Scientific American, July 10, 1909

Most of the artificial or imitation parchment papers are made from sulphite cellulose, or pulp, with additions of glue and sulphate of alumina, the sulphite cellulose made according to Mitcherlisch’s process, owing to its long, strong fibers, being best adapted for the purpose. Other manufacturers use a mixture of sulphite cellulose and straw pulp, also sized; others again use sulphite cellulose without size, but add a little sulphuric acid in the Holland engine. The following recipes have been successfully employed in practice:

1. 60 per cent sulphite cellulose, 25 per cent soda cellulose, 15 per cent wood pulp. Fully sized, 4 parts size, 5 parts sulphate of alumina to 100 parts of dry stuff. The paper is admittedly good, but not of the best quality.
2. 100 per cent sulphite cellulose, fully sized; 5 parts each of glue and sulphate of alumina to 100 parts of dry stuff. The result is the ordinary parchment paper imitation.
3. 100 per cent sulphite cellulose II, 2 parts of sulphuric acid diluted with water, are added to each 100 parts of dry stuff in the Holland engine. The paper made from second quality sulphite cellulose is of coarse appearance, but is very much like parchment.
4. 60 per cent of sulphite cellulose, 40 per cent of straw pulp, 4 parts size, and 4 parts sulphate of alumina to 100 parts of dry stuff. A very bright colored paper, clearly translucent.
5. 60 per cent of sulphite cellulose, 40 per cent straw pulp, 4 parts size, 3 parts sulphate of alumina to 100 parts of dry stuff.
6. 60 per cent of sulphite cellulose, 40 per cent of straw pulp, 3 parts size, 3 parts sulphate of alumina to 100 parts dry stuff.
7. 70 per cent of sulphite cellulose, 30 per cent of straw pulp, 3-1/2 parts of size, and 3 parts sulphate of alumina to 100 parts dry stuff.
8. 100 per cent sulphite cellulose, 5 parts size, 5 parts sulphate of alumina, 2 parts stearine to 100 parts of dry stuff. The paper is good and more greasily brilliant than the others. The stearine, in No. VIII, is to be chopped into small pieces, mixed with warm water, and in this form added to the stuff in the Holland engine. According to experience, the paper made according to No. VIII, with the addition of stearine, has been found best for the different purposes.

Of the greatest important in the manufacture of artificial parchment paper is the grinding in the Holland engine. The stuff must be ground long, to a smeary paste, and before discharging into the tub, thoroughly beaten up  — after elevating the engine roller  — for 1/4 to 1/2 an hour. On the machine, it must be moderately shaken and heavily pressed. No wornout felts must be used and the drying felts must be tightly stretched, to prevent, as far as possible, any formation of blisters in the paper; the drying must also proceed as slowly as possible, otherwise the paper will readily shrink or wrinkle. It is advisable, at the first cylinder, or better still, at the first and second, to allow, on each side of the paper web, a strip of paper 4 centimeters (about 1.6 inch) wide, to run completely around the cylinder, on which the two edges of the wet paper web can lie. This prevents too rapid a drying at the edges, and a consequent blistering of the entire paper web. The tensions in the machine must also be kept tight throughout.

The big surprise: Trees were not used to make paper until 150 years ago.

Papermaking is a 2000 year old technology. Before it was made out of trees, it was made out of old clothes in the west (just as the dollar bill is today), and numerous other plant fibers in the east (for example, the mulberry bush in Japan).

Paper can be made from about 500 different plant fibers: including sugar cane, linen, hemp, kanef, and corn stalk. It is still made from old clothes (fine European handmade papers are made from rag – Indian handmade paper is made from cloth scrap from the garment industry).

So what makes a paper ‘eco’ exactly? Good question. 100% post consumer paper is very earth-friendly. The more we can all use 100% post consumer recycled paper, the more giant paper mills will make it. Right now, about 55% of paper still goes to landfill. Much of the remaining reclaimed fiber gets shipped to other countries. Wouldn’t it be great if more US mills retooled to make postconsumer recycled paper? Right now, just a few do. One of the tasks at hand is to make markets for post consumer recycled paper. Right now, it is an extremely tiny market segment.

We incorporate lots of fun papers made from post harvest waste: mango leaves, sugar cane, other leaf and grass fibers. These papers help keep the fiber from getting dumped in rivers or being burned. Using these papers also creates new markets and keeps small mills and rural cottage industries going.

Invitesite’s founders have specialized in fine and treefree papers since 1995. Founder Scott Rubel has been a fine artisan letterpress printer for about 20 years. The founders have both made one of their life’s work helping to convert paper use from virgin trees to sustainable fibers and methods.

You can learn more about the history of papermaking here>>

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