vellum

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vellum

writing material

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July 14, 2026

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Vellum is a writing material made from the processed skins of animals, typically calf, lamb, or kid. It is a fine-grained, unsplit skin, prepared to be written on or used for binding books. Historically, vellum is considered a higher quality of parchment, though the terms have often been used interchangeably.1234

The production of parchment, and subsequently vellum, was a significant development that facilitated the success of the codex, an early form of the book. This allowed for writing on both sides of a leaf and the creation of bound books, which eventually replaced papyrus rolls. In modern times, the terms "vellum" and "parchment" are also sometimes used to describe a high-quality, cream-colored paper.3241

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drawing
Surfaces
Vellum, delicate and without veins, resembles parchment in its smooth surface. Modern watercolor paper is a pure linen paper glued in bulk and absolutely free of fat and alum; its two surfaces are of different grain. For pastel drawings, a firm, slightly rough surface is…
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Vellum, delicate and without veins, resembles parchment in its smooth surface. Modern watercolor paper is a pure linen paper glued in bulk and absolutely free of fat and alum; its two surfaces are of different grain. For pastel drawings, a firm, slightly rough surface is…
Read More

paleography
Types of writing materials
…use today, is parchment, or vellum, the terms being often used interchangeably. Vellum is a term usually applied to skin from a calf (cf. veal, veau), while parchment is an expression often applied to sheepskin or goatskin. The word parchment is derived from Pergamum in Asia Minor, the ancient centre…
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…use today, is parchment, or vellum, the terms being often used interchangeably. Vellum is a term usually applied to skin from a calf (cf. veal, veau), while parchment is an expression often applied to sheepskin or goatskin. The word parchment is derived from Pergamum in Asia Minor, the ancient centre…
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history of publishing
Vellum and parchment
Vellum and parchment are materials prepared from the skins of animals. Strictly speaking, vellum is a finer quality of parchment prepared from calf skins, but the terms have been used interchangeably since the Middle Ages. The forerunner of parchment as a writing…
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Vellum and parchment are materials prepared from the skins of animals. Strictly speaking, vellum is a finer quality of parchment prepared from calf skins, but the terms have been used interchangeably since the Middle Ages. The forerunner of parchment as a writing…
Read More

parchment
…lamb came to be called vellum, a term that was broadened in its usage to include any especially fine parchment. The vellum of most early manuscripts, through the 6th century ad, is of good quality. After this, as demand increased, a great amount of inferior material came on the market,…
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…lamb came to be called vellum, a term that was broadened in its usage to include any especially fine parchment. The vellum of most early manuscripts, through the 6th century ad, is of good quality. After this, as demand increased, a great amount of inferior material came on the market,…
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calligraphy
Origins to the 8th century ce
A number of original vellum manuscripts have survived from the 4th century ce onward, preserved in libraries such as at the monastery of Saint Catherine at Mount Sinai. These materials of diverse origin suggest that the forms and shape of Greek handwriting were remarkably constant throughout the Greek world,…
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A number of original vellum manuscripts have survived from the 4th century ce onward, preserved in libraries such as at the monastery of Saint Catherine at Mount Sinai. These materials of diverse origin suggest that the forms and shape of Greek handwriting were remarkably constant throughout the Greek world,…
Read More