A house built around Indian handmade paper
Chimanlals began as the handmade paper department of a Mumbai paper company. Across decades of paper, print and gifting, the same material still runs through everything here: cards and envelopes, letter papers, tags, bags, packaging and paper accessories.
From a paper department to a paper house
Chimanlals started as the handmade paper department of a Mumbai paper company, and was later incorporated as Chimanlals Private Limited. One department grew into a house built around social stationery and giving: cards with coordinated envelopes, letter papers, gift envelopes, tags, bags, boxes and wrapping.
From its earliest days it also worked to bring Indian handmade paper into wider use, at a time when very few people were designing with it.
Two words, printed on our own paper
Paper Culture has long been part of the Chimanlals identity: two words set down on the house's own paper, in the same breath as the wordmark.
Paper, print, Indian visual language and giving have shaped the house over the years, and still describe what is on these pages.
Drawn from craft and culture
The designs take their cues from Indian folk art, fabric design and embroidery, miniature painting, architecture, pottery and jewellery, alongside a range of contemporary designs.
- Textile weaving
- Embroidery
- Khadi printing
- Miniature painting
- Ancient architecture
- Native & folk art
- Pottery
- Jewellery
- Contemporary design
Printed by hand, colour by colour
Chimanlals largely uses silk-screen printing, a labour-led process worked by hand, colour by colour. It lays down dense, saturated ink that sits on the surface of the paper rather than sinking flat into it.
Because it is a hand process, shade and texture vary a little from sheet to sheet. That variation is inherent to the material rather than a defect.
The range now
Seven collections, from gift envelopes and cards with coordinated envelopes to letter papers, tags, bags, packaging and paper accessories. Designs are added and retired as printing changes, so the Fort showroom is always the most current version of the catalogue.
Each piece is handmade
Colours, motifs and small design details may vary from the photographs shown. Current colours, designs and availability are confirmed when you enquire.
Come and see the paper in person
Our showroom is on D.N. Road in Fort, Mumbai. See our hours below, or WhatsApp/call ahead if you are looking for a particular design.