Life of Paper
While making paper with big machinery can get complicated, my homemade, recycled paper is actually a very similar process. Cut down binder, add water, blend, roll water out, let dry, and done. While starting Vita Papyri, I have done some extensive research on this process and continuing to learn all about paper. I wanted to show a very simplified outline of where paper comes from and the basic steps, before it goes into your printer.
E N J O Y
There are multiple paper mills that use recycled paper, but some that still operate with raw fibers, such as lumber. Paper can be made from multiple types of materials such as bamboo, cotton, hemp, jute, and a other plant-based materials.
The lumber is then made into wood chips. We want to basically pulverize the wood to separate the natural fibers in creating a binding for the paper. These wood chips can come from logs or residues from sawmills, furniture manufacturers and other sources. They can be chemically or mechanically divided into individual wood fibers in a process called pulping.
The chips, mixed with water, are beaten and blended together to make the pulp. The mechanical way does not use any chemicals. It is just the raw fibers to make, usually, lower grade paper. Chemically separated fiber adds strong alkalis such as sodium sulfide or sodium hydroxide to the plant materials. This is also the step where dyes or any special substances are added to make the different colors or finishes of paper used.
The pulp moves to a mesh tray to drain majority of the water. It then goes through a series of heating and drying rollers to pull the rest of the water out. Paper-making machines can range from small to large, simple to more complicated.
The final paper rollers smooth the paper to then be cut to the desired sizes. Different rollers can be used for alternative textures and thicknesses of the paper, as well. The possibilities are endless.