There are 2 types of pulp fibers that typically make up paper – wood and cotton. Cotton fibers are the most durable and are made up of either linters or rags. Linters are fine fibers left on the seed of a cotton plant after the ginning process. Rags are cotton clippings from textile mills.   The value of cotton lies in the structure of the fibers which are long, hollow, and tube-like. They are one of the strongest, yet softest fibers available.  When cotton fibers are beaten to a pulp, fray and create hundreds of tiny fibrils. When matted together with water, they interlock creating a uniform surface with great strength and flexibility.   Cotton paper is by nature acid-free which is why it is sometimes known as archival paper.  Paper made from wood cellulose requires additional processing to render it acid-free.  Acid-free paper can last for hundreds of years without yellowing, stiffening, or deteriorating.  There are no residual chemicals that could affect photos or memorabilia.  Poetic Sunrise’s paper is manufactured in a small factory in India.  After import, it is cut, punched, and bundled for our writing journals at a small, family run printshop in rural Maryland.  The paper is tear resistant and substantial enough to prevent bleed-through of ink from markers or fountain pens.