Handmade paper production process

Many origami masters often choose to make their own handmade paper, and many unique paper crafts also use handmade paper. However, many friends do not understand handmade paper and think it is very mysterious. Today, I will take you to briefly understand the history and production process of handmade paper, and enhance your knowledge and understanding of the paper itself.

Handmade papermaking, also known as "local method" papermaking, refers to a handmade papermaking method that has been passed down from generation to generation since the invention of papermaking. It does not use machinery or only uses very simple machinery.

The main raw materials for handmade paper are hemp, bark, bamboo and rice. Hemp includes hemp, ramie, flax, green hemp, jute, etc. The bark includes green sandalwood, mulberry bark, gourd bark, etc. There are many types of bamboo, and the most commonly used ones are Moso bamboo and Ci bamboo.

The production method of traditional handmade paper in my country involves a complete set of production processes. No matter what kind of raw materials are used and what kind of paper is made, the steps are basically the same. These main production processes include: soaking, cooking, washing, blanching, beating, scooping, drying, and baking paper.

Soaking material Also known as dipping material, different raw materials are separated according to grade, tied into small bundles, and soaked in ponds. The soaking time varies with the types of raw materials. Moso bamboo needs to be soaked in water for about half a month after being cut. Straw is usually soaked in river water for 7 to 10 days. Branches and hemp stalks are soaked for about 10 days. The purpose of soaking is to dissolve (remove) soluble impurities in the raw materials and lay the foundation for making good pulp.

Boiling It uses alkali or lime aqueous solution to treat the raw materials at high temperature to remove the pectin, lignin, etc. stuck between the fibers, so that the fibers are dispersed and become pulp. The cooking process also varies greatly depending on the raw materials: to boil the mulberry bark, soak it in lime water for 10 minutes, then put it into a pot and treat it with lime water for 5 days, and then stack it for fermentation after taking it out. The straw only needs a little lime to be steamed or piled and fermented to become pulp.

Washing It is to put the cooked slurry into a cloth bag, rinse it with water and swing it back and forth to wash away the lime residue and dissolved substances contained in the pulp.

Sun-whitening is to turn the natural pulp (ranging from off-white, light yellow to brown) into white pulp. The traditional tanning method is to place the washed pulp in the sun and expose it to direct sunlight for about 2 to 3 months until the color of the pulp turns white. Nowadays, some handmade paper also uses bleaching powder for bleaching when it is produced, but the amount of bleaching powder is smaller and the bleaching time is longer.

Making is to use manpower, water mills, stone mills, etc. to pound the slurry into a mud-like paste, so that the fibers in the slurry can be separated and broomed, and can be interwoven into a certain strength. Paper sheets and punching are the most arduous processes in manual papermaking operations.

Paper fishing It is also called entering the curtain or making paper. Paper fishing is to first put the pulp and water into the papermaking trough to make the pulp fibers freely suspended in the water, and then put the bamboo curtain into the papermaking trough and lift it up, so that the fibers can be spread evenly on the bamboo curtain to form a thin A layer of wet paper pages, and finally the wet paper is transferred to the pile of wet paper next to the paper making chute.

Drying It is to squeeze out the excess water in the wet paper page, so that the wet paper has a certain strength to facilitate the drying of the brushed paper. When the number of wet paper sheets accumulated reaches thousands, the pressing device is used to apply appropriate pressure to slowly drain out the water in the paper. Do not press too hard during squeezing, otherwise the quality of the wet paper will be affected; the moisture content of the wet paper after squeezing should not be too much or too little to prevent the paper from being peeled off during paper separation or falling off during baking.

Baking paper Also known as drying paper or drying paper, it turns wet paper pages into dry products that can be used. The method of baking paper is to separate the squeezed wet paper one by one, and then brush it on the outside of the drying wall. The heat of the fire inside the wall is transferred to the outer wall to evaporate the moisture in the paper, making the paper dry. . When baking paper, the surface temperature of the drying wall should not be too high, otherwise the paper will easily wrinkle and become brittle.

There are many varieties of handmade paper, and they are also quite messy, with about 200 types. Handmade paper is divided into four categories according to its use: cultural paper, production paper, sanitary paper and sacrificial paper.

The most famous handmade paper is rice paper used for calligraphy and painting. This kind of handmade paper is famous both at home and abroad for its soft texture, white, smooth, fine and even texture, and durable color. Secondly, there are cultural papers such as Daqian calligraphy and painting paper, Fengxiang calligraphy and painting paper, raw edge paper, Lianshi paper, jade-button paper, and Korean paper. These handmade papers are unique and often have certain characteristics that machine-made paper cannot have.

Among the handmade papers, the paper used for firecrackers, paper umbrellas and paper fans also have unique styles. For example, firecrackers made from handmade rough paper in Hunan not only have a crisp and bright sound, but also break up into small uniform pieces after igniting fire. The falling image is beautiful, has a large range, and is relatively safe during transportation and storage.

The hand-produced sacrificial paper mainly includes yellow paper, shroud paper, ancestor paper, etc. These products are mainly used for religious activities. The export yellow paper produced in our country has the special property of curling up and having large pieces of paper ash falling off when it is ignited and burned, which is exactly what religious activities require.

Although handmade paper is not used to print books, journals and other publications (except manuscripts), in order to have a more comprehensive understanding of paper and papermaking, it is necessary to have a rough understanding of the production methods and main varieties of the above handmade paper. It is also necessary.

/Some information is taken from Shambhala Art Paper