While vellum made from animal skins is still produced, the process is obviously painstaking and costly. Vellum is generally only used for archival copies of important documents. Vellum paper and vellum stationery today is made using cotton rag fibers to create a high-quality, translucent paper with a smooth, vellum-like finish. The highest quality vellum paper, sometimes called Japanese vellum or vegetable vellum, is made from 100% cotton fiber, which gives a smooth, almost polished surface to the paper. Today, vellum usually refers to one of two very different kinds of paper. Vellum paper, often used in scrapbooking or to draw blueprints, is generally translucent and comes in a variety of colors. It may appear to be plasticized, or made of Mylar because of its texture and translucency. It is often used as overlays for wedding invitations, cards, scrapbooks or programs. Vellum may also refer to vellum finish, a slightly rough surface paper that is extremely high quality, holds ink well and is preferred by many businesses because of its crisp, heavy profile. Vellum stationery is the epitome of quality, the ideal choice for executive communications, formal invitations and programs. Your office stationery and executive stationery conveys a certain impression to...Read More

For centuries, vellum has been synonymous with a high quality writing surface. Originally, "real" vellum was made from animal skin. The process of making vellum was complex and very time consuming, but it is still universally acknowledged as being the finest of all writing papers, and is still used for some official documents. While most vellum stationery today is made with cotton rag – the finest of 100% cotton fiber – the process of making vellum is fascinating. How "Real" Vellum Sheets are Made Vellum starts with an animal skin. The highest quality vellum – smooth, translucent and free of blemishes – is made from the skin of stillborn calves, though other animal skins are often used as well. Sheepskin, more commonly used to make parchment, is a second choice, but goat skin or deer skin can be used as well. The process used to make vellum has survived for centuries. Once the skin is removed from the animal, it is placed in a barrel of clean water to soak for a day and a night, then removed from the water and washed to remove any debris. From there, the skin goes into a lime bath to soak for several...Read More