Making Paper at Home - Part 2
this frame and forms a raised area above the screen surface. This configuration is similar to the sugeta of Japanese papermaking, although the way the sheet is formed varies considerably. Whereas in Japanese papermaking the fibers are aligned through continuous motion and are often built up with multiple dips into the vat per sheet, Western sheet-forming involves only a single dip into the vat and a shake which more randomly aligns the fibers. Sheet-forming is much quicker in Western papermaking, too, because there are no additives to the pulp to slow the drainage of the water through the screen. Also, the traditional fibers used in Western papermaking (like cotton, hemp, and flax) are more suited to this style of sheet formation. The papermaker transfers the paper fibers to a felt by removing the deckle, laying the mold upside down on the felt, and applying pressure to the back of the mold. Although there have been several adaptations to these three types of molds, all the molds are used to provide a template to contain and define the paper which is formed on them.
Drying Handmade Paper
Although it's more fun to focus on the preparation of materials and forming the paper, removing the water from and drying the sheets properly are just as important. Handmade paper can be dried in a variety of ways. In many papermaking traditions, although not all, the papermaker places a stack or "post" of newly-formed sheets under pressure, which strengthens the paper by increasing fiber bonding and also accelerates the drying process by squeezing out large amounts of water. Presses range from boards with heavy weights to elaborate, large screw presses, to modern hydraulic presses. Most papermakers don't fully dry sheets of paper in a press, though, because air circulation makes alternative methods more practical.
Sheets of paper formed Nepalese-style, in which sheets are formed in a floating, cloth-covered mold, are dried in that same mold (and not pressed at all). To use this method, the papermaker needs a lot of molds because each mold is in use as long as a piece of paper is drying on it. Usually sunlight and air alone dry this type of paper. Asian papermakers sometimes dry their sheets by simply laying them on the ground. They use this method for papers which will become for wrapping, stuffing, floor coverings, or other utilitarian products which do not require a smooth, even
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