Beautiful, ethically made art materials you won't find on the high street. 100% cotton rag paper, handmade sketchbooks and soft leather journals — each one finished by hand by skilled artisans in India, so no two are quite alike.
As a small, family-run business, we look for materials that feel a little bit different and that we'd be proud to use ourselves. Our handmade range began with a single roll of deckle-edged cotton paper and has grown into a collection of papers, sketchbooks and stationery that artists, gift-buyers and makers keep coming back for. Everything is made using traditional methods, with quality and fair, dependable sourcing at its heart.
100% recycled cotton, traditional methods, a natural deckle edge on every sheet.
Our cotton rag paper is made from 100% recycled cotton sourced from local Indian textile factories, using traditional paper-making methods that have been in use for centuries. Each sheet is genuinely unique, with subtle variations in tone and grain and a beautiful natural deckle edge — the soft, feathered edge that gives handmade paper its character and distinguishes it immediately from machine-made rag paper.
Available in a range of sizes, weights and textures, Artway cotton rag paper suits a wide variety of work: painting and watercolour, dry and soft media such as graphite, charcoal and soft pastels, as well as wedding stationery, invitations and card making. Look out for our jumbo A1 sheets — rare in handmade paper and popular with printmakers and larger-scale artists.
Our signature deep-blue paper, dyed by hand using traditional methods to create the recycled cover material for the Indigo range. Soft, tactile and one of a kind.
Shop cotton rag paperAssorted weights and sizes — ideal for watercolour, calligraphy, invitations and mixed media. Each sheet has a natural deckle edge.
Browse paper packsCasebound by hand from the same recycled Indigo cover paper, built for daily use.
Our handmade sketchbooks pair that recycled Indigo cover paper with quality drawing stock inside — casebound by hand at 150gsm and built to be used, not just admired. The Indigo casebound sketchbook is a long-standing favourite, and the range has been popular with artists and gift-buyers since the day we introduced it.
Prefer something for everyday use? Explore the wider art journals and sketchbooks collections — or browse everything below.
Dyed and prepared entirely on site using traditional methods, each leather journal ages and softens beautifully with use.
Our handmade soft leather journal range uses leather that is dyed and prepared entirely on site using traditional methods, so every cover ages and softens beautifully and no two are identical. Choose the journal on its own, or the gift set that pairs it with a travel-sized pencil for sketching, drawing and note-taking on the go. A handmade notebook with genuine character.
Looking for a handmade gift for an artist? A leather journal or an Indigo sketchbook makes a thoughtful, lasting present — each one unique, and ready to be made truly personal with use.
From recycled cotton offcuts to deckle-edged sheets — filmed on location in Jaipur.
Our paper is made the way it has been for generations. Recycled cotton offcuts are pulped, pulled into sheets by hand, naturally dyed, pressed and hung to dry — a process that gives every sheet its deckle edge and individual character. The short film below was filmed during our visit to our paper supplier in Jaipur, India, and shows each stage of the process.
All images and film from the Artway visit to our handmade paper supplier in Jaipur, India.
Made from 100% recycled cotton that would otherwise be waste — small batches, skilled artisans, direct sourcing.
Sustainability matters more every year, and our handmade range is one of the ways we try to do the right thing. The paper is made from 100% recycled paper cotton sourced from local textile factories — cotton that would otherwise go to waste. It is produced by hand in small batches with artisans we know and work with directly. If you're looking to reduce the footprint of your materials, explore our wider range of recycled art materials too.
Browse our current handmade products — and keep an eye out for new additions coming soon.
Questions about cotton rag, deckle edge paper and our handmade range.
Cotton rag paper is paper made from cotton fibres rather than wood pulp. Because cotton is naturally acid-free and strong, the paper is durable, archival and lovely to work on. Our cotton rag paper is made from 100% recycled cotton — offcuts from textile factories that would otherwise go to waste.
Handmade paper is formed sheet by sheet by hand rather than on a machine. Each sheet has slight variations in tone, texture and thickness, and a natural deckle (feathered) edge that machine-made paper can't replicate. Ours is made in Jaipur, India using methods that have been in use for generations.
Yes. Cotton rag paper is widely used for fine-art and giclée printing, as well as letterpress and calligraphy. Because each sheet is handmade, we recommend testing on a single sheet first to suit your printer and settings before committing to a full run.
It is suited to watercolour and painting, drawing in graphite, charcoal and soft pastel, plus wedding stationery, invitations, card making and mixed media. Our A1 sheets are popular with printmakers and larger-scale artists.
You can buy Artway handmade cotton rag paper, sketchbooks and leather journals directly here at artway.co.uk, with free tracked 24-hour shipping on UK mainland orders over £50.
We're a small UK team and happy to help with anything — from matching paper weights to setting up a wholesale account for bulk orders.