Hand Made Paper Industry
A wide range of raw materials, such as bamboo, wood grass, rice and wheat straw, jute, rags and waste paper are made available for paper and board making. The Indian pulp and paper industry has recently experienced enormous growth, coupled with consolidation due to the value addition activities like embossing embroidery on handmade paper etc. Tucked away in a village near Jaipur is the world's largest centre of handmade paper. The handmade paper industry in India offers considerable potential to meet the increasing demand for paper products in an environmentally sound way. Delhi is an ideal location to find both of these materials because it has a thriving rag trade, which provides abundance of old cloth and vast amounts of used paper. Handmade paper production has low capital investment, thereby promoting local entrepreneurship, it generates more local employment; it is an environmentally sound technology, depleting less resources and causing less pollution than paper mill factories; and it can produce certain specialized varieties of paper, for example, watermark, filter paper and drawing sheets, etc. The cost difference between handmade paper and millmade paper is marginal. The concern about the disappearance of forests, coupled with renewed interest in the quality of papers generated new study of the paper maker's materials, especially the pulps and fibers. With several technological changes taking place in the paper industry, the government has to rethink its land use policies and conservation strategies to protect the natural resources.
The Indian government has provided funds to different handmade paper supplying councils like KVIC (Khadi & Village Industries Commission) which tie up with banks and through banks provide funds to promising entrepreneurs who want to start handmade paper making business. Seven years back UNDP provided funds to improve activities further in handmade paper industry which gave a lot of exposure of that market. Also the government had come out with REGP plans (Rural Employment Generation Program) where the government gave loans to village people to start small handmade paper units thus boosting the rural areas to further develop. India is said to produce approximately Rs.21crore worth of handmade papers, providing full time employment to around 10,000 persons in the rural areas. Further to boost the industry KVIC sector conducts other major programs like Buyer-Seller Meet Cum Exhibitions at national level, Seminars Cum Workshops on Handmade Paper Industries etc, they also came out with Handmade Paper Making Multi Disiplenary Training Centres in Mumbai, Assam, Delhi which provides prospective entrepreneurs with Demonstration Kits for good quality products and also how to tab the naturally abundantly available local raw material. They also plan to carry out similar activities in northeastern states also to boost the northeastern regions of handmade paper industry. This year two major units, The Sthaneshwar Handmade Paper P.C.I.S. Ltd and Handmade Paper & Board Industries under the KVIC sector won National Award through the president of India for supplying best quality products. Mr.K.Sudhakar - Dy.Director I/C (Handmade Paper and Fiber industry) is of the opinion that the " Handmade Paper products is a real treasure with full of creative, innovative and thought provoking ideas and the industry has got an excellent future because of value addition and export oriented prospectives." The sector also plans to tab or explore the very big area of packaging industries be it for medicine packaging or fertilizer packaging etc. Even the Internal Trade Fairs like PAPEREX have been fruitful trade encouraging activities. This year in PAPEREX 2005, Carlton Coats Pvt.Ltd. were the ones to win the 1st prize. Each unit in India is said to roughly provide fifty crores worth material. Most of these units have become totally export oriented. Ever growing International market for Handmade Paper Though countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines have already emerged as `handmade paper giants'; India is being looked upon as the country with the maximum growth potential. The country is almost self-sufficient in manufacture of most varieties of handmade papers. There has been phenomenal growth in the export market for Indian Handmade Paper and its products, especially in the developed countries like the United States of America, West Germany, European Countries, Australia etc. The last decade witnessed rapid growth in export as a number of Handmade Paper and paper products manufacturing units have become hundred percent export oriented units and helped in increasing the foreign exchange of the country.
Handmade paper is a stunning example of recycling at work. It was, in fact, concern about the disappearance of forests, coupled with renewed interest in the quality of papers, that generated new study of the paper maker's materials, especially the pulps and fibers. The raw materials used in handmade papers range from all manner of vegetable matter (including leaves, tree moss, potatoes, flowers), old ropes, canvas, linen, new & old cotton Rags. Hosiery & Tailor cuttings, jute waste, paper waste & Agro-waste fibers like Bagasse, Banana, Mulberry, Hemp & Remi etc.
Handmade paper making skills are in high demand. You could profit in this niche by starting your own handmade papermaking and instruction business.
Unfortunately, paper making instruction businesses are not all about art paper. Rules must be followed at city, state, and federal levels.
