those papers look darker or different than they would with a lighter background
or one of another color. Additionally, most papers (handmade ones in particular)
vary in color from one batch to another. Sometimes the differences between two
shipments of the same paper are very dramatic.
For more information on these papers, please see the Paper Descriptions page. For technical details please refer to the Technical Information page. For suggested uses for these papers, please check the Suggested Uses page.
Scroll down this page to see example pictures of different families of papers, and compare their varying looks and textures. Click on the links below to see color charts showing the full color ranges available in specific groups of papers
|
WARNING! This page may take a while to load as it is full of pictures, but if you're patient it will be worth the wait! |
 |
Here's a helpful tip; If you're planning to use a lot of paper for a big job, like wedding invitations, and you want everything to match, ask your paper store to special order the paper you need so it will all come from the same batch. Handmade papers are never exactly the same from one sheet to another, but this will help maintain a consistent look. |
Click on a thumbnail image to see a larger picture.
Use the back button on your browser to return to this page.
|
Papyrus, handmade in Egypt. Available in various sizes, with natural irregular edges. You could cut a larger sheet into smaller pieces, but you'd lose the authentic look the individual sheets have with their natural, uneven edges. |
|
Dark Papyrus, handmade like traditional papyrus, with the irregular edges characteristic of their handmade nature. The dark color comes from the material being aged while soaking in water. |
|
Colombe, handmade in France, is a heavy weight printmaking paper with a very rough surface and four deckled edges. Available in a range of colors. |
|
Mouchette is handmade in France, and has four deckled edges. The various colors have white specks throughout the sheets, and there is also a series of natural color papers with inclusions from the French countryside around the Larroque mill. |
|
Ginwashi, a traditional Japanese paper style, contains short inclusions reminiscent of the vermicelli in Rice-A-Roni. |
|
Momi Gami is a traditional Japanese handmade paper, crumpled by hand to give its unique texture. Available in a variety of colors, as well as metallic and iridescent colors. |
|
Ogura Lace, another traditional Japanese paper is available in a range of colors. Made from Manila hemp, this is the strongest of the lace papers. |
|
Unryu, Japanese for "dragon cloud paper", is available in a full range of colors. A mulberry paper, unryu is characterized by the long strands of kozo fiber running through the sheet. Sample shown here is white, 25 gm/m, made in Thailand. Scanned here over a black background to show its translucent nature, this paper is beautiful alone, and offers various layering possibilities. |
|
Unryu, white with gold and silver flecks, is a Japanese paper with less kozo fibers than the Thai unryu above. The paper appears more delicate, and the addition of metal flecks gives this sheet an entirely different effect. |
|
Watermarked papers from Japan are available in a variety of patterns, including fleur de lys shown here. These machine made sheets emulate the hand made style of traditional watermarked papers. |
|
Yuzen papers are hand silkscreened in Japan, and patterns range from very traditional images of butterflies, flowers, or clouds, to contemporary and geometric designs. |
|
Chiri is a classic Japanese paper style, made from kozo (mulberry) pulp with inclusions of small pieces of bark from the mulberry tree. The example here is made in Thailand, 25 g/m2. |
|
Mango papers are a variation on the Chiri theme; kozo papers with mango leaf inclusions. Available in a variety of colors, the sample shown here is natural color paper with natural leaves, 25 g/m2. |
|
Banana papers are another variation on the Chiri theme; kozo papers with chunks of banana bark inclusions. Available in a variety of colors, the sample shown here is natural color, 25 g/m2. |
