Arches

Arches is a French paper brand whose history is traced by its official website to the establishment of a paper mill in Epinal, in the Vosges region, in 1492. The brand’s heritage is closely associated with papermaking and fine printing. Its official history notes that Arches paper was supplied for the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle, an early illustrated book, and describes later periods in which the mill’s owners and managers developed its production and commercial reach. Today, Arches presents itself as a maker of fine-art papers. The official website describes its range as the most extensive selection of fine-art papers made on a cylinder mould. Its offerings include papers for watercolour, oil, drawing, and other artistic uses, as well as papers intended for digital printing. The range includes ARCHES Aquarelle, ARCHES Huile, ARCHES Lavis Fidelis / En-Tout-Cas, Velin d’ARCHES, Velin BFK Rives, Ingres d’ARCHES MBM, ARCHES 88, ARCHES Expression, and ARCHES Platine. ARCHES Aquarelle is gelatin-sized through the sheet and is described by the company as a reference among papers and as a distinctive paper made by a unique method. The brand’s history also encompasses papers used in significant publishing and printing projects. In 1775, Beaumarchais bought the mill and used Arches paper for much of a major edition of Voltaire’s complete works, while improving the mill and extending its commercial reach to neighbouring countries. In 1807, the mill received an order for two million sheets for Napoleon I’s Description de l’Égypte. These episodes form part of the brand’s account of its longstanding relationship with bookmaking, printing, and the arts. Arches describes itself as a Living Heritage Company (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant, EPV), a French certification recognizing heritage know-how in high-quality paper manufacturing. Its website presents the brand as serving artists internationally. The supplied evidence does not identify its current corporate owner, parent company, headquarters beyond the historical mill location, or listed status.

The official history of the Arches paper mill begins in 1492, when it was established in Epinal in the Vosges region of France. The mill’s early prominence is reflected in the official account of its paper being supplied for the Nuremberg Chronicle in 1493. The website also describes watermarks associated with the mill’s activity in the sixteenth century and identifies Simon de Moyeulle as a master papermaker and owner in 1590. A major turning point came in 1775, when Beaumarchais bought the mill. He devoted seven years to publishing the complete works of Voltaire, much of it on Arches paper. The official history says that the edition required 70 tonnes of paper and that Beaumarchais introduced technical improvements and extended the mill’s commercial reach to neighbouring countries. In 1785, Louis Delagarde, owner of Papeteries du Marais, took over as manager of the Arches mill. In 1807, the Imprimerie Impériale, commissioned by Napoleon I to print the Description de l’Égypte, ordered two million sheets from the mill for letterpress printing and intaglio engravings. The official account highlights the unusual, specially created sheet sizes for this project. These examples illustrate the mill’s historic role in producing paper for ambitious illustrated publications and printing work. The contemporary brand continues to foreground its papermaking heritage while offering a broad selection of fine-art papers. Its current range includes papers for watercolour, oil, drawing and other artistic techniques, as well as papers for digital printing. The company describes ARCHES Aquarelle as gelatin-sized through the sheet and says the brand is a Living Heritage Company (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant, EPV), a certification recognizing heritage know-how in high-quality paper manufacturing. The official website also presents Arches papers as chosen by artists around the world. The available evidence does not establish the current owner, parent company, or a detailed modern corporate timeline.

• 1807

  Large paper order for the Description de l’Égypte

• 1785

  Louis Delagarde takes over as mill manager

• 1775

  Beaumarchais buys the mill

• 1590

  Simon de Moyeulle identified as owner and master papermaker

• 1493

  Paper supplied for the Nuremberg Chronicle

• 1492

  Arches paper mill established in Epinal

A heritage French paper brand focused on fine-art papers and traditional papermaking expertise, with offerings for varied artistic techniques and digital printing.

• ARCHES Aquarelle

  Watercolour paper; the brand says it is gelatin-sized through the sheet.

• ARCHES Huile

  An oil-painting paper in the Arches art-paper range.

• ARCHES papers for digital printing

  The official website lists several Arches papers for digital printing, including ARCHES 88, BFK Rives, and Aquarelle Rag.

1. 1Arches makes Art papers suitable for all artistic techniquesarches-papers.com
2. 2HISTORY - Arches Papersarches-papers.com
3. 3ARCHES HISTORY WITHIN HISTORY - Arches papersarches-papers.com