This take on Minted was made by undefined from , a member of Minted's community of independent artists.
Vellum, parchment paper, tracing paper, transparent paper, translucent paper – these are all terms for vellum paper, or the beautiful, frosty-looking paper you may have seen on your friends’ wedding invitations or Christmas cards. Vellum paper has a rich history that goes back to the beginning of paper itself. As technology evolved and history progressed, modern vellum paper grew into the luxurious and high-demand product that it is today.
At Minted, we use 100% recyclable vellum paper made from natural cellulose fibers. Learn here about the history and present day controversies of old vellum paper. Then, create a customizable vellum overlay for your wedding invitations, birth announcements, holiday cards, or graduation cards.
Paper is seen, used, and discarded so frequently in our lives that we rarely stop to think about where it came from. More than a thousand years ago, civilizations across the world each developed different early versions of paper. The primary writing material in ancient Egypt was papyrus, a paper they made from the stalks of Cyperus papyrus plants. This is actually where the term “paper” came from, since it sounds similar to “papyrus.” In the fifth century, people from the Maya civilization in Mexico developed paper made out of tree bark. This version of paper was stronger than papyrus. In ancient Asia, papers were made out of all kinds of plants such as plant stems, vegetable matter, and hemp. In medieval Europe, a method of paper-making developed from pressing the leftover pulp of rotting rags. Despite the wide variety of paper-like materials, by the third century many of these materials – such as Egyptian papyrus paper – were being replaced by vellum.
What is vellum? “Vellum” originally referred to a high quality parchment paper made out of calfskin that had been stretched and treated on a wooden frame. Now, the term is used to mean parchment paper made from any kind of animal. To clarify, the original term “parchment paper” is not the same as the non-stick paper you use for baking sheets. “Parchment paper” originally meant animal skin that had been treated for the purpose of writing or printing. Because of the subtle differences, the terms “vellum” and “parchment” are sometimes used interchangeably.
While this might seem off-putting, original vellum paper has a deep historical significance and was extremely useful. First, original vellum can be described as smooth, thin, translucent, and durable. Vellum paper was used for books, scrolls, codexes, and art. Beyond its versatility, vellum paper was a crucial writing material for durability. For example, in European climates plant-based papers like papyrus would quickly degrade. On the other hand, vellum is said to last up to 5,000 years – making it easily a first choice writing material. Because of its enduring qualities, vellum paper and parchment paper have been used for many significant documents throughout history such as religious text and political documents. In fact, even the Declaration of Independence was written on parchment paper.
In fifteenth century Europe, the creation of Johannes Gutenberg’s movable type printing press revolutionized commercial printing. This created an unprecedented demand for paper. New paper milling techniques developed that allowed paper production to surpass the production of vellum and parchment. Thus, in that century the use of paper and parchment became almost interchangeable. This is exemplified by the use of both materials in Gutenberg’s famous bible printing project.
Additionally in the fifteenth century, canvas began being widely used for paintings. Canvas and paper were more favorable to artists since vellum and parchment were expensive and had strange qualities. Therefore, vellum and parchment weren’t needed much more for artistic purposes. Over time, vellum and parchment fell out of popular use.
You’ll probably be happy to hear that modern vellum and modern parchment are not made from animals. Modern vellum is machine-made from plasticized cotton or cellulose fibers from plants and trees. Existing in a variety of colors, weights, textures, brands, level of transparency, Vellum is smooth to the touch and feels almost like plastic. Unlike the long-lasting, durable original vellum, modern vellum is so delicate that it can sometimes curl in response to heat, touch, or moisture.
The uses for modern vellum are endless, especially because of its unique translucent quality. Vellum is used for anything from children’s crafts to tracing architectural blueprints. Additionally, vellum can be printed on just like normal paper, creating a multitude of artistic employments.
Present day, original vellum is expensive, extraordinarily hard to come across, and has little demand. However, there are still some traditions that require the use of original vellum. One of the most well-known of these traditions is making Jewish Torahs.
Lesser known yet highly relevant, in the past few years a heated debate occurred in the United Kingdom regarding what kind of paper future legislation would be written on. In 2016, the House of Lords resolved that future legislation would have to be printed on regular archive paper as opposed to calfskin vellum. This would apparently save the British Parliament £80,000 or about $100,000 a year.
However, this decision raised a lot of controversy. Using vellum for their legislation is a thousand year-old tradition. In addition, archive paper only lasts about 200 years whereas vellum is supposed to last 5,000 years. Thus, eliminating vellum legislative documents would take away the opportunity for future generations to see and hold history in their hands.
