Gampi papers are translucent and tough. They have a wet strength and resistance to insects. Mitsumata is soft, smooth and glossy and also naturally insect resistant. Esparto grasses are leaf fibers which are used in the Far East. Grass fibers include bamboo, giant nettle, rice straw and rattan.
Wood pulp is the material from which the majority of the world's current papers are made.
For permanence, the fibers must be as pure cellulose as possible. The fibers are shorter, however, so the characteristics differ. Many artists papers today are labeled acid free. These are generally neutral pH at the time of manufacture, but factors such as environmental conditions can affect this neutrality even before the artist purchases the paper, and afterwards. The surface or texture of paper varies according to the fibers, the beating, the drying process, or other factors.