QUALITY AND PROFESSIONALISM AS THE HIGHEST PRINCIPLES
One of the fundamental principles upheld by our members is to demonstrate the utmost professionalism and integrity in all aspects of their work while adhering to the highest quality standards. Every project is meticulously overseen from the initial examination of the manuscript or artefact through photographic documentation, printing, reproduction, gilding, and binding.
The dual focus remains on both the protection and preservation of the original, as well as its publication and scholarly study made possible through faithful reproduction. The creation of each facsimile or replica requires significant technical expertise and craftsmanship. Only through numerous, intricate hand-executed processes—akin to the meticulous artistry of medieval scriptoria and workshops—can each facsimile or replica come to life.
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BOOK AND REPLICA PUBLISHERS
Driven by an unwavering commitment to the highest quality standards and a profound sense of cultural responsibility, a group of esteemed publishers came together to establish the International Association of Book and Replica Publishers (IABRP). The association is chaired currently by Charlotte Kramer, CEO of the UAG publishing group.
Together with their partners and fellow publishers, they have made it their mission to ensure a respectful and meticulous approach to original works while serving as a hallmark of quality for institutions and collectors alike.
IABRP members form a network of mutual support and exchange, providing a platform for the dissemination of valuable information and content. At the same time, membership guarantees a professional, reputable, and high-quality standard across all stages of production, ensuring excellence for clients.
We welcome new members who share our vision of making this invaluable cultural heritage accessible and preserving it for future generations. Membership also serves as a clear mark of distinction, signifying institutions and collectors as trusted, professional partners in the field.
QUALITÄTSKRITERIEN
Quality Criteria
Based on these high quality standards and an awareness of their cultural responsibility, some publishers joined forces and founded the ‘International Association of Book and Replica Publishes’ (IABRP), which is chaired by Charlotte Kramer, Managing Director of the UAG publishing group.
The Technology
The modern facsimile would be unthinkable without the invention of photography, which enables the objective capture of image data.
For the facsimile reproduction, each page of the manuscript must be meticulously photographed. The resulting image data is then processed for printing through colour separation. Based on this separation, initial test prints are produced and repeatedly compared with the original, undergoing corrections until the colours match with absolute precision. Only once this exact alignment is achieved can the actual printing process commence.
The Gilding
Gold played a significant role in medieval manuscripts, not only for decorative purposes but also for its high symbolic value: gold symbolised immortality, the divine word, wealth, and power. To honour this importance in facsimile reproduction, a complex handcrafting process is employed. Wherever the original features gold leaf, the facsimile also receives gold.
To maintain the aesthetic integrity of the original, the gold is treated to reflect the natural patina that develops over time, requiring an additional step in the process to apply this aged finish to the gilding.
The Binding
After the gilding process, the pages can be trimmed to their original size, and the individual sheets are folded. The gathered sections are then sewn together and bound in a cover that either replicates the original or is designed to reflect the content or the time of the manuscript’s creation.
Each facsimile edition is accompanied by a scholarly commentary volume, which provides an explanation of the manuscript, its miniatures, the artists involved, and the patrons, as much as is known.