Further, Adrian Brown – the director of parliamentary archives in the United Kingdom – expressed an anxiety over modern forms of record keeping such as digital storage. As technology advances at a faster and faster pace, files need to be constantly updated. Otherwise, they might become obsolete and unreadable by current computers. That’s why it’s important to have long-lasting, physical important documents.
For all of these reasons, Cabinet Office Minister at that time, Matthew Hancock, offered to use money from the Cabinet’s budget to pay for the preservation of tradition and history through continued use of vellum documents. Because of this, legislative documents in the United Kingdom today are still written on vellum.
Another present day use of original vellum paper is for studying and learning about history. For example, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) discovered a way to analyze centuries-old vellum documents without destroying them. They realized that erasers create a small electrical charge that attracts other molecules when used. With this knowledge, they used erasers to collect samples from over 300 vellum documents ranging from the thirteenth century to the nineteenth century. This innovative data collection technique may be crucial for future document analyses. Further, this research found what kinds of animals were used to make which vellum documents, revealing information about livestock, trade, and economics in that time period. Thus, the well-preserved nature of original vellum documents in combination with modern scientific techniques can uncover a plethora of information about the past.
From its ethereal surface to its translucent glacial appearance, there are many reasons to use vellum paper overlays on your wedding invitations, birth announcements, Christmas cards and more. Besides carrying a rich history, Minted’s vellum is a great choice because it is environmentally friendly. When our vellum paper is made, its natural cellulose fibers are not tightly knit and consequently trap air. Later, the air is pressed out, creating the translucent quality vellum is famous for. This kind of vellum is 100% recyclable, as opposed to the brittle, chemically-treated vellum alternative. As you can see, vellum is a perfect paper choice because of its refined beauty, deep historical contexts, and eco-friendliness.
Vellum overlays add a multitude of artistic dimensions to a card. For example, it creates excitement and suspense for baby pictures reveals on birth announcement cards. Friends and family will see a baby through a diaphanous picture, then eagerly remove the overlay to see the entire picture. In addition, vellum overlays are extraordinarily versatile. At Minted, you can choose and customize a vellum overlay and its accompaniment card for endless possibilities. Experiment with a simple monogrammed overlay design on top of a family photo, or an annual letter text overlay on top of your favorite art print. Mix and match vellum overlays with Minted’s exclusive foil-pressed and letterpress cards to maximize your creation’s luxury.
By using a vellum overlay, you create an interactive experience for your recipients and your cards. You give them two elements that they can enjoy separately and together. If you’re still looking for more ways to customize your cards, play around with exquisite stationery accessories like ribbon and custom stamps.
After reading about the history of vellum paper, you may be excited to play around with it. If you don’t have a birth announcement, wedding, or other life event coming up that requires ordering cards, consider experimenting with vellum paper DIY (Do-It-Yourself) activites. If you or your kids like making crafts, there are limitless crafting opportunities with vellum paper. Choose one of these ideas for your first vellum crafting project:
Sending your save the date cards is not only important for ensuring your guests will free their calendars for your big day. Save the dates are the first impression you make on your guests about what your wedding celebration will be like. Set a high bar of refinery and elegance with vellum overlay save the date cards. Pair a classic and formal looking save the date vellum overlay with a picture of your city. Or, match a simple and minimalist vellum overlay with one of your engagement photos.
See You In San Francisco by Elly
There’s no better way to get into the festivities of the holiday season than by customizing one of Minted’s lovely vellum overlay holiday cards. Make your friends and family feel like they’re peeking through frosted window when they open your card. Use a vellum overlay to accentuate the wintry tone of a family photo in the snow, to write a letter summarizing your past year, or to make a Christmas tree frame around a simple picture of your child. No matter which design you go with, vellum’s cool and alabaster qualities are sure to uplift your holiday card.
Hand-written Holiday
by Lindsay Stetson Thompson
Share the news of your newborn baby with your friends and family by sending a beautiful vellum overlay birth announcement card. Add a whimsical touch with a colored, galaxy-like overlay, or use a savvy and informative overlay to tell your loved ones about your baby’s birthday, weight, and size. Then, keep or frame one of your vellum overlay birth announcement cards forever to memorialize this big milestone.
Out of This World by Monika Drachal
A high school or college graduation is one of the most important days of a young adult’s life. Help your child celebrate this event with a stylish vellum overlay graduation announcement that they can hold on to forever. Play off of their school colors, include a witty quote, or just stick to a classic and formal frame to personalize the perfect vellum overlay graduation announcement for your child.
It's Going Down by Up Up Creative
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