Papel Texano handmade paper collective in Austin

Yama Ploskonka

Yama learned to set type, carve engravings, and print letterpress at age 9, and loved it. By age 15 he had college-level training in silkscreen, then discovered computers 3 years later. Eventually did digital design for a printing company to add to his teacher salary, among many other jobs. Something like 6 years ago he wanted to go back to block printing, finding how expensive that was he build his own press. Then, after noticing the high cost of good paper, he dropped the idea, then by the end of 2015 came inspiration, "I can make my own paper!". Which turned out not to be that easy. After building his own professional-level papermaking tools, putting together a few innovations along the way, Yama is now among maybe a dozen "production" (as different from "artistic") papermakers in the USA, and one of only two in the world to make facsimile Medieval Laid Paper, the type of paper that existed before 1550 AD. Inspired to the pre-industrial quality values of Good Paper, Yama combines the advantages of modern technology, making, and inventiveness to make this ancient craft almost "easy", even though he admits that getting there has been the hardest he has ever faced.