A New Chapter for Cave Paper

This summer marks five years of Cave Paper in Tucson. I’m so grateful to everyone who has continued to support the paper studio — bookbinders, artists of all kinds, workshop participants, longtime partners, and new friends in the community.

While this new chapter has its inherent differences from the founding years in Minneapolis, there are a few unwavering things 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.

What has emerged for me through these years of papermaking in Tucson is a needed focus on sustainability. Whether considering water, fiber, time or energy, thinking about our resources and how to use them efficiently, creatively, and with purpose has become central to shaping the future of the studio.

With that in mind, I’m excited to share some big updates about what is on the horizon.

Web Shop Update + The Future of Retail

The web shop will reopen at 8 AM PST on Monday, September 1, with limited, ready-to-ship inventory!

This reopening marks the beginning of a planned shift in Cave Paper’s retail structure. By the end of the year, the web shop will be permanently closing, and our catalog of designs will be available exclusively through our longtime retail partners TALAS and Hiromi Paper.

Ultimately, I’m making this change because I am much better at making paper than I am at managing retail order fulfillment, and trying to do it all on my own has proven to be less than ideal for everyone involved. While it’s taken a great deal of consideration, what made this decision easy is that Cave has decades-long relationships with both TALAS and Hiromi Paper, and they truly are the best of the best when it comes to fine paper retailers.

I am thrilled that both shops will be expanding their Cave Paper offerings to include our regular and heavy weight sheets in both 17x21” and 21x27” dimensions.

With the catalog in the capable hands of our expert retail partners, I'm confident our customers will have a better experience, and I can dedicate my time and attention to growing the studio — streamlining production for efficient, high-volume order fulfilment, saying yes to more custom orders, opening the studio up for events with more frequency and predictability, and expanding production services (more on that soon).

Of course, the Cave Paper catalog designs will continue to be available at our studio showroom, and I look forward to attending CODEX as usual with a table full of papers for you.

Thank you for your patience with me over the past five years as I have muddled my way through managing the web shop — I think we will all benefit from this change!