Natural Lokta Printer Paper (Madder Root)

Lokta paper is a tradition spanning a thousand years in the Himalayas. Fiber strippings are collected from the Lokta bush which grow on the Southern slopes of the Himalayan mountains in Nepal.

After being cut, the bush regrows quickly, making Lokta paper a sustainable, tree-free paper.

The strips of the inner bark are cooked into a fibrous mash which is then spread by hand over boxed screens. Set to dry in the sun, the fibers join together forming the paper.

Because of this unique process, one side of the lokta paper is smoother than the other and has a very fine pattern to it due to facing the screen side while the paper formed.

The other side is the sun-kissed side which did not form against the screen and thus has much more texture and personality.

Vegetable-Dyed with Natural Madder Root

Madder root as a dye has been used for centuries to produce various reds from an earthen, brown red, to rich, dark reds. It comes from the Rubia Cordifolia plant (among other varieties).

The plant’s roots contain an organic compound called Alizarin, that gives its red colour to a textile dye known as Rose madder. (See Wikipedia to learn more).

Due to the manual and natural dyes, one side of the paper is often lighter than the other. This is because each large sheet is individually died and then placed on a flat backer to dry causing one side to naturally hold faster to the dye. Color can also vary from season to season due to the manual process of natural vegetable dyes.

Thank you for helping to preserve a 1,000 year old tradition in Nepali paper making and helping to support those affected by the earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015.