Tools: Scrap paper (newspaper, printer paper, cardboard), water, blender, mould and deckle, tub or basin, sponge, cotton or felt sheets (for couching), towels. Optional: iron. Optional additions like flower petals, dried herbs, or food colouring.

Make pulp

Use the jug to get water from the bathroom or water fountain, and pour it into one of the tubs (about a third or half).
Tear your scrap paper into small pieces roughly 2–3cm square (smaller pieces blend more easily). Remove any staples, tape, or plastic.
Optional: Soak the torn paper in warm water for about 30 minutes (ideally a few hours or overnight). The longer it soaks, the easier it blends.
To blend the pulp: add a small handful of paper to a blender with water from the tub (about half water and half paper). Blend for 20–30 seconds until smooth with no visible chunks. It should look like oatmeal.
Pour your blended paper into your tub of water. Keep going for several blender loads of pulp. Stir well to distribute evenly. The more pulp you add the thicker your paper will be.
Optional: Stir in flower petals, leaves, threads, or food colouring at this stage if you want decorative or coloured paper. Keep additions small so they don't weaken the sheet. You can also manually add them to your paper afterwards (make sure they are wet).

Pull a sheet

Grad the mould and deckle (open frame on top and mesh frame on bottom)
Stir the pulp in the tub to evenly distribute the fibres before each pull
Submerge the mould and deckle into the tub at an angle, then level it out underneath the water and lift straight up.
Hold and make sure the mould stays flat and levelled. Let the water drain through the mesh for 30–60 seconds.
Check the sheet by holding the mould up to the light. If it looks very uneven or has holes, slide it back into the tub and try again. You want to see an even layer of pulp.

Couching the sheet

Place a folded towel and then the cotton fabric sheet on a flat surface. This is the couching surface.
Open the open frame part of the mould and flip the mould face-down onto the cotton sheet in one smooth motion.
Press the mesh gently but firmly against the fabric with a sponge on the back of the mesh to draw out excess water. Wring the sponge out repeatedly into the tub, and keep pressing until you've removed as much water as possible.
Very carefully lift the mould; the paper sheet should release from the mould and stay on the cotton sheet. If it sticks, press the sponge a little more before trying again.

Press and dry

Place your paper sheets on the cotton or felt, one next to the other or in between layers of cotton/felt sheets.
Optional: place a board on top of the stack and press down firmly, or roll over it with a rolling pin. The more water you remove now the faster it dries.
To dry, you can either:
- Separate the sheets and lay them on a flat, dry surface or hang them on a line to dry. Keep them on the felt while drying to prevent curling.
- Use the iron. Make sure there are MANY layers of towels underneath the cotton/felt and paper. Put a layer of cotton on top of your paper. The paper will become lighter quickly.
Peel the dried sheet gently from the cotton/felt once dry.
Then leave to dry for up to a full day, depending on thickness and humidity.
Flatten the paper under heavy books or in the book press.
Optional: if you want straight edges, trim the edges with an x-acto knife and ruler (or leave the deckle edge as a decorative feature).

Cleaning

Since there is no water in the PubLab: please use the bathroom at the end of the hallway (left when exiting the lab).

Using the clear tub(s), bring the pulp and all the materials that had pulp (moulds, sponges, blenders, cups/water jug), the strainer and dish soap (from the "cleaning" cupboard) to the bathroom.

Pulp

Don't pour pulp down the drain! It clogs pipes very, very badly.
Let leftover pulp settle in the tub, use the strainer to remove all the pulp from the water.
The pulp can be squeezed above the strainer, then put into the bin or compost, or kept in the fridge or freezer for a future project.
Pour off the water separately.

Blender

Do not submerge in water!
Remove any paper from the blender
Use water and a tiny amount of dish soap (from the cleaning cupboard by the door); then run the blender for a few seconds.
Dry with towel (and keep top off) or let air dry on top of paper towel on the green shelves on wheel

Towels, cotton sheets, tubs and moulds

Let everything air dry.
Place moulds and sponges on the drying rack.
If the cotton sheets or towel need to be cleaned, please email the PubLab director (mpgae@sfu.ca)

Tips:

Printer paper makes smooth, fine sheets, while newsprint makes rougher, greyer paper. Mixing different paper types can create interesting textures.
Don't pour pulp down the drain — it clogs pipes. Let leftover pulp settle, scoop it out into the bin or compost, and pour off the water separately.
A old picture frame with window screen stapled across it makes a perfectly good mould and deckle for free.
The thinner the pulp layer the more translucent and delicate your paper (great for decorative use but tears more easily).
Sizing (adding a small amount of liquid starch or gelatin to the pulp) makes the paper less absorbent and better for writing or printing on.
Dried paper sheets can be torn, folded, and cut just like regular paper and work well for zine covers, cards, and bookbinding projects.