Where the Pulp for Paper Comes From

All pulp is made of cellulose, which is found in all plant life. There are two main types of pulp that are typically used in the papermaking process: wood and cotton.

Wood Pulp

Wood pulp comes from hardwood and softwood trees.

Hardwood trees, or “leaf trees” such as maple, elm, birch, etc., provide short and dense fibers that add strength to the paper.

 

Softwood trees, or “needle trees” such as pine, spruce, cedar, etc., provide long and fluffy fibers that add bulk to the paper.

 

Our wood-based papers use a combination of both hardwood and softwood pulp.

 

Cotton Pulp

Cotton fibers are derived from cotton linters and cotton rags.

Linters are the shorter fibers left on the cottonseed after the ginning process.

Rags come from the cotton rag clippings from textile mills. If you’ve ever heard the term 100% rag paper, this means it has been derived from using cotton rag waste to make the pulp. Today most fine art papers are made from cotton linters or a combination of cotton rags and cotton linters. All of our 500 Series papers are made with cotton, and the majority of them use a combination of both linters and rag for maximum strength, softness and durability.