Below are answers to common questions about ordering our handmade deckle edge paper and envelopes online, including shipping, returns, and import VAT.
For information regarding custom stationery please read our guide to placing an offline order with us.
In our Archival Paper range our paper is Imperial, measuring approximately 22.0" x 30.0" (56 cm x 76 cm).
In our Deckle Edge Stationery Paper range, we make 7 sizes from place card up to A4, with select paper sizes accompanied by a deckle-edge triangle-point envelope. Our full list of sizes are available to see in our size guide which also shows the proportions between sizes.
Our "A"-sizes refer to the ISO paper size standard and not the US announcement paper size convention.
In our Art & Craft Paper range our main size is Imperial Plus, which measures approximately 26" x 34.5" (66 cm x 88 cm).
As our paper is made by hand, there is an inherent variance of ±10% in the sizes mentioned.
We make 8 colours including White, Ivory, Blush, and Dark Green. Our full list of colours are available to browse in our online shop.
If you are unfamiliar with paper weights a good way to compare the difference between these numbers is with normal printer paper which you may have at home. Normal printer paper is around 60 gsm, so 200 gsm paper is just over three times as thick and our 300 gsm paper is 5 sheets of printer paper.
To feel the different weights yourself, we recommend picking up a small sample of each to give you a chance to feel the weight and texture of both.
As our paper is made by hand, there is an inherent variance of ±20% in the thickness between pieces.
No, our envelopes and paper are sold separately, allowing you to mix and match different colours and weights if required.
All of our paper with a natural deckle edge will contain very slight marks and indentations on the sides and corners which arise from the traditional hand-papermaking process, such as felt impressions from couching and clip impressions from drying.
There are some differences in our pieces due to the traditional hand-papermaking techniques used to make our paper.
There can be a variation in size, weight (±20%), and even colour shade between individual pieces due to a number of factors, such as the consistency of the pulp when lifting each sheet, the felts we use on a particular batch, the pressure used when pressing, and the humidity of the air when the pieces dry. Each factor causes slight variance in its own way. As such, all sizes, weights, and colours are approximate.
While we do try to control these factors, there will still be variation in the finished pieces which has been known to cause problems for very traditional printmakers who are new to handmade paper. Given these variances, it is recommended that printing dimensions are finalised once your pieces have arrived so they can be adjusted to the paper.
We are always exploring new shades, so if you are looking for a colour which we don't currently offer please get in touch with us to see if it's something we're already working on.
There are two main chemicals used in our papermaking:
Custom sizes are available but unfortunately have a high minimum order quantity, a custom equipment manufacture charge, and a lead-time of a few months.
We recommend viewing our size to check whether we make a size which suits your need.
Yes, our paper is suitable for hand calligraphy. Our internal sizing and finish provide a fine-tooth to our pieces, making the texture nib-friendly.
If you are using our paper for the first time, we do recommend picking up a small sample of pieces in order to try your specific inks and nibs.
Yes, our paper is suitable for digital printing and we recommend using an inkjet printer.
Yes, our paper is suitable for letterpress, however we recommend our thicker grade of 300 gsm pieces. Our 300 gsm pieces can even come up thicker, sometimes up to 350 gsm, making them the better option for letterpress.
Yes, our internal sizing and finish will accommodate light watercolour, however we do not recommend our paper for heavy or wet paint work. If you are using our paper for the first time, we do recommend trying samples of pieces in order to try your specific paints and techniques.
For customers looking to sample our paper we offer small sets of 5 pieces for each colour, grade, and size that we make.
Rather than provide a quote for our core range of paper we recommend visiting our online shop where you can see our full range on display with prices and up-to-date stock availability.
We advise browsing our shop on a desktop so you can see the full menu of sizes, colours, and grades on the left-hand side.
We have tiered pricing where a discount is applied as the quantity of your order increases. The tiers are:
For customers placing regular orders, our Artisan Acccount offers additional discounts and website features.
Customers looking to order at wholesale volume can do so online using our tiered pricing mentioned above.
For customers placing regular orders, our Artisan Acccount offers additional discounts and website features.
