Cylinder mould manufacturing is the best process to make paper that is stable (not liable to be deformed when wet), watermarked, with a natural grain and deckle edges. Today ARCHES® is the only French paper mill still producing fine art and printing papers on a cylinder mould. Making paper using a cylinder mould produces very high quality papers similar to handmade paper.

Operating principle: a large cylinder – the mould – is covered by a wire, a sort of mesh screen which may have areas of relief that will produce a watermark. The cylinder is dipped into the vat containing the paper stock (mixture of water and fibres).

The cylinder turns slowly in the vat and the water in the stock penetrates inside the cylinder and the fibres that remain on the surface, on the wire, will be distributed evenly and regularly. The sheet that is formed is transported on a wool felt that subtly marks the surface with the grain.