Ironically, the Lime Green Flax and Persimmon-Dyed Flax demonstrate that "what's new" is not new at all. We used pigments and dyes, familiar items in any paper studio, to color the natural flax sheets. The use of pigments and dyes is much older than paper itself. The earliest pigments were dug from the earth in the form of ochres and iron oxides. The oldest dyes, still in common use today, were extracted from indigo, cochineal, and black walnut hulls, to name a few. Pigments change the color of paper by depositing a physical layer of color onto the fiber itself while dyes produce a chemical change within the cell wall of the fiber. Each approach has its own characteristic look: pigments are more opaque while dyes tend to be transparent. The choices we have made in the design of both the persimmon and the lime colored papers reflect these differences. The persimmon dye (kakishibu in Japanese) is made from the juice of the unripe persimmon fruit. It is fermented and aged for two to four years before it is freeze dried and ground into a powder. In Japan, it has many uses such as fabric dye, insect repellent, wood stain, and waterproof coating on stencil papers, raincoats, and umbrellas. Persimmon dye is unusual because it continues to deepen in color and tone over time. Many dyes fade as they age; persimmon does the opposite. We are intrigued by the continued evolution of tone from a soft peach color to an almost russet orange brown. However, it presents a challenge when discussing papers with clients who are drawn to the color of an older sample, and do not realize a fresh batch may take a year or two before it ages into the color they fell in love with. The lime green pigment represents a departure from the expected use of materials. Generally we add pigments to the wet pulp before we make the paper. With this method, it can be difficult to achieve saturated colors in the finished sheets. Too often, adding more pigment to the vat results in paper that looks and feels chalky. How to achieve a deep and juicy color eluded us for many years. One day, a client needed a rich color to match a printing ink, and the challenge was on. She had been unable to find suitable shades in leather or book cloth, so she turned to us for a custom color. Instead of adding pigment to the pulp, we applied the pigment directly to the surface of the finished paper. It took a bit of experimentation, but the results were intriguing. Suddenly, any color and density of tone became possible. Since then we have used this technique on a family of vivid colors: teal, tangerine, terra cotta, and lime green. Flax is the fiber of choice for bookmaking because of its flexibility, durability, and strength. These properties ensure a product that will last into the future. Old Materials, New Twists bridget o'malley Sue Higgins Leopard, Buzz Word (Green), 2007, 12 x 8 x 2 ― inches, accordion-fold artist book, opens to 70 inches, collaged etchings, gouache, letterpress, and various handmade papers including Cave Persimmon-Dyed Flax, piano hinge binding, housed in a clamshell box made with Cave Lime Green Flax, published by Leopard Studio Editions in an edition of 3. Courtesy of the publisher. Two Bookbinding Paper Samples by Cave Paper Inc. Technical Information the paper: For each of the samples, we started with the same natural flax base sheet. The fiber is Belgian flax cut to ž-inch lengths. We beat and rinsed the fiber for four hours in a 25-pound Valley beater. Using an 18 x 24 inch laid mould and deckle, we formed the sheets Westernstyle, pressed the sheets to 5000 psi, then restacked the sheets in groups of four, and pressed them again to 500 psi. We hung the sheets to air dry in spurs of four, then separated and colored them. After coloring, we spritzed the sheets with water and put them under restraint to dry flat. Samples were made with the assistance of Morgan Hiscocks, Natalie Mazarol, Emily Hoisington, and Thorson Kahn. persimmon: We purchased freeze-dried persimmon juice powder from Japan. After mixing it with water and letting it stand overnight, we gently heated the solution to dissolve any remaining powder. We brushed several coats of the dye onto the paper. Light or dark colors are possible depending on the ratio of water to dye. The dye is quite sticky to the touch. Persimmon dye has a unique smell. While not wholly unpleasant, it definitely fills the room with the scent of rotten fruit. The first layer is the easiest to apply. Successive layers build up slowly because the natural water resistance of the persimmon dye prevents the color from penetrating into the sheet. The sample here has two layers of dye at a 25% solution of powder to water (25 g powder to 100 ml water). lime green: We mixed pigments, in this case acrylic paint (Pthalo Blue, Lemon Yellow, and a dab of Fire Red), and water to the consistency of heavy cream and brushed or rolled the color onto the paper with a paint roller. The ratio of color to water is about 400 ml acrylic color to 1400 ml water. This sample was coated with two layers of color. The two colors are slightly different shades of the same color. This allows for a subtle tonal shift throughout the sheet. We applied a layer of heated gelatin sizing (2.5 g gelatin to 100 ml water) as a finishing coat. This protects the color layer and toughens the surface of the paper.