Start by contacting each city and state where you plan to be operating and ask for a copy of their small business guide. This will explain all of the technical licensing information to be aware of.
SETTING UP YOUR HANDMADE PAPER CLASS
Community recreation centers, colleges, churches, craft stores and youth and senior organizations often supply free advertising and limited insurance coverage for those agreeing to host classes in harmony with their schedules. For tax, insurance, safety, advertising, and sanitary purposes, classes are not normally taught at private homes.
As all good papering artists know, green paper can be made in many unique ways. The newest trend for marketing instructional classes is through the use of technology. CDs, DVD’s, video tapes and eBooks are all easy to make; just hire an experienced author from an online job board that caters to the writing industry.
MORE TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Owning a small business offers rewards but often poses many challenges. The biggest key to success is your financial planning, so find an easy-to-use bookkeeping program for your PC and visit that program daily.
Logged information must be kept up to date with duplicate records kept in an offline location for safety. Shabby record keeping often results in the early death of a business.
Meticulous record keeping is required for a complete financial understanding of how to manipulate your profits and losses. As an example, your software might show you that running a class for ten people fifty-miles away from your home will make you considerably less money than a class for three friends operated locally. Good record keeping prevents unnecessary losses.
Entrepreneurs who choose to network with other like-minded people can reduce advertising and material expenses. Buying by the case to split-up between artists or sharing the use of a craft show stall for products and advertising is a nice way to save money for everybody involved.
Fancy online paper supplies stores and scrapbooking paper sites can be contacted to show ads for instructional classes, and don’t forget the TV, radio, and newspaper possibilities open to your handmade paper instruction business.
Why use handmade papers?
Handmade paper has the advantage of being 100% wood free which makes it the most eco-friendly form of paper around. It is also 100% recycled. Handmade paper is excellent for writing as well as printing. It has greater tensile, bursting, tearing and double-fold strength compared to conventional paper. Apart from all this it looks great, handmade paper is fashionable, it's up market, its classy! Our papers can be decorated with flower petals, jute, wool, grass, straw etc. Handmade paper seems to be the perfect thing to have come around in terms of environment friendliness. There are no chemicals used in the manufacture of our handmade paper. The paper is solar dried, so no energy wastage. No trees are cut to make such paper, the pulp used to make the paper is derived from Cotton Fabric Rags, and this makes it 100% eco-friendly and 100% natural. So handmade paper cuts down on pollution, its saves trees (and wildlife) thus contributing to a much healthier environment.
Handmade paper has the advantage of being 100% wood free which makes it the most eco-friendly form of paper around. It is also 100% recycled. Handmade paper is excellent for writing as well as printing. It has greater tensile, bursting, tearing and double-fold strength compared to conventional paper. Apart from all this it looks great, handmade paper is fashionable, it's up market, its classy! Our papers can be decorated with flower petals, jute, wool, grass, straw etc. Handmade paper seems to be the perfect thing to have come around in terms of environment friendliness. There are no chemicals used in the manufacture of our handmade paper. The paper is solar dried, so no energy wastage. No trees are cut to make such paper, the pulp used to make the paper is derived from Cotton Fabric Rags, and this makes it 100% eco-friendly and 100% natural. So handmade paper cuts down on pollution, its saves trees (and wildlife) thus contributing to a much healthier environment.
Production of Handmade Paper
Handmade paper production requires low capital investment, can easily set up in rural areas and thus can be used to encourage local entrepreneurship. The industry is environment friendly and non-polluting and units can even specialize in the production of a particular type of handmade paper. These units can be used as a means to create employment opportunities in the rural areas. The production of handmade paper does not require skilled labour and local population especially women can be absorbed in this industry. The difference in cost of production of mill-made paper and handmade paper is marginal.
The process of making handmade paper involves a series of steps that are briefly discussed below.
Sorting and dusting: the raw material that is to be used is manually sorted and foreign material like buttons; plastic, synthetic fibres etc. are removed. To remove dust and dirt the material is shaken vigorously.
Rag Chopping: The sorted and dusted material is chopped into pieces of equal size.
Beating: The raw material is mixed with water and harmless chemicals and beaten in a Hollander beater. This consists of a U-shaped trough, with a drum; on the outer side of this drum are iron blades that cut the raw material to make a pulp out of it. There is a washing drum as well that cleans the pulp and drains the dirty water. The quality of the paper to be made determines the consistency of the pulp.
