de Medici Ming Fine Paper opened in 1983 on First Avenue and University Street. Inspired by Marie Papier in Paris, the store was originally dedicated to the art of letter writing. It quickly grew into providing papers from around the world in all forms for all sorts of projects.

The name comes from two of the cultures who historically have had the most to do with development of paper: The Chinese who invented it, and the Italians who made an "everyday" style of it. The de Medici Family and the Ming Dynasty governed their respective cultures from the 1200's-1600's, and, still today in Seattle, in this Renaissance paper bouquet.