Tradition of making a paper in Macedonia begins from second half of 16 century in monastery of "St. Naum".

 

Paper was made for internal needs in limited quantity.

 

National workshop for handmade paper "St. Kliment Ohridski" this tradition continues.

 

 Present relation of tradition and experience of two old traditions and schools: Macedonian and Slovenic.

 

Workshop begins with work from 23.10 2002. It's placed in magnificent part of old city heart by Museum - House of Robevci.

 

Presents great honor that workshop was opened by late President of Republic of Macedonia Mister Boris Trajkovski - himself, we gave him first produced and printed sheet of paper with Portrait of Aleksandar The Great.

 

  Primary activity of Workshop is handmade paper and products of the same. Has touristy character, to visitors we present procedure of making paper, with knowledge of history of

the paper and method of first printing on Gutenberg press.

 

 

 

 Method of printing is identical as first copy of the Bible from 15 century. This press is rare and authentic copy of the original that is in the museum in Mainz - Germany. Works in same way.  

  Press is build in 1937 in Austria, it is one of two in Europe together with one in Bled - Slovenia. Method of printing is identical as first copy of the Bible from 15 century.

  We have original set of over 30.000 steel letters with different fonts but for our visitors leather we use cliché with our motives (Ohrid, Macedonia and our history). Cliché is made from zink, brass or polymer.

  The paper is made by method that dates from 2 century B.C. in China, so cald method of nest of a bee. Originality of this method to paper gives special uniqueness and value. Has vertical chopping of heart of the wood to small hair – strings ( 60-80 microns) to specific angle. The angle of chopping individually is marked and it’s different at any tree, is specified by natural lines of  the age of a tree.

We use different kinds of trees, but most quality paper is from tree of cherry. These hair- laces are died in water after some period of time depends kind of a tree and firm less, usually 23-31 day, with stirring  they are naturally combined, identically as bee knits hair- laces in the nest.

  Some say the sting of a bee is with the most perfect natural structure. Knitting is natural without using any chemicals, glues, resin or other substances. Prepared substance in special wooden trough, with special sieve (wooden with metal net) holds this substance and after drain off the water, sets on the surface. With pressure this Lear on the sieve equally brings enough on the filc.  Sheet is formed (depends of shape of the sieve, we have 4 formats of sieves). We use different kind of filc : cotton, hemp, bamboo reed etc. Sheet has to be draw out to take out extra of water.

 Drawing out is in special press between two wooden plates. Than sheet is taken to drying after half an hour. Drying is natural (with hanging) long minimum two days (depends of weather conditions). Drying  sheet  is a part from filc and goes in to the same press to be equalized because during drying method sheet gets wrinkled. To be equalized takes 12-15 hours. Sheet to be equal has to be in same press  (where draw out) into pressure between two wooden plates. After all we have prepared sheet of paper where we can draw, write, print etc.

  For decoration of the paper in trough with substance we use natural additives: dry flowers, dry lives, silk of corn, straws of wheat, pieces of wood, pieces of reed from the lake, gingko, parsley, etc.

For coloring the paper we use natural colors from extracting flowers and leaves. There are 4 primary colors with mixture we get about 16 shades.