Do a Google search for “felt and wire” and most of the hits on the first two pages refer to Mohawk’s recently launched Felt and Wire blog, and even more recently launched Felt and Wire Shop.

For people like me who are not up on all of the papermaking techno-terms, Felt and Wire refer to two sides of the paper as it is manufactured.  According to About.com, “During the paper manufacturing process the side of the paper that does not touch the wire on the paper machine is the felt side. It is usually smoother than the bottom or wire side and is generally the preferred side for printing.”

Now that we have the techno-talk out of the way, I found the whole Felt and Wire concept to be quite intriguing.  Founded in March, Mohawk’s Felt and Wire blog was a novel response to changes that are sweeping the design and print community. While the internet has resulted in declines in printed corporate communications and direct mail, there is a surge in small projects that focus on the tactile qualities of paper and print. Mohawk started the Felt and Wire blog in March as a way to connect on a more personal level with customers who are passionate about paper but are hard to reach through normal sales activities. With fewer sales reps on the street, designers focusing on small quantities who are working out of their homes have a hard time getting noticed, according to project leader Tracy Smith.  She says, “We were looking for a way to create a community for those who love and use our paper -- or have the potential to do so -- in a way that would be meaningful to all of us. We started with letterpress designer/printers because they’re passionate about paper and print, they’re vocal about their views, and they’re somewhat underserved because their operations are so small.  We feel a kinship with them because we, as a company, really value great design and printing, and we enjoy networking with others who share our love of printed ephemera.”