Saturday morning at Polymetaal

Owner of Polymetaal Hugo Bos

Rows of paper, tools, and inks galore!

An array of inks from Graphical Chemical

This past week I had arranged a meeting with Hugo Bos, the owner at Polymetaal, an incredible printmaking supplier located in Leiden and Oude Wetering, Netherlands.  Having printed a few test proofs on the Dutch made Laurier 250g (made by the Dutch Schut Paper Mill) paper last week I was determined to get it for a good price. So I was told Polymetaal is the place to go for a great deal on bulk paper (ie. 50-100 sheets).  The warehouse where they have the supplies is located at Kerkstraat 8 in Oude Wetering, NL. There is also another location of Polymetaal in Leiden, NL.

Oude Wetering is a beautiful village located right on a canal. Picturesque to say the least! Lucky for us there was a little street fair happening so we were able to experience a bit of the local flavor while walking to the warehouse. Upon arrival you walk down a gravel path and through a fence where you will find the bell to ring.  As the door opened the smell of printing inks and old presses filled the air.  We were escorted up a wooden staircase to the top  floor of the building which was filled with rows of inks, paper, rollers and all the tools any printmaker could desire. Pinch me now! The extremely knowledgeable owner Hugo was eager to share all the information about what he had to offer.  If you make an appointment to visit the warehouse you can check out all the samples of the papers he sells in large quantities.  I walked out superbly happy with my 100  22 x 30" sheets of Laurier 250 g white printing paper.  Can't wait to be back in the studio on Monday 11 July.