Once pulp is prepared, forming it into flat sheets requires a mould, a deckle, a vat of water, and a set of felts or cloths for couching. The sequence is consistent across historical and contemporary hand papermaking: dilute pulp in a vat, pull a sheet on the mould, transfer it to a felt, build a post of alternating sheets and felts, and press out water before drying.

Interior of a traditional paper mill showing workers collecting dry sheets from a drying loft

Interior of a hand papermaking workshop in the Pescia valley, Tuscany, 1964. Workers are collecting dry sheets from a traditional drying loft. Source: Wikimedia Commons / Touring Club Italiano.

The Mould and Deckle

The mould is a rigid frame with a woven screen surface. Historically, European moulds used a grid of laid wires and chain lines, leaving a characteristic texture visible when sheets are held to light — the watermark effect that identifies the maker. Modern home-built moulds more often use window screen mesh (fiberglass or aluminium, available at Polish hardware retailers such as Castorama or OBI) stretched over a frame made from timber dowels or thin planed boards.

The deckle is a second frame of identical outer dimensions, with no screen, placed on top of the mould during sheet formation. It defines the sheet edges and prevents pulp from flowing off the sides of the mould during the pull. A close fit between mould and deckle is important — gaps allow fiber to escape and produce ragged edges thicker than the main sheet body.

Building a Mould at Home

A functional mould for A5-sized sheets can be built from:

  • Four pieces of 20×20 mm timber, jointed at the corners with simple lap joints or staple-and-glue construction
  • Window screen mesh, cut slightly oversized and stapled to the underside, then sealed at the edges with waterproof tape or silicone sealant
  • A matching deckle frame built to the same outer dimensions

Waterproofing the timber is advisable — repeated soaking causes untreated wood to warp quickly. Boiled linseed oil, available at Polish paint suppliers, provides basic protection applied before final assembly.

Preparing the Vat

The vat needs to be larger than the mould — a standard plastic storage bin (in Poland commonly sold in the 30–50 litre range at stores such as Leroy Merlin) works well for A5 or A4 formats. Fill it with enough water to allow the mould to be dipped and moved horizontally beneath the surface.

Add beaten pulp to the vat and stir. The dilution ratio affects sheet thickness: thinner slurry produces lighter sheets; denser slurry produces heavier sheets. A common starting point for practice is approximately 2–3 handfuls of wet beaten pulp dispersed in a 30-litre vat. Stir the vat before each pull to redistribute settled fiber.

Pulling a Sheet

Hold the mould with the screen facing up and place the deckle on top. Grip both frames together, tilt them at roughly 45 degrees, and slide them into the vat near the far edge. Level the frames underwater, then lift them smoothly and evenly toward you and up out of the surface.

As the mould clears the water, the fiber begins settling onto the screen. Shake the mould gently in a small figure-eight pattern — a motion called the vatman's shake — to interlace the fibers and close the grain. The sheet forms within seconds of clearing the water; from that point, avoid tilting the mould until most of the free water has drained through the screen.

A consistent pull angle and speed are the main variables a beginner controls. Pulling too quickly tends to deposit fiber unevenly. Pulling too slowly can cause fiber to settle before the sheet is fully clear of the vat surface. Most papermakers find a consistent rhythm after 10–15 practice pulls.

Couching

Couching (pronounced "kooching") is the transfer of the wet sheet from the mould screen to a dampened felt or couch cloth. The mould is turned over in a smooth rolling motion onto the couch — pressing the screen side down onto the felt and rolling forward to contact the full sheet area, then lifted cleanly away.

Couch cloths for home use can be cut from blanket fabric, wool felt, or a thin synthetic non-woven cloth. They should be pre-dampened before use. Each new sheet is couched onto the previous felt, building a stack called a post — alternating wet paper and felt layers.

Pressing

Pressing removes water mechanically, which speeds drying and improves sheet density. The simplest home press is a board weighted with heavy books or stacked bricks placed on top of the post. A screw press, which can be built from timber and hardware-store threaded rod, applies more even pressure.

Press the post for 10–20 minutes. The water expelled should be drained away. After pressing, peel each sheet carefully from its felt — starting at one corner and working slowly to avoid tearing the still-fragile wet sheet.

Drying

Pressed sheets can be:

  • Hung on a line — pegged at two corners; fast in warm weather, but sheets may cockle (wave) significantly as they dry unevenly.
  • Dried flat on boards — brushed onto a smooth wooden board and allowed to dry against it; produces flat sheets with minimal cockling, similar to traditional loft drying methods.
  • Restrained drying — sheets dried under light weight between dry felts produce the flattest results but require the longest time.

In Polish indoor conditions, where winter heating creates dry air, sheets dried hanging can be ready within a few hours. In summer humidity they may take overnight or longer. Faster drying tends to increase cockling; slower drying under restraint produces flatter, smoother sheets.

External References