Artificial leather, also called imitation or “faux leather” by French speakers, is made of coated fabrics such as rubber, plastic, or absorbent paper crafted to appear like genuine leather. Unfortunately, without optical glasses, it can sometimes be challenging to tell which faux covers come from real ones; some experienced booksellers recommend even using your nose!
Artificial leather (sometimes called PU leather) is designed as an economical substitute for leather in furniture upholstery, clothing, and footwear applications, where its high-end feel is desired. Still, quality requirements fall below that of genuine leather. Artificial leather has many names: Leatherette; faux leather; Vegan Leather; Pleather Leather, and “PLEATHER.”
Artificial leather is constructed using various polymers such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), and polyvinyl chloride acetate (PVAc), as well as other plastics; embossed grain finishes and smooth finishes are two popular choices among its varieties of production processes.
Artificial leather has many uses in the book publishing industry, frequently serving as binding and book cover material for hardcover books and making bookmarks, bookplates, and other book-related accessories.
Synthetic leather may appear and feel similar to genuine leather, but its durability needs improvement. Furthermore, synthetic leather does not breathe like real leather, making long-term use uncomfortable.
Some artificial leathers can be created to simulate certain forms of natural leather, such as crocodile skin or suede; however, most artificial leathers do not share their physical properties with genuine leather.
Despite this, many are still interested in using this material because of its availability and price. It is also vegan-friendly and does not require the same level of care as genuine leather.
