What is rough paper

Rough-edged paper is a type of traditional Chinese handmade paper. The following is an analysis of its definition from the perspectives of raw materials, history, characteristics and classification:

I. Definition and Historical Origin

• Basic Definition

Rough paper is a light yellow paper made from bamboo fiber as the main raw material. It has the characteristics of strong ink absorption and thin and soft texture. It is suitable for calligraphy, ancient book printing and other fields.

• origin of name

There are two main theories for its name:

• Mao Jin said: The Ming Dynasty book collector Mao Jin ordered bamboo paper and stamped it with the Chinese character "Mao", hence the name;
• Morphological theory: It is named because the edges of the paper remain in a natural, uncut rough state.

2. Raw materials and process classification

category	Raw materials and process	Features
Handmade rough paper	Pure bamboo fiber (mainly young bamboo), through soaking, pulping, papermaking and other processes bamboo pulp or mixed with other fibers, mechanized production	The fiber is delicate and simple, the touch on both sides is consistent, and the ink color is strong
Machine-made rough paper	Bamboo pulp or mixed with other fibers, mechanized production	One side is smooth, the other side is rough, low cost but weak toughness

3. Characteristics and Application

• Physical properties
• • Weak water resistance, uniform ink absorption, good ink holding effect;
  • The front side is smooth, which is convenient for writing, while the back side is slightly rough to increase the expressiveness of the lines.

• Applicable scenarios
  • Calligraphy practice (especially regular script and running script) and printing of ancient books;
  • Handmade paper is suitable for professional creation, while machine-made paper is mostly used for daily practice.

4. Key points for identification

• Material authenticity : high-quality rough paper should be made of pure bamboo fiber, while inferior products may contain impurities such as straw;
• Process distinction : handmade paper fibers stretch naturally, while machine-made paper has regular texture;
• Writing test : The ink on bamboo pulp paper is warm, while mixed fiber paper is prone to dry pens or ink bleeding.

With the improvement of technology, rough-edged paper has evolved into different thicknesses (such as thin translucent paper, thick creative paper) and functional types (such as antique dyed paper) to meet the diverse needs of calligraphy and painting.