We carry two types of paper for use in Arabic and Islamic calligraphy- Standard white layout paper, and handmade ahar paper directly from the top hand papermakers in India, prepared for calligraphy by calligraphers.
Our stock is always expanding, so check back often for new papers and sizes as they come in.
Handmade Ahar Paper
We are proud to announce that we are the first supplier in North America to offer ahar papers (also known as muqahar) made specifically for Islamic calligraphy. These papers are handmade from beginning to end by calligrapher and craftsman Idrees Shaikh in Shimoga, central India.
After the paper is hand made in Shimoga they are coated with starch and a sizing made from alum and egg whites. This creates a microscopic barrier between the paper fibers and the air, so ink doesn't penetrate the paper itself, and instead sits on the ahar. This allows for corrections and erasure. The paper is then burnished until it shines.
These papers are thus prepared for calligraphy by calligraphers and are the only such papers available in America.
Please click the pictures for more information and photos of the paper up close.
Ahar Paper Sampler
Four varieties of handmade ahar paper, They are all 8.5x11 and ready to write on.
This pack includes one sheet of:
Felt and chalk to prep paper immediately before writing included.
Handmade mulberry ahar paper, tan in color with small flecked inclusions. Moderately translucent. Two sizes available: 30”x24” (76x60cm/A1) and 8.5x11 (21x28cm/A4)
Handmade banana/kozo ahar paper, with yellow inclusions. Very translucent. Two sizes available: 30”x24” (76x60cm/A1) and 8.5x11 (21x28cm/A4)
Handmade banana and mulberry ahar paper, with small flecked inclusions. Very translucent. Two sizes available: 30”x24” (76x60cm/A1) and 8.5x11 (21x28cm/A4)
Banana paper with short hair-like fiber inclusions. Thin and translucent. Available in full and quarter sheets.
Handmade ahar paper, dyed salmon pink. Very translucent. Two sizes available: 30”x24” (76x60cm/A1) and 8.5x11 (21x28cm/A4)
Handmade mulberry ahar paper, dyed a deep indigo blue. Laid pattern visible, very opaque. Two sizes available: 30”x24” (76x60cm/A1) and 8.5x11 (21x28cm/A4)
Handmade ahar paper, dyed forest green. Some Jute inclusions. Laid pattern visible. Not translucent. Two sizes available: 30”x24” (76x60cm/A1) and 8.5x11 (21x28cm/A4)
Handmade mulberry ahar paper, dyed a black. Laid pattern visible, very opaque. Two sizes available: 30”x24” (76x60cm/A1) and 8.5x11 (21x28cm/A4)
Handmade ahar paper, dyed arctic blue. Laid pattern visible. Two sizes available: 30”x24” (76x60cm/A1) and 8.5x11 (21x28cm/A4)
Handmade ahar paper, dyed green. Laid pattern visible. Not translucent. Two sizes available: 30”x24” (76x60cm/A1) and 8.5x11 (21x28cm/A4)
Handmade ahar paper, dyed steel grey. Mottled coloring. Laid pattern visible. Not translucent. Two sizes available: 30”x24” (76x60cm/A1) and 8.5x11 (21x28cm/A4)
Handmade ahar paper, dyed red. Very translucent. Two sizes available: 30”x24” (76x60cm/A1) and 8.5x11 (21x28cm/A4)
Standard White Paper
The white paper we carry has been selected as the best possible paper available in America through a battery of calligraphy tests, dye tests, paste application, wet/dry comparisons, ink absorption, among many other tests. More than 50 paper product lines were tested in this process, which lasted more than 3 months.
You can easily erase ink from this paper with a damp q-tip for a near-complete erasure. It takes clean corrections with a razor or the flat of a blade.