Sheets of handmade paper can be made in two ways.
Dipping Method: This method is normally used for fine or thin paper. The pulp is diluted with water and put into a masonary trough or vat. The lifting mould (a mesh on a wooden frame) is dipped into the trough, shaken evenly and lifted out with the pulp on it. The consistency of the pulp in the tank should be kept constant all the time.
Lifting Method: This method is used for all paper and especially for card paper. A fixed quantity of pulp is poured evenly onto a mould, which is then clamped between two wooden deckles (frames) and then dipped into a water tank. The mould in then lifted using a lever mechanism that allows the excess water to drain away.
Couching: Once the sheet is formed, the wet paper is transferred onto a cloth like muslin or felt sheet and a stack of interleaved sheets in made.
Pressing: A hydraulic press is used to remove the excess water from the sheets. Pressing reduces the thickness of the paper and the sheets become more compact. This process improves the physical properties of the paper and helps drying.
Drying: Even after the sheets have been pressed, they still contain about 50% to 65% of the moisture. The sheets are hung in the sunlight to dry. Solar dries can speed up the process and the space required for drying. Coloured papers are dried in the shade to prevent the sun from bleaching the colour.
Cleaning and Sizing: Small particles of dirt and other foreign matter are removed manually with a sharp instrument. The cleaned sheets are coated with a layer of starch to improve the quality of the paper and prevent feathering. This process is called sizing. This can be done manually using a brush or by dipping the sheet into a vat containing sizing chemicals.
Calendering: The sheets are then placed between metallic plates and passed through spring-loaded rollers in a calendaring machine. This makes the paper smooth and increases the gloss of the paper.
Cutting: The sheets are cut neatly according the required size using a cutting machine.
The process of making handmade paper involves a series of steps that are briefly discussed below.
Sorting and dusting: the raw material that is to be used is manually sorted and foreign material like buttons; plastic, synthetic fibres etc. are removed. To remove dust and dirt the material is shaken vigorously.
Rag Chopping: The sorted and dusted material is chopped into pieces of equal size.
Beating: The raw material is mixed with water and harmless chemicals and beaten in a Hollander beater. This consists of a U-shaped trough, with a drum; on the outer side of this drum are iron blades that cut the raw material to make a pulp out of it. There is a washing drum as well that cleans the pulp and drains the dirty water. The quality of the paper to be made determines the consistency of the pulp.
Sheets of handmade paper can be made in two ways.
Dipping Method: This method is normally used for fine or thin paper. The pulp is diluted with water and put into a masonary trough or vat. The lifting mould (a mesh on a wooden frame) is dipped into the trough, shaken evenly and lifted out with the pulp on it. The consistency of the pulp in the tank should be kept constant all the time.
Lifting Method: This method is used for all paper and especially for card paper. A fixed quantity of pulp is poured evenly onto a mould, which is then clamped between two wooden deckles (frames) and then dipped into a water tank. The mould in then lifted using a lever mechanism that allows the excess water to drain away.
Couching: Once the sheet is formed, the wet paper is transferred onto a cloth like muslin or felt sheet and a stack of interleaved sheets in made.
Pressing: A hydraulic press is used to remove the excess water from the sheets. Pressing reduces the thickness of the paper and the sheets become more compact. This process improves the physical properties of the paper and helps drying.
Drying: Even after the sheets have been pressed, they still contain about 50% to 65% of the moisture. The sheets are hung in the sunlight to dry. Solar dries can speed up the process and the space required for drying. Coloured papers are dried in the shade to prevent the sun from bleaching the colour.
Cleaning and Sizing: Small particles of dirt and other foreign matter are removed manually with a sharp instrument. The cleaned sheets are coated with a layer of starch to improve the quality of the paper and prevent feathering. This process is called sizing. This can be done manually using a brush or by dipping the sheet into a vat containing sizing chemicals.
Calendering: The sheets are then placed between metallic plates and passed through spring-loaded rollers in a calendaring machine. This makes the paper smooth and increases the gloss of the paper.
Cutting: The sheets are cut neatly according the required size using a cutting machine.
Manufacturing Details Of Hand Made Papers
Handmade Paper Stationery |
Nice post and good information on how to do handmade paper business, why to use handmade paper and manufacturing details. Thanks for sharing this informative blog and you can also check recycled paper products
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