Hanji is Korean traditional handmade paper.
'Han' means Korea and 'Ji', paper.
This term was coined only after Yang(western)
Ji(paper) was introduced in Korea to distinguish traditional
handmade paper from machinemade western paper.
In many aspects, Hanji is different from western paper.
Hanji is beautiful to look at and touch, but its true value
lies in what is not readily recognizable on the surface.
Main material for Hanji is simple: paper mulberry, natural formation aid, and
clean water. There are no fillers or additives. Compared to fiber from pulp or
other plants, paper mulberry fiber is long, flexible and resilient. Hanji is
naturally PH neutral and has uncomparable longevity. This is why Hanji is an excellent
choice for projects requiring archival care in addition to surface beauty.
Korea's paper formation technique is distinct. Often referred to as
We Bal, this unique technique yields
Yin Yang Ji, which has
evenly distributed fibers with no dominant grain direction.
This means that Hanji is strong, dimensionally stable and does not tear
easily in either direction. It maintains even expansion/contraction rate in both directions and
does not change final dimensions, which could be particularly useful for paper conservation and
certain types of printmaking.
Even the lightest Hanji
is much stronger than other papers with same thickness.
FIDES International brings papers made from several regions in Korea,
which are known for producing finest Hanji.
All our Hanjis are made with 100% Korean
paper mulberry and are PH neutral. Please visit Making Hanji and History
of Hanji for more detailed information.
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