Richard Dannenberg, owner of the AlphaGraphics in Macon, Georgia wrote a blog post yesterday on the diminishing variety of papers offered by paper manufactures and distributors.

Dannenberg recalls an order from a customer who wanted to use “Old Money,” a line of stationery, made from recycled U.S. dollar bills produced by Crane & Co. - the same company that produces the paper used by to print US Federal Reserve Notes. Truly a unique substrate for office letterhead.

Dannenberg "misses the variety... and paper has become boring" pointing to norm that "customer can have anything they want, as long as it’s white or tan." There maybe other options available to the adventurous designer. but as Dannenberg concludes, "runs are short and usually a deadline is looming, so ordering in carton quantities from the mill is rarely an option."