In order to use the Paper Studio, students must be currently enrolled in an MCAD Papermaking class, or have submitted a Papermaking Personal Proposal and a signed copy of the Rules & Regulations, to the Director of the Printshop and Paper Studio. Any student who wants to use the Paper Studio must have completed one Papermaking class at MCAD (Papermaking or Dimensional Paper) or have previous experience with papermaking at another institution.
Students are not able to be tutored through the papermaking process by other students due to health and safety issues. The equipment in the Paper Studio is both fragile and expensive and can be easily broken by people who do not know how to use it, thus putting it out of commission for others who are enrolled in classes.
The Paper Studio Proposal, Forms, Safety Video, etc. are found below. MCAD students, faculty and staff using the Paper Studio need to fill out a Personal Proposal and the Paper Studio Rules each semester. The Paper Studio is closed over college break times (May, August and December/January) to all students, faculty and staff, and there is also no access during break times for Jerome or McKnight Fellows.
Summer Access
The Printshop/Paper Studios are open to degree seeking students who will be continuing with classes at MCAD in the fall, (who have had previous papermaking experience as described above) with the exception of internships. Students who are pre-registered for fall classes may request access by submitting a Personal Proposal.
The Papermaking Studio features two separate workspaces for students to create Western and Japanese paper, cast paper, and large sheets of paper, as well as the equipment necessary for working with botanicals, making paper from fabric or linters or recycled paper. Students need to provide their own fiber and pulp, and the basic chemicals, dyes, pigments and studio materials are supplied by the Paper Studio.
In the Wet Room, there are two Reina beaters, a Valley beater, a Reina Paper Press, and a 4' x 6' Reina Vacuum Table, a pulp sprayer, stove, refrigerator, felts, heated metal sheet dryer, and vats and paper moulds of various sizes.
In the Dry Room, there is a dry mount press, a large work table, flat files, and a restraint drying system.
Requests for Printshop and Paper Studio Use by Faculty for non PPB Classes
Since the schedule for PPB classes are planned out in advance, class visits or use of the P PB studios from classes that are not Print, Paper, Book related need to be approved one week prior to the start of each semester. Faculty who wish to use the Printshop and Paper Studios for their classes need to submit a request. Please email Diana Eicher, Director of the Printshop and Paper Studio printmakingstudio@mcad.edu with the details of your request and we will consult the class schedule to see if your request can be accommodated. We can also meet in person or have a Google Meet if you have any questions.
Disability Accommodations
If you need accommodations to access the Printshop or other areas of MCAD as a student, staff, faculty or community member then please contact MCAD's Learning Center and Disability Services at disability_services@mcad.edu.
Students making large sheets of paper in the Papermaking class
Making Large Sheets of Paper in the Papermaking Class from MCAD on Vimeo.
Paper Making safety video from MCAD on YOUTUBE