While paper made from 100% cotton is generally considered to be the finest, there are many high quality papers produced from 100% wood fiber or mixtures of wood fiber and cotton. Cotton paper tends to produce crisper images when used for engraving or letterpress; however, it may not be the best choice for business stationery. With so many excellent production processes available, it is sometimes difficult for even the most experienced stationer to tell the difference.
We often receive requests for stationery made on recycled paper. While the paper industry certainly faces ecological challenges, most quality manufacturers make every effort to reduce their carbon-footprint. High quality wood fiber paper produced by respectable manufacturers is generally produced from renewable forest projects. Cotton paper is probably one of the earliest forms of recycling: Cotton fabric scraps from textile mills, raw cotton (a renewable crop) and residual paper cuttings are combined to make paper.
If you are looking for highly-textured and soft paper or archival paper, then we strongly recommend 100% cotton or “rag” paper. If this is not a necessity, then you should consider many of the elegant and well-made papers produced from wood fiber. Unless you have a strong bias, we suggest you feel the paper and make up your own mind as to its relative quality.