About Felt & Wire

Felt & Wire is about the universe of design, paper and print — from posters to packaging, from memorable mail to beautiful books, from invitations to artistic innovations. Felt & Wire reveals the fascinations, avocations and professions of the people who inhabit this continually expanding and evolving universe. It is a community, by and about those of us who are paper-obsessed.

This site was conceived at Mohawk Fine Papers by people who love the feel of paper, the look of paper, the marvel of ink on paper, and the magic of what people do with paper. Mohawk’s papers are esteemed by designers, printers and letter-writers worldwide. Felt & Wire links Mohawk with the greater design community in a creative dialog that inspires the company and its products, and provides a forum for artists to share their accomplishments.

Felt and wire are used in papermaking to absorb excess water and smooth the forming sheet. Felt can also allude to softness and emotion; wire also refers to intelligence and connectivity. FeltandWire.com explores both sides of the inspiration equation — the tactile and the technical. Our mission is to show your work and tell your stories. Whatever great print work you’ve done lately, whether on Mohawk’s papers or not, we hope you’ll share with us.

Tips & Topics

Sell Your Stuff — Make paper stuff? Want to sell it? Visit the new Felt & Wire Shop a curated collection of fabulous paper goods. Create an account and get started.

Got Envelopes? — You can now get envelopes and paper direct from the mill at mohawkpaperstore.com. Good news: We’ve expanded our envelope offerings to over 900 items!

Mohawk Show — Looking for a design contest with a bigger payoff — even beyond all the recognition? Enter work you’ve done on any Mohawk paper in the Mohawk Show for a chance to win $5000. Entry Form

Did you know? — Cotton is a great tree-free alternative fiber source. The fibers (known as linters) used in cotton papers are a byproduct of cotton refining … meaning no cotton is grown specifically to make paper. More about cotton papers

Paper-Obsessed Newbies — Just getting your feet wet in the world of premium papers? We can help! Paper Basics

Contribute — We can’t wait to hear about your latest triumph or discovery! Submit your ideas: Contact Us

Editor: Tom Biederbeck

Tom Biederbeck is an arts and design journalist with a passion for visual communication. A graduate of the University of Iowa, he was most recently editorial director and editor in chief of STEP inside design and Dynamic Graphics magazines. When not tending his sizable inventory of posters, prints and books, he cooks, hikes, skis, hunts, fishes, kayaks and tries to get himself lost, sometimes with success.

Contributors

Alyson Kuhn [AK] — Alyson is a freelance writer and branding strategist who loves paper, envelopes and postage stamps. Luckily for her, she often gets to write about all three.

Laura Shore [LS] — Working closely with the design and printing communities for over 20 years at Mohawk Fine Papers, Laura is currently Senior VP, Communications and Innovation Strategy. She leads the Felt & Wire team.

Tracy Morgan Smith [TS] — An ardent advocate of design and paper, Tracy is marketing manager, Creative, for Mohawk Fine Papers.

Pam McGuire — Pam is Mohawk’s resident print guru, overseeing all print production for Mohawk Fine Papers.

Sean Adams — A principal of the design firm AdamsMorioka, Sean is president emeritus of AIGA, the professional association for design, and blogs at BurningSettlersCabin.com.

Alison Curtin [AC] — An admirer of creativity and everything humorous (on and off paper), Alison is a member of the Felt & Wire team.