is prepared. When the image is exposed, the floc structure of the sheet becomes apparent as image mottle. During the handmade process, however, the papermaker uses his skill and judgement to shake the mould just as the water drains from the sheet. It is this shake that, if done correctly, can break up the fibre flocs and clear the sheet’s formation, an act impossible for a papermachine to do! Bespoke handmade papermaking also allows the photographer to exactly specify the roughness of the sheet as well as the chemistry. For Sharpfoto a very smooth sheet was required to maximise the image sharpness, but interesting photographic effects can be gained from adding a certain degree of ‘tooth’ to the paper surface.
