About Us
Q & A with Marcus, founder of Print & Matters
How would you describe what you do to someone you are meeting for the first time?
- I am Marcus, founder of Print & Matters, both a designer and a paper artisan. I work with paper off-cuts that would have otherwise been discarded, and upcycle these flexible materials into eco-friendly paper options and stationery. My work provides me with an avenue to channel my creativity and designing skill sets into creating essential stationery goods, and I am trying in my small ways to create a change in how these products can be made for our daily use.
From upcycled offcuts paper to essential stationery, you have given used paper a new lease to life. What got you started?
- After covid hit, I decided to help my dad with his print business at Print & Print Pte Ltd, a local printing service company that specialises in offset print and packaging. Initially, I started off by learning the ropes in the production house. It was here where I realised that large printers usually have to print and cut paper in large sheets, resulting in offcuts and leftover paper being thrown away. As a result, a substantial quantity of paper is always wasted in the process of printing and packaging.
- Part of my efforts to grow this humble printing business involves ensuring that we reduce paper wastage. I want to be more conscious of the paper waste that we generate. To this end, I have decided to focus on giving paper offcuts and waste paper a new lease of life by conducting workshops teaching people how to transform such paper waste into handcrafted paper products.
What does upcycling mean to you?
- Upcycling to me is the idea of making a conscious effort, both on the individual level and as part of an organisation, to turn old waste or products into things that are useful. I personally like to curate pieces of art in this process.
What is the message you hope customers will take away from purchasing a notebook or attending a workshop?
- I hope that customers who make purchases from my online store will be more aware of the upcycling efforts behind the things that they purchase. I also love how workshops have the power to bring people together, and so I hope that customers who attend the workshops walk out with a new set of skills learnt, or a newfound place to meet up with each other for collaboration with their newly-made paper.