Fred Paper Co. is a contemporary handmade paper studio based in Lawrence, Kansas, creating unique paper goods that blend timeless craft with modern design. Fred specializes in high-quality art papers for artists, beautiful stationery to promote the art of letter writing, and custom announcements that mark life’s biggest moments with intentional craft. We aim to preserve and promote hand papermaking through practice and education and to play a real part in a local economy of handmade art supplies all while minimizing waste. We use discarded textiles and locally grown fibers to make beautiful, sustainable paper by hand—one sheet at a time. Whether you're an artist seeking premium handmade paper to suit the specific needs of a project, a letter writer who cherishes the written word, or someone celebrating a milestone moment, Fred Paper Co. offers paper with a story that could never be achieved with a commercial paper.
Fred Who?
Evan F. Johnson is a papermaker and printmaker based in his hometown of Lawrence, Kansas. He earned his BFA in printmaking and hand papermaking from Cornish College of the Arts, later interning with Green Banana Paper on the island of Kosrae in Micronesia, where he made paper from banana trees. Upon returning home, he founded Fred Paper Co., a production papermaking studio dedicated to preserving the art of handmade paper. Evan creates fine art papers and stationery using locally harvested fibers and recycled materials from nearby businesses. Since 2021, he has been teaching workshops and classes, sharing the repetitive, tactile, and meditative practice of papermaking with his community.
