UNIQUE + HANDCRAFTED
We specialize in creating particularly strong sheets of decorated paper prized for their strength, durability, and richly layered surfaces. They are ideal for book binding, embossing, collage, and design.
Each sheet of paper is formed and colored by hand. Natural dyes such as Black Walnut, Indigo, Persimmon, and Pomegranate Rind are applied individually and in combination to the surface of loft-dried Flax papers to create Cave Paper's distinctive designs.
Every sheet is unique, balancing a high standard of quality with an appreciation for the organic nature of the craft.
Our Process
The majority of Cave Paper is made from Belgian Flax fiber, with a smaller selection of Abaca papers. The fiber is rinsed and beaten in our antique 25-lb Valley Beater, and each sheet of paper is formed by hand using traditional European style moulds and deckles. Papers are then pressed and loft-dried in spurs, creating strong and textured sheets.
Photos by Anna Zajac
Photo by Anna Zajac
These base sheets are then treated with dyes including Indigo, Black Walnut, Persimmon, and Pomegranate Rind, applied individually or in layered combinations. Anywhere from two to eight layers of dye may be applied to a single sheet of paper, depending on the design. Some sheets feature pigmented pulp, inclusions, or mica for additional texture and visual interest.
Finally, the papers are gelatin-sized, cured, and flattened to create durable, long-lasting paper. The process from fiber to finished sheet can take up to a month.
Our Paper
THE CATALOG
Our collection of signature papers, some in production now for 30 years. Available in two dimensions and weights, these papers are an ideal choice for book covers, whether you are making a unique artist book or a fine edition. Well-suited for letterpress print, embossing, foil stamp, paper-cut, sewing, and any dry media application.
CUSTOM HANDMADE PAPER
From distinctive book covers to specialty art papers, we apply our expertise to creating the handmade paper best suited to your needs. This process is made up of two phases: design and consultation, followed by production. Whether you’re starting with an image, a poem, a or feeling you’d like to evoke, we work with you to produce exceptional handmade papers for your project, from 25 sheets to 1000+.
RAG·TAG PAPER
We partner with designers, manufacturers, print shops, and businesses to transform natural fiber textile and paper waste into high-quality handmade paper. Specializing in custom hang tags, business cards, mailers, and more made from your own recycled material.
RAG·TAG PAPER began from a desire to apply our expertise in hand papermaking to our love for sustainable design. As a production-scale studio, we are equipped to pulp and sheetform high-volume projects efficiently while maintaining an exceptional standard of craftsmanship.
Our Commitment to Sustainable Practices
Whether considering water, fiber, time or energy, thinking about our resources and how to use them efficiently, creatively, and with purpose is at the heart of everything we do at Cave Paper.
ALTERNATIVE WATER SYSTEMS
In 2022, Cave Paper received a Sustainable Earth Small Business Award, recognizing ongoing efforts to integrate alternative water systems into studio operations.
Greywater is captured and reused from sheet forming, cleanup, and beater rinse cycles, diverting it into a cistern to nourish the garden. There are no additives, just naturally processed flax and water, making this water perfectly suited for landscaping while keeping it in use instead of down the drain.
Future rainwater harvesting systems will supplement water used in every step of production, allowing water to keep circulating through the studio as much as possible before it leaves the system.
RAG·TAG PAPER: RECYCLING SERVICES
Our commitment to sustainability extends beyond water. We partner with businesses of all kinds to transform fabric and paper off-cuts into new handmade sheets. This process keeps materials out of the landfill and gives them a second life as beautiful high-quality paper perfect for marketing, packaging, or creative use.
Founded in Minneapolis in 1994, Amanda Degener and Bridget O’Malley began production in a historic warehouse basement nicknamed “The Cave” due to its rough-hewn stone walls, lack of windows, and chilly temperatures. The Cave Paper catalog was developed as traditional European “case papers” in a range of eclectic surface designs.
Based in Tucson since July 2020, Cave Paper is owned and operated by Zoë Goehring. Cave Paper has continued producing the original catalog of designs while adding a few new desert-inspired papers and expanding production services.
Over the years, a few things have remained constant at the heart of Cave Paper: dedication to producing high-quality handmade paper, commitment to sharing the tradition of hand papermaking with others, and joy in carrying this craft forward.
With gratitude to all who have been part of Cave Paper’s thirty years of hand papermaking.