This section offers an overview of the primary materials we use for binding books, texts, manuscripts, and antique books.
The choice of materials is critical to achieving a flawless binding. For this reason, we continually seek out the finest materials available.
Our workshop houses samples of papers, leathers, parchments, and fabrics for bindings. Additionally, upon inspection and testing, we are able to work with materials provided by clients.
Materials for Bindings
Leather: Leather is considered the most prestigious material due to its durability, wide range of colors and textures, and versatility. It can be used for various techniques such as dyeing, blind embossing, gilding, and even shaping.
Different types of leather are commonly used in bookbinding, each with its unique characteristics. The most popular leathers include goat, cow, sheep, and pig leather. Additionally, we occasionally use more exotic leathers like ostrich, reindeer, or deer.
Important Note: The leather we use is a byproduct of animals primarily raised for food. None of the leather or parchment we use in our bindings comes from animals specifically killed for this purpose.
Parchment: One of the oldest materials used for book covers, parchment is a type of leather treated differently. It is produced through a process of stretching and drying the hide under tension.
Parchment typically comes from sheep, goats, or calves and is available in three shades: white, yellowish, and aged.
Fabric: The most widely used fabrics for book covers include cotton, linen, hemp, silk, and jute. These materials bring a unique te ture and aesthetic to bindings.
Paper: Paper is the primary material of a book, not only for its pages but also for its covers. We use both industrial paper and handmade paper, which retains the deckled edge characteristic of its manual production. For cover decoration, we have a vast selection of decorative papers created using various techniques. These include marbled paper, paste paper, printed paper, hand-dabbed, painted, or drawn papers.
This is only a brief overview of the materials we use for our bindings.
For further details, contact us or visit Antica Legatoria Viali at Piazza Dante Alighieri 8, Viterbo.