The parchment maker specialised in producing and processing parchment. The work was both technically difficult and time-consuming. The production process included several steps that required proficient skills in processing animal skins.
The parchment was most often made from calf, goat, or sheep. The choice of animal skin greatly affected the quality of the parchment. The younger the animal, the more flexible the skin would be. After the animal was slaughtered, the skin would be removed. This had to be done very carefully to not damage the animal skin. After the skin was cut off, it had to be cleaned of hair and fat, this was done with a special scraper made for this purpose. The animal skin was also treated with limewater, which loosened the hair and made the skin softer and easier to work with.
After the skin had been cleaned, it was hung on a frame to dry. The drying process caused the skin to tighten. Afterward, the skin had to be bleached, this was done using sunlight and the skin ended up almost white in colour. The skin then had to be polished with a polishing disc, this was used to rub against the surface and remove irregularities.
When the parchment had been completely dried and polished, it was cut into appropriately sized sheets to create pages in books, documents and sheets for book binding. The parchment was then stored in a cool place to preserve the flexibility.
