How do MD Paper products come about?
The stationery world is buzzing over this revelation! MD PAPER, the iconic Japanese brand is celebrating its 15th Anniversary. It's a good reason for us to give you some background on its concept and try to answer the question why you can so easily get addicted to MD PAPER products, and its paper specifically!
First MD PAPER Notebook
MD PAPER products are manufactured in Japan by Midori, a company founded in 1950. Its iconic products have been marking their presence for more than 70 years! These include planners, journal, pads, writing utensils and other stationery accessories.
Midori's collections encourage to continue the tradition of handwriting, and their strongest asset (crème de la crème) is the excellent original MD paper, perfected by the company since the day of its foundation. Midori have decided to create a notebook that uncompromisingly puts the paper first. As a result, the first MD PAPER notebook was shown to the World in 2008.
How Is MD Paper Created?
According to the founders of Midori, MD PAPER products have a lot in common with tofu, one of the main ingredients of Japanese cuisine. Tofu is made from soybeans and water, and paper is made from pulp and water. They both consist of just two very simple materials yet require utmost craftsmanship in how they are made.
Different types of paper pulp, stored in sheets, are used to create the perfect paper. Midori paper is made of hardwood, which results in a softer texture of a finished product. First, pulp sheets are carefully broken down in purified water. Then, the colouring process comes in to make the MD paper receive its unique, light-beige colour.
Next, the magic happens! The pulp turns into paper – the processes of pressing, heating, drying, flattening, rolling, and cutting into sheets begin – all this completed with a variety of advanced machinery and under the vigilant (and loving <3) eyes of experienced craftsmen.
MD Paper – Why Is It Hard To Resist?
For the founders of Midori, writing is an everyday art, so the experience of using their notebooks is extremely important – the encounter between pen and paper should never block the flow of your thoughts, and the sounds of scraping pencil should encourage new ideas. It is all about the texture of MD paper – it must be perfectly balanced. Not too smooth and not too rough.
The finished paper specifications, such as thickness, weight, colour, and writing experience is then checked. This thorough test is carried out with a variety of writing instruments by the inspectors who check how well the ink is taken by the paper and whether it bleeds through. They also check the coarseness and how it affects the writing flow. It is only when the long list of checks is successfully completed that MD paper is turned into beautiful and simple products we truly appreciate!
MD PAPER Notebooks – Soothing Simplicity
The design of the MD PAPER notebook is outstandingly simple: a paper stock cover without any printing bound on the spine just with a cheesecloth. Absolutely neutral, it makes the notebook much stronger yet let it easily bend and open perfectly flat. This sleek design offers a lot of writing space and gives ultimate freedom when expressing yourself.
It would seem that the notebook’s simplicity makes it blend into the crowd. Nothing more misleading! This is the strength of the MD PAPER notebooks – expressed in pure, undisturbed functionality emphasised only with subtle embossing on the cover, the colour bookmark string, and the delicate fabric mesh on the spine. The whole is wrapped in rustling glassine paper included in the set. Such details will soothe your senses!
Glassine Paper Cover
The glassine paper cover is a beautiful and useful feature of the MD PAPER notebooks. Made of waxed paper, the cover is pleasant to the touch and perfectly complements your notebook. It helps keep the pages clean while allowing the notebook to open perfectly flat! Although the sleeve seems very simple item, its design requires a lot of effort and experience of many craftsmen.
Folding is done with a special roller and needs several attempts before its final form is achieved. Careful stitching of the edges and burning loose threads is also done by hand. Although the process takes a lot of time and effort, according to Midori founders, the final result is worth it because if the notebooks are made entirely of paper, what other material should be used for the cover?
15th Anniversary of MD PAPER Products
In 2023, the MD PAPER brand celebrated its fifteenth birthday. To mark the occasion, a collection of limited edition stationery and notepads was created with embossed illustrations by fifteen artists from around the world. Among the artists was also a Polish creator – Mateusz Urbanowicz, who currently lives in Japan and creates illustrations, animations and comics there. His notebook has become an absolute bestseller – not only in Poland!
Author: Lena Pilarczyk
Translation: Rafał Stachura
Images are from the Midori website
