👋 Zoë here, owner and operator of Cave Paper. It's a new year, we have some new folks finding us here, and it seems like a good time for a little reintroduction!
Cave Paper is a production-scale hand papermaking operation based in Tucson, AZ. We specialize in making large & particularly strong sheets of decorated paper that are very well-suited for use in book binding. Our "regular weight" paper is ideal for wrapping bookboard, and our "heavy weight" sheets are perfect for limp vellum bindings and similar use. Our paper is so strong that it can function like leather!
Many of our designs have been in production for decades. For 25 years, Cave Paper was based in Minneapolis where it began in the basement of a historic warehouse -- nicknamed "the Cave" because of the rough rock walls, chilly temperatures, and dark atmosphere. Some things may have changed over the years, but the name became synonymous with the paper itself.
I'm from Tucson and moved the studio down here in July 2020 when I purchased the business. My favorite things about running Cave Paper are seeing how our paper is transformed and put to use by bookmakers and artists, creating custom designs for special projects, and sharing what we do here with others. While our day to day tasks are pretty repetative (that's the nature of production work, baby!), there is no limit to exploration within hand papermaking.
All kinds of artists use our papers -- click through our "In The Wild" highlight to see some of the beautiful work that people have shared here.
See you tomorrow for the first day of CODEX X Book Art Fair! Find us at Table 37 with lots of paper :)
@codexfoundation
Oakland Marriott City Center
1001 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607
West Ballroom
Saturday, February 7, 2026
12:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Sunday, February 8, 2026
1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Monday, February 9, 2026
1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Inside the small world of the paper studio, the year has begun with some unexpected challenges to work through - big issues with both equipment and our building have meant that everything is taking much longer than expected to complete. Most notably, our retailer restock intended for the end of December is still in the final stages of production. We are doing all we can to move things along as quickly as possible.. if I could keep working in my sleep I would.
I am very much looking forward to being surrounded by beautiful books and people at CODEX so soon. Grateful for the community of deeply thoughtful, caring, creative and curious people that come together around a love for books, for making art, and bearing witness to the world.
2025 was a year of big change, inspiring collaborations, challenges and growth, and moments of connection and creativity. Thank you for being part of our year. Wishing you a joyful 2026 💙
**Sold Out! Thank you. All orders will ship 12/1.**
Clearance Sale! Our final shop update before we hand off retail sales of our catalog to @hiromipaper and @talasonline has dropped. Newsletter recipients got there first, but there's still some good deals to be had.
Thanks for helping us shift gears into MAKING MORE PAPER - custom projects, textile recycling, workshops, and beyond. All our standard sheets are still in production and available through beloved retail partners TALAS and Hiromi Paper.
The papers included in this sale are discounted due to inconsistencies in the dye and surface treatments but are otherwise great quality. We love their uniqueness and charm and hope you put them to good use. All orders will ship 12/1, or 12/15 if placed after that date.
*Helpful Ramona the dog not for sale :)
Only one Studio Tour left before the end of the year! If you've been wanting to learn about our production process and visit the shop, save your spot for Saturday, December 6 at 10:30am. Limited space available, register by visiting our EVENTS page linked in bio. Hope to see you there!
Tonight! 6PM at Cave Paper, 846 N Stone Ave.
Join us for an evening with Yerrie Choo @yerriechoo and publisher Tiny Splendor @tinysplendor for a reading from 1 Joke 2 Tears, projected and narrated comics, and a Q+A.
This collection features 24 pages of color pencil comics and drawings by Yerrie Choo:
"You are now entering the Yerrie Choo zone, featuring comics by me processing past cries, crises and highs. Modding the paper is a way for me to understand and accept the very complex emotions we have as humans and turn these abstract crazy feelings into concrete, digestible images.
The thing is we never know, the problem is never solved, merely experienced then reformed into another set of questions, and we are all figuring it out.
Welcome to my brain, I hope you can find comfort and healing in the unknown as I have found while making these works."
Some of us are having a harder time getting going in the mornings now that the weather is shifting :)
Want to visit our showroom? We are open by appointment! Send an email to [email protected] to set up a time.
We have a very busy fall restocking our retailers @hiromipaper and @talasonline , wrapping up a few custom projects, and getting ready for @codexfoundation !
We will have ONE MORE web shop update with limited, ready-to-ship inventory before the end of the year, when the web shop closes down for good. Sign up for the mailing list to get a preview of available papers and the first announcements of when that shop update will take place.
Going behind the wheel on a book tour with @pencil.stabber of @tinysplendor for a talk / comic reading / q&a and to say hi to people in 3 states! If you’re around come by and say hi back. 🙃
10/16** San Diego @burn_all_books
10/17 Tucson, AZ @cavepaper
10/19 Alberquerque, NM @risolana.abq
10/24 Sacramento, CA @demo.spot with @koreangry
** @pencil.stabber won’t be joining in San Diego and will just be me presenting
Thank you everyone for organizing, emailing, and penciling us in to make this a ~~*realiTYY*~~
