A facsimile (from latin fac simile, “make alike”), as word itself reflects, it is made in the image and likeness of the original, almost and exact copy.
From P.I.A.F.’s producing team we pretend to emulate knowledge and skills of those monks and scribes who bequeathed us the most beautiful illuminated pages. For this purpose we use the latest advancements in digital and photography technology, trying to grasp all subtleties and nuances of the finest manuscripts that are kept in the libraries of Madrid, Bologna, Rome, Paris…
Chosing the correct paper format forces us to constant search for the newest technological innovations in order to faithfully reproduce the feel of the paper, the crisp and the curl of the authentic parchments and vellums.
One of the most delicated processes is the precise reproduction of each one of the colors used on this beatiful manuscripts. With this in mind, we used advanced techniques in order to achieve the more precise color correction possible and comparing the color tests with the original. After that we printed the work with 10 colors machines and programas as innovatice as stochastic, a must in order to succesfully face the challenge of printing these facsimiles.
The beatiful gold and silver stamping of these codices is made with a delicate milimetrical work of silhouettes for each image which are then applied by serigraphy or hot stamping on all their pages and binding with the smallest details. Because of this our facsimiles show in all their splendour the color richness of the originals.
The binding of our facsimiles has all the wisdom and experience of those artisans who bound the codices back on their time, codices that nowadays we reproduce entirely handmade, using the same techniques as they did, for example, hemps, sewing, gold impressions, leather, parchments, etc... and all elements which were used in the binding of these manuscripts. The sum of this factors creates the marvelous feeling of having in our very hands an old medieval codex, aged both on their interiors pages and their covers.
Finally, we edited a study book that complement the facsimile which is made by the best subject matter experts and includes an extense history of the manuscript, miniature and text studies, etc.
