Why are there price variations between different sellers?
There are many reasons that prices can vary between different companies selling Chiyogami. Here are a few factors to look at:
Sheet size
Many companies price half sheets (or smaller) rather than full 24 x 36" sheets. While we are happy to offer custom cutting services to our reseller partners, our wholesale prices reflect the full sheet size.
Quality
There are now several manufacturers who replicate Chiyogami using offset printing, a mechanical printing method used to produce large volumes of printed materials at low cost. Usually these papers have most colour layers applied at once, and then the gold detailing is added separately to make it look more authentic.
At The Japanese Paper Place, we stock the original, hand-silkscreened papers. We believe in the beauty and quality that comes with the handmade print, and support the manufacturers who take the time and effort to continue the tradition. While they may cost a little more, they are worth the difference.
Availability
Some companies have limited stock, or are constantly backordered. We stock over 40,000 sheets of Chiyogami at any given time in over 780 patterns, and have air and boat shipments arriving regularly to keep our papers in stock for you.
Other factors affecting cost include:
- Weight and quality of base paper - a thicker paper and higher kozo content create a more durable paper
- Quality of pigments - intensity of colour, adherence and lightfastness are all crucial to a fine quality finished product that will last for years
- Number of colours - each colour requires a separate silkscreen to be made and applied to every sheet
- Age of the screens - new designs require new screens to be made, while older or less popular patternns are made with screens purchased at a much reduced cost.
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