n.
1. The material or substance on which an enzyme acts.
2. Biology A surface on which an organism grows or is attached.
3. An underlying layer; a substratum.
4. Linguistics An indigenous language that contributes features to the language of an invading people who impose their language on the indigenous population.
Years ago I did some research, got my dad to cut me some wood and help me make a press and mesh, and proceeded to make myself some recycled paper. The satisfaction was immense - the point where you dip your deckle and pour the water off, seeing a new sheet damp and so ruinable, is one of the most magical I've experienced. My paper, due to lack of bleach and environmentally irresponsible chemicals, was a pretty grim light grey in colour and about 200gsm in weight. As a drawing surface it was a little too absorbent and the grain made a laid look like a polished finish but it was usable, and the edges were particularly delightful.
Paper is one of those items that is so prevalent in our society that we assume it is all machine produced - those machines are just doing what we can easily do ourselves with a small amount of time and effort. An analogy: it's like making a burger. You can go to MaccyD's and spend 98p on a machine made item or you can make several for a little more yourself.
The government wants you to make your own paper!
I think that to get fully into the geekship of paper takes a while of handling and using different types in a situation where it's the only substrate that counts: printing. And despite the availability of so many recycled papers it'll never, in my mind, throw off it's links to nature and wood in particular. My reasoning is that all paper (even my mashed up lumpy recycled grey paper) has a grain - allowing you to tear or cut it easier in one direction than another.
Compare this RGB-LED to that plastic paper and it'll all start getting weirder and stranger.
This is the (valid!) web page of David Santorum and Nuisance Graphics / Fresh Cant Designs in the year of 2010.