All paper has two distinctly different sides. With mould made paper they are called the 'felt' and 'mould' (or 'wire') sides. The 'felt' side relates to the top side of the paper, and gets its name because it touches the natural woollen felt first during manufacture. The 'mould' side in contrast is the side that is in contact with the wire mesh of the cylinder mould that rotates inside the vat of pulp.

The 'felt' side is considered superior to the 'mould' side by many artists and printers as it has a more random pattern associated with it, while the wire side is more regular.

Last updated on January 29, 2010 by Joshua Levine