Customers placing repeat orders of large quantities can benefit from the following additional concessions available via our Artisan Acccount:
These savings are based on previous completed orders from the last 90 days. Previous purchases can be for any colour, size, or grade. When your account qualifies for a saving the discount is automatically applied to our online prices and is shown in your basket. Please read about our Artisan Acccount for full details.
If you live in a country with a low customs duty and VAT/GST threshold (also known as De Minimis import values) the courier will pay the duty and VAT/GST on your behalf at the point of import and will then send you an invoice to be reimbursed, they may also include an administration fee.
We strongly advise checking the import duty and VAT/GST thresholds for your country before placing an order to avoid a surprise import duty or VAT/GST bill. Countries in the EU typically have a low threshold before applying VAT whereas other countries, such as the United States and Australia, are more generous allowing orders of a higher value through without charge.
We review our prices every year and where necessary make revisions in the first week of April. Any revisions that do occur are normally driven by the rate of inflation in a given year which affects the cost of raw materials (cotton) as well as other costs such as energy, packaging, shipping, and of course our papermaking team. Once set, prices are fixed for that year.
It used to be possible to order out of stock items as "pre-orders" which would be shipped once stock that those items were replenished. However, these pre-orders were often subject to delays due to varying production times and changes to our production schedule. As such, it is now not possible to order out of stock items, however, it is now possible to register to receive an email notification when the item is restocked.
It typically takes around 3 weeks to make a new batch of a particular colour – that includes the whole papermaking process of beating the pulp, lifting the sheets, drying, calendaring, and sorting, as well as preparing finished packs ready for despatch. However, this can be subject to delays and changes in our production schedule.
An at-a-glance view of stock availability is available for each of our categories:
Artisan Account customers will see the precise amount of stock available.
Restock notifications can be created by following the steps below:
When an item is restocked, notifications are sent to Artisan Account customers first and then on a first-come-first-served basis to other customers in the notification list.
You will only recieve a notification if we have enough stock to meet your requirement, e.g. if you required 200 pieces and we only restock with 100 pieces you will not receive a notification.
Please note that there is a chance this item may have sold out by the time you visit our website, in which case we recommend creating another notification as we are most likely still adding more newly-made pieces.
Orders are processed twice a day – 9am and 1:30pm IST. Your order will be processed immediately if it is received before the courier cut-off time and if there are no other orders in our processing queue, otherwise it will be processed the next day. The cut-off timings in IST for each courier are:
Yes, for international customers with orders over US$90 / £65 / €75 we offer free shipping via DHL's Express Worldwide service.
If you opted for the standard post shipping option within India we'd be happy to send you a replacement free of charge, but before we do, often a few extra days is all the parcel needs in order to appear. Please also note that a standard post shipment requires a signature on delivery, so it may be at your nearest post office. A surprising number of shipments are returned to us as "uncollected" despite the customer not receiving a notice to collect it. If it still hasn't arrived after 21 days of the shipping date and after having checked at your local post office, please get in touch with us.
If your pieces were shipped to you via a courier, we advise you to contact the courier with your tracking number for an update. For some EU countries such as Greece or Italy, there is a chance the courier requires additional information from you before they can clear your shipment for delivery.
For standard post shipments within India, it is not possible to track the progress of the delivery. Courier shipments can be tracked via the courier's website using your tracking code from the despatch confirmation email.
If your order hasn't yet shipped we can update your shipping address for you – simply send us an email.
If your order has shipped it is only possible to change your address if it shipped via DHL through their "On Demand Delivery" service which allows you to make updates to your delivery address and add instructions too if required.
Unfortunately, we have to split large orders down into smaller shipments due to export rules in India. Shipments valued over a certain amount require another level of documentation, both for us and for yourself as the importer of the goods. As such, we have been advised by couriers to split large orders down to below this threshold amount.
Please note that if you live in a country with a low customs duty and VAT/GST threshold (also known as De Minimis import values) you will be charged a handling fee by the courier for each individual box.
If you are unhappy with your pieces, or made a mistake with your order, you are more than welcome to return them back to us within 30 days of receiving your order. However, please note that we cannot offer free returns. When returning your pieces, please package them up securely and return them to us at:
SAHMP
50 S.V. Patel Salai
Pondicherry
India
605001
Please be aware of the following important requirements:
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