Meirat paper

How Meirat paper is made?

Vídeo from Telemadrid, “Mundo Madrid” aired on May 25th, 2018.

Meirat paper is entirely handcrafted in our workshop situated in the Lozoya river valley, in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park found in Central Spain, some 1200 metres above sea level.

Since 1974, we have been combining the traditional linen-based European method with the ancient craft used in some Asian countries to produce a type of paper that is unique in the world, both for its beauty and its exceptional technical characteristics.

A painstaking process of preparation of the linen using Ozone (ISO regulation 14001:2004) and synthetic paste will ensure the “indefinite preservation” of its exceptional characteristics for centuries to come.

Available in various sizes and thicknesses, Meirat paper is remarkably strong due to its high alpha cellulose content and the physical properties of its long and intricate fibres. It allows a subtle registration when using any printing technique, as well as a superb reflection of the light and fixation of pigments.

Outstanding results are achieved when using either watercolours, acrylic paints, gouache or wax crayons, as well as in serigraphy, printing, embossing and typography.

The linen plant used in the manufacture of the paper is a herbaceous annual, with a height of up 80 cm, and native to Egypt and Mesopotamia, from where it spread to Asia, Europe and America. The process of cultivation and preparation of this renewable raw material contributes to the preservation of jobs in our society by modernising ancient traditions and crafts.

At the same time we incorporate technology in such a way that it allows the sustainable conservation of the life cycle, thus resulting in items of daily use whilst respecting the diversity of peoples around the world and keeping alive the memory of different cultures and traditions.

The term “Meirat” derives from the first name given to the city of Madrid when it was merely a defensive Arab fortification before 1000 AD.

The bull displayed in our logo was the symbol of the guild of paper craftsmen during the European Middle Ages, and it represents the strength and tenacity required for the manufacture of paper.

Lozoya’s Valley (Madrid). SPAIN.

Sierra de Guadarrama’s National Park