letterpress with purpose

trees are important to me.

what exactly is ‘tree-free’ paper?

Tree-free paper comes in a variety of alternative fibers including hemp, cork, bamboo, cotton, linen, abaca, kozo, and more.

What type of tree-free paper does lovelybones paperie use?

Lovelybones Paperie stocks 100% cotton paper in-house. Cotton paper is bright and crisp in color, durable and ridiculously soft, making it the perfect choice for luxury stationery and those deep, pillowy impressions we all love so much!

Where does the cotton come from?

The fibers used for cotton paper typically come from the textile industry. In-between the field and that shirt you’re wearing, cotton goes through a process called ‘ginning’ where seeds, lint, and other fibers are separated. On each cotton seed there are teeny, tiny fibers called ‘linters’ and THESE are the fibers that make up your gorgeous cotton paper! Pretty cool, huh?

does paper production impact the environment?

It takes energy and water to make paper. The good news is that paper manufacturers acknowledge this and many of them feel strongly about reducing their impact on the environment. How do they do it? They implement eco-friendly strategies that focus on the big picture. Examples of these strategies include, but are not limited to: conservation through renewable energy, eco-friendly technologies that reduce pollution, air emissions, water-use and more, and responsible forestry practices.

do you ever use paper that isn’t cotton?

The short answer is YES! I work with a variety of paper makers who have proved themselves environmentally-responsible. All of these vendors have paper products that meet the following requirements: Minimum 30% PCW, FSC/ISO/SFI certified, Green Seal certified, elemental chlorine-free, acid-free, wind-powered, and/or handmade. I require any tree-paper that passes through my studio be sourced from sustainable forests, meeting SFI guidelines.

green is a lovely color.

responsible printing Practices

• All of my shop machinery is hand-powered. This includes my Chandler & Price Platen Press, Chandler & Price guillotine paper cutter and my hot foil press.

• All inks are all measured and mixed by hand.

• Misprints and test prints are saved so that they can be re-used several times before recycling. Examples of re-using them include color checks, impression depth, alignment, and more.

• Lovelybones Paperie is proud to be powered by ISO certified solar panels.

• Shipping boxes and mailers are reused whenever possible.

• Electronic documents are used every step of the way and packing slips are not included unless requested.

• PCW printer paper is always used in the office inkjet printer.

• Studio inks and press washes are low VOC.

• Paper trimmings and scraps are donated to local organizations that can put them to good use.

• Paper and packaging that cannot be reused is recycled.

• All paper is tree-free or sourced from a sustainable forest.

• Electronics and lights are always powered down or turned off to conserve energy when not in use.