Matched human skin fibroblast cultures were established from papillary and reticular dermis. Papillary dermal fibroblasts exhibited increased plating efficiency, exponential growth, and confluent density when compared with their matched reticular dermal cultures. Collagen synthesis by these cells, however, was essentially similar regardless of their origin. Relative collagen synthesis was similar at confluent densities. No differences in type specific collagen synthesis could be detected; relative amounts of types I and III collagens in culture media and types I, III, and AB collagens in the cellular pellet were similar. Type I pC collagen was consistently elevated in culture media from reticular dermal fibroblasts when compared to papillary dermal fibroblasts. The significance of this difference in procollagen processing is unknown.