General Information
As mentioned in December's video update, we'll be using a premium wood-free paper for the books. Salzer Paper is the leading European producer of wood-free bulky papers, with a long legacy of papermaking. The mill, founded in 1578 in St. Pölten, Lower Austria, was acquired by the Salzer family in 1798 and is still an independent, family-owned company.
We’ve been impressed with Salzer’s high environmental and ethical standards, and their transparency regarding their raw materials and suppliers. They are a responsible company with a commitment to sustainability. We are proud to participate in this well-respected tradition of papermaking.
Book Paper
We have chosen to use EOS Titan wood-free paper, which Salzer considers its finest product. In the December video update I mentioned that it was made of mineral components—it’s literally made of stone (not unlike a certain pair of tablets). The primary filler is calcium carbonate, known on the street as “chalk,” which Salzer gets from a nearby quarry. The secondary filler is titanium dioxide, commonly used as white pigment in paints and dyes. In our case its main function is to reflect light, resulting in the high opacity (low transparency) of this paper.
For its thickness and opacity, this paper is exceptionally tactile, soft to the touch, matte to the eye, and pliable—unlike anything I’ve seen in a wood-containing paper. (It’s usually a trade-off: Soft, tactile paper at this thickness is typically much more transparent, and opaque paper of this thickness is often stiff and dense, lacking texture.) It is also age-proof and will not yellow or become brittle over time, even when exposed to sunlight.
We’ve been impressed with Salzer’s high environmental and ethical standards, and their transparency regarding their raw materials and suppliers. They are a responsible company with a commitment to sustainability. We are proud to participate in this well-respected tradition of papermaking.
End Paper
The end paper is typically a bland or decorative leaf of paper at the beginning and/or end of a book, usually fixed to the inside of the cover.
For Bibliotheca we have decided to use a similar paper as the premium paper for the typical book pages. The paper we selected is also from the Salzer wood-free line, but is heavier - 120 g/m2 vs. 70 g/m2 used for the book's pages.
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