What are the best papers for printing books from archival perspective (say which will stay intact for 500+ years given proper ink etc. are used and kept in humidity and temperature controlled environment) . Which paper parameters we need to consider while choosing paper for this type of application? Please advice.

From an archival standpoint, the best papers are those that contain 100% cotton. Not only is cotton naturally lignin-free, but the cotton fibers are stronger than wood-based fibers and intertwine to make a better bond. This is important for not only the longevity of the paper, but also its durability during the printing process. A cotton sheet will absorb the enormous pressure of most printing processes, such as Intaglio and letterpress. Cotton is also less susceptible to degradation over time, which is why it’s used for important documents and most currencies.

As you will be using the paper specifically for books there are some other factors to consider, which will contribute to the overall archival and longevity of the final piece. For example, the manufacturing process is integral to the strength of the paper. A cotton paper made on a cylinder mould made machine will be stronger and therefore more durable due to the slow mechanized process that simulates a handmade paper. This allows the fibers to lay randomly across the sheet thereby producing a paper with greater surface strength (compared to a paper made on a Fourdrinier machine).

Thank you Sam for your detail response and sharing your valuable knowledge.

Could you please suggest a paper that is best for this project? I know this may sound bit tricky with vast verity of best quality material that you are supplying. In other words, if you were chose a paper for this project which will be your pick and what makes it deserving of the expert's choice? Please advice.

Lots of questions before we can make a recommendation. How will you be printing? How will it be bound? Is there a desired finish (laid, wove, smooth, etc)? Color? Thickness? Quantity? With a little more information, we can pt together recommendations opens/or send you some samples.

Thank you Josh.

How will you be printing? - It will be either Letter Press OR Screen Printing.
How will it be bound? - Large print edition; Hard bound. Yet to decide on Leather vs. Case Cloth
Is there a desired finish (laid, wove, smooth, etc)? - No
Color? - white
Thickness? - 95 to 120 gsm
Quantity? - we want to produce 300 large print edition books. Book contains about 300 pages. we are expecting the finish size of the book around One Feet by 9.6 inches.

How will you be printing? - It will be either Letter Press OR Offset printing...