Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

We all see servitors writing something on a piece or parchment.I can't believe that Imperium uses parchment and after all that's 40k years in future.Maybe those parchment are advanced paper whose tech is concealed behind medieval visage.

It is not parchment and ink, it is the skin of heretics and the blood of mutants.

Parchment is very grimdark.

Also, they use digital information just as much.

SilverMK2 wrote:It is not parchment and ink, it is the skin of heretics and the blood of mutants.

While I think he he(she?) was joking, SilverMK2 is probably close. Paper requires large amounts of woodpulp to make, although linen scrapes do work as well. I doubt that agri worlds would be paid over to the production of material for massive amounts of paper when other materials are more readily available.

Parchment isn't used these days because it is made from skin, traditionally lambs or calf hide. There are large amounts of humans and their dead bodies are already used for things like rations. You do the maths.

The advantage is that parchment is more durable than paper. The disadvantage is that it requires more work to make per sheet (given labour costs not an issue) and that human skin is a pain in the neck to tan compared to sheep or cattle.* Although that is just training and practice, I suspect.


*Yes, I DO know this, I used to be an apprentice taxidermist, and my mentor has tanned human hide before. He compared it to birdskin, and I've mounted quite a few birds, so based on those comparisons it would be a moderately skilled trade but an entirely doable one.

I always thought it was slightly altered(e.g. fire proof seal) parchment.

Morgrim wrote:While I think he he(she?) was joking, SilverMK2 is probably close. Paper requires large amounts of woodpulp to make, although linen scrapes do work as well. I doubt that agri worlds would be paid over to the production of material for massive amounts of paper when other materials are more readily available.

He, and yes, I was joking

You don't even want to know what the pens are made out of

And given the size of the imperium, I think they probably do make quite a lot of paper locally and there probably are "paper worlds" in the same way there are forge worlds.

*Yes, I DO know this, I used to be an apprentice taxidermist, and my mentor has tanned human hide before. He compared it to birdskin, and I've mounted quite a few birds, so based on those comparisons it would be a moderately skilled trade but an entirely doable one.

How interesting... :O

40K years into the future and humans still haven't created the paperless office....

Forget the never ending wars that's really depressing and super Grim dark!

Surely though the materials and man power that make the parchment could be put better use? i.e a nice leather sofa?

Comfort leads to carelessness. Carelessness leads to heresy.

This is why everything in the imperium is made from skulls.

The Dreadnote wrote:Comfort leads to carelessness. Carelessness leads to heresy.

This is why everything in the imperium is made from skulls.

Haha This made my day.

Funny that people are worrying about paper while dudes are running around in huge suits of armor with swords and axes...