Paperblanks Black Moroccan Midi Hardback Journal with Elastic Band Closure – Lined, 144 Pages

Capture your ideas, plans and memories in this Black Moroccan midi hardback journal from Paperblanks, with 144 lined pages of 120 gsm acid-free paper.

Morocco leather is a pliable material that has been valued in luxury book bindings since the late 16th century. Its strength provided a rich backdrop for showcasing embellishments, and it is this classic leather and gilt combination that has inspired us to create this cover.

The Story Behind the Design

When we were first beginning to make Paperblanks journals, we found a piece of William Shakespeare’s handwriting and just knew it could become an inspiring journal cover. Soon we added designs featuring the writing of Ernest Hemingway and Jane Austen and created a series that would become our Embellished Manuscripts Collection. These first covers were minimalist designs with the literary manuscripts written in black ink against beige paper. Eventually, our creative urges started to take over and we sought to play around with the design by adding a gold frame.

Working from a photograph of a small piece of gorgeous gold embellishment, our Art Director created a full frame for the Shakespeare manuscript and highlighted it with a burnt orange background. Of course, our curiosity for what could come next didn’t stop there! By removing the manuscript we immediately saw the possibilities for a design inspired by classic Renaissance leather bindings. And thus, our foundational Old Leather Collection was born.

Since then we have continued to play around with frame shape and background colour, with that initial beige and black design providing the backdrop for some of our most enduringly popular collections. As our Embellished Manuscripts and Old Leather Collections have continued to evolve in terms of background art and closures, we have chosen to go back to our roots for our Old Leather Classics.

Celebrating what it is about Renaissance-style bindings that we have always found so captivating – the rich hues of the dyed leather – we have selected some of our favourite background colours for this collection. Our Black Moroccan cover features the same design as the title in our Old Leather Collection, but this time the richness of the background is on full display as the wrap closure has been removed and replaced with an elastic band.

• Original artwork: Gold-tooled leather bindings
• Era: Contemporary art in a Renaissance style
• Region: Made in Canada with a European influence

Product Details

• Size: Midi – 120 × 180 × 18 mm
• Interior: Lined
• Pages: 144 (72 sheets)
• Paper: 120 gsm acid-free cream laid paper
• Cover: Hardback
• Closure: Elastic band
• Binding: Smyth sewn – lies flat and stays durable
• Corners: Square
• Pouch: Memento pouch
• Design: Black Moroccan
• Series: Old Leather Collection
• Collection: Old Leather Classics
• Satin ribbon marker
• 100% recycled binder boards
• Decorative printed cover paper
• Endpaper with credit and copyright information as well as historical background for the original artwork
• Threaded stitching and glue, as needed
• Acid-free paper
• Memento pouch
• Weight: 275 g
• Product code: PB3519-0 | ISBN: 9781439735190

About Paperblanks

Paperblanks works with museums, libraries, galleries and artists around the world to faithfully reproduce remarkable artwork, historic bindings and treasured manuscripts. Every book is made to last, with binder boards crafted from 100% recycled materials, and the back endpaper tells the fascinating story behind the cover design and credits its creators.