The Art behind Textile Point Paper
Before the advent of computer-aided design (CAD), drawings of woven textile patterns were translated by craftsmen onto special graph paper called point papers. It was these detailed point paper drawings that were then read by textile technicians who cut the weaving instruction cards that were placed onto the weaving looms.
To delight the curious, the Point Paper Art Company has selected designs from their archive collections to breathe new life into this historical textile craft. They are proud to bring the lost craft of point paper drawing and its beautiful art from textile history to a new audience.
Our Point Paper Art Prints offer a rare opportunity to bring original textile design artwork into your home.
Each print is professionally reproduced on premium 300gsm card and is available in selected A3, A2, and A1 sizes. Image dimensions vary according to the proportions of the original artwork.
Every print is accompanied by an information sheet detailing the design's origin, historical background, and role within the textile manufacturing process.
All prints are supplied un-framed
Our limited edition life-size prints replicate, as closely as possible, the original point paper textile document sizes from our archive.
We have produced just 24 of each of our chosen designs giving you the chance of owning a fabulous piece of textile history that has a certain degree of exclusivity worldwide.
Your new artwork will not just be a stunning, decorative focal point, it will also create a fabulous topic for discussion for all who see it.
This small selection of art was originally drawn up during the 1960s-70s by designers who worked for or were subcontracted by Jacquard design companies in West Yorkshire’s Aire Valley at the time.
Using modern CAD systems, the original hi-res scans of these working drawings have had some TLC to enhance their appeal as Prints.
We have chosen 20 original textile artworks, from our Archives, that we feel truly reflect the retro designs, patterns and use of colour of the time.
Introducing Mark Rastrick Wallpaper
You can now experience some of our exquisite point paper designs as wallpaper. Mark Rastrick Wallpaper has partnered with specialist artisan wallpaper makers to create a distinctive collection that brings textile history into contemporary interiors.
Each wallpaper design is carefully composed from original hand-painted point paper “grid” artworks preserved in our archive. Historically, these intricate works guided the production of fine textiles using the Jacquard weaving technique.
No material on this website may be copied, reproduced, or published without the prior permission of The Point Paper Art Company. Permission may be granted upon request.
The archival material presented here has been sourced from a variety of collections and may be subject to the rights of multiple copyright holders.