Wenzhou Paper for Chinese Calligraphy & Painting

The media could not be loaded.

Handcrafted Xuan rice paper is known for its ability to last for ages. This paper is sturdy with a medium weight that is highly absorbent and drys fairly quickly. With a wet paint brush it is effortless to “wet cut” the paper to a desired size and get a long fibrous edge that fans out nicely. A straight edge cut will yield a tad more uniformity with a soft frayed edge, although if not super careful it could unintentionally tear.The roll of raw Xuan paper has a clean trimmed edge, the chain lines are consistent and it is homogeneous throughout. It has the traditional feel of homemade paper except it is super soft and very malleable. If the paper were to be crumpled, creased or curled it can be lightly sprayed with water and be allowed to air-dry flat. Doing so will rejuvenate the paper back to its original state. The moisture proof bag and sturdy embellished tube is an ideal way to maintain the integrity of the paper between uses. It is important to know that exposure to sunlight will alter the color and degrade the strength of the fibers over time.I measured out a 8 1/2 “ x 11” piece of paper in order to transfer an image using an inkjet printer. The paper absorbs the ink flawlessly and can be handled immediate. It opens a whole new world for creating custom designed images that can be decoupaged at a moment’s notice. In addition to calligraphy and sumi-e, a search for ideas on how this paper can be utilized yields an array of possibilites for example: textured rice paper crafts, sun prints with turmeric, gel prints, flower pressing, etc. I have gained much adoration for Xuan paper and look forward to the creative posibilities that will ensue. A Foundational tool and versatile staple that enables artists to achieve their aesthetic visions.

I do relief prints with linoleum. Due to space concerns, I often hand burnish prints, especially when I’m testing out a new block. Because of this, I like using thinner paper for block prints: I can see exactly where the ink has transferred, where the block is relative to the paper edges, and thinner paper tends to stay put on the block without slipping while I burnish. With all of that in mind, I was eager to try this rice paper. I have to say, I am impressed with both the product I received and its packaging/presentation.First, opening the package, I could immediately see that the paper came in a heavy-duty decorative tube. This tube has two plastic end caps that people may find difficult to get loose, but I used a thin putty knife to get an end cap loose enough to pry off. The roll of rice paper is also wrapped in a plastic sleeve within the tube — you will want to keep that sleeve because getting that roll back in the tube without it will definitely mess up your unused paper. I’m currently using the tube to store the paper roll, because space in my little studio is at a premium.The paper itself is a fairly bright white, with some transparency. I fully expected the transparency: it’s rice paper and it’s intended for calligraphic use. It does have faint lines where the paper is more opaque, again because it’s intended to be written on. These lines are really only noticeable when I hold the paper in front of a light source or set it on my black worktable.The paper has a smoother finished side — this is the “right side” of the paper and this is the side I put face-down on my block. The “right side” is pretty easy to detect — it’s ever so slightly shinier than the back of the paper. I didn’t test the paper to see if it was truly acid free, but I’m not exactly using this for finished pieces so it wasn’t a huge priority for me.Using the paper was a breeze. It tears down well when using a tear bar or a long metal ruler. When I was burnishing prints, I found that the paper was deceptively strong: I usually put a piece of wax paper on top of my print to protect the paper from my baren or hand press, but I tested without this barrier to see how the paper would fare with the repeated friction. Out of the ten prints I did, only one tore (and that was because I got careless and forgot which way I needed to push my little hand press)! It held up well to the oil-based ink (Speedball Professional Relief Ink), and it stood up to using a wooden spoon, a hand press, and a glass baren. It took the ink really well, with no oil-bleed and the ink laid evenly on the paper.This paper would also be excellent for drawing or crafts. I have a privacy screen that has seen some damage over the years that I would like to repair, and I may just try to repair the panel with pieces of this paper cut to size.For the price, I’d say this is a fairly good purchase. You get quite a bit of paper for $35.99: if you’ve ever bought fancy printmaking paper or even calligraphy paper, you know that it ain’t cheap. Given the volume of paper, the accompanying storage, and the quality of the paper, I’d definitely recommend giving this a try.

I bought this Chinese rice paper as a gift for my daughter, who is studying calligraphy, and it turned out to be a wonderful choice. The paper looks excellent and feels very delicate and high quality. It came beautifully packaged, which made it perfect for gifting.My daughter was very happy to receive it, and we are both pleased with the quality.

This is wonderful paper. It is thick and bigger than expected and doesn't easily tear. I love the storage tube it comes in which provides a luxury touch. I have used it for Asian inspired art with inked mountains and bamboo forests and I'm going to try watercolor on it next.

love this product

I used for fish printing. Was strong enough to rub onto inked fish without tearing.

Seems to work great. I gave it to a friend who operates a seafood restaurant so he can do "fish pressings". They've been coming out well. As he perfects his technique, he's getting better results. I'm an artist and framer myself.

This rice paper is very thin and has a delicate feel, which is typical for this type of material. Because of that, it doesn’t handle a lot of moisture, so it’s best to use a light hand when working with glue or paint.I think it would work especially well for decoupage or other light craft projects where you don’t need a heavy paper. The roll size also gives you plenty to work with for multiple projects. Overall, this is a nice option for artists or crafters who are familiar with working with thinner papers.