Editing Vellum (section)

===Modern usage===
British [[Act of Parliament|Acts of Parliament]] are still printed on vellum for archival purposes,<ref>{{cite news |title=Goat skin tradition wins the day |work=[[BBC News Online]] |date=1999-11-02 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/502342.stm |access-date=2016-02-11 |quote=Acts of Parliament dating back to 1497 recorded on vellum are currently held in the House of Lords Public Record Office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409112147/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/502342.stm |archive-date=2008-04-09 |url-status=live}}</ref> as are those of the [[Republic of Ireland]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=%2Fdocuments%2FFAQ%2Fdocument1.htm |title=Frequently Asked Questions about the Houses of the Oireachtas – Tithe an Oireachtais |website=[[Oireachtas]] |access-date=2016-02-11 |quote=Once a Bill has been passed by both Houses, the Taoiseach presents a vellum copy of the Bill, prepared in the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas to the President for signature and promulgation as law. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328122949/http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=%2Fdocuments%2FFAQ%2Fdocument1.htm |archive-date=2012-03-28 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In February 2016, the UK [[House of Lords]] announced that legislation would be printed on [[archival paper]] instead of the traditional vellum from April 2016.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hughes |first=Laura |title=Thousand year old tradition of printing Britain's laws on vellum has been scrapped to save just £80,000 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2016-02-09 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/12149181/Thousand-year-old-tradition-of-printing-Britains-laws-on-vellum-has-been-scrapped-to-save-just-80000.html |access-date=2016-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160212064333/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/12149181/Thousand-year-old-tradition-of-printing-Britains-laws-on-vellum-has-been-scrapped-to-save-just-80000.html |archive-date=2016-02-12 |url-status=live}}</ref> However, [[Minister for the Cabinet Office|Cabinet Office Minister]] [[Matthew Hancock]] intervened by agreeing to fund the continued use of vellum from the [[Cabinet Office]] budget.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hughes |first=Laura |title=Vellum should be saved in a bid to 'safeguard our great traditions', says minister |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2016-02-14 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/12149181/Thousand-year-old-tradition-of-printing-Britains-laws-on-vellum-has-been-scrapped-to-save-just-80000.html |access-date=2016-02-15 |quote=Mr Hancock told The Daily Telegraph: 'Recording our laws on vellum is a millennium long tradition, and surprisingly cost effective. While the world around us constantly changes, we should safeguard some of our great traditions and not let the use of vellum die out.' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213064306/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/12149181/Thousand-year-old-tradition-of-printing-Britains-laws-on-vellum-has-been-scrapped-to-save-just-80000.html |archive-date=2016-02-13 |url-status=live}}</ref> On 2017, the House of Commons Commission agreed that it would provide front and back vellum covers for record copies of Acts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vellum: printing record copies of public Acts |url=https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7451/ |publisher=[[House of Commons]] Library |access-date=12 March 2021 |date=15 August 2018}}</ref>

Today, because of low demand and complicated manufacturing process, animal vellum is expensive and hard to find.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nowhere to hide: the value of vellum |url=https://www.iclr.co.uk/knowledge/legislation/nowhere-to-hide-the-value-of-vellum/ |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=ICLR |language=en-GB}}</ref> The only UK company still producing traditional parchment and vellum is William Cowley (established 1870), which is based in [[Newport Pagnell]], [[Buckinghamshire]]. A modern imitation is made of [[cotton]]. Known as paper vellum, this material is considerably cheaper than animal vellum and can be found in most art and drafting supply stores. Some brands of [[writing paper]] and other sorts of paper use the term "vellum" to suggest quality.

Vellum is still used for Jewish scrolls, of the [[Torah]] in particular, for luxury [[bookbinding]], memorial books, and for various documents in [[calligraphy]]. It is also used on instruments such as the [[banjo]] and the [[bodhran]], although synthetic skins are available for these instruments and have become more commonly used.

The [[Catholic Church]] still issues its [[Decree|decrees]] and [[Diploma|diplomas]] for its officials on vellum.