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A Stamp is Born
In the past, stamps came into existence when they were needed. Nowadays, in practically every country, the postal administration prepares a plan of issues, and sometimes such a basic plan is drawn up for a period of several years. The plan of issues is composed of stamp sets intended for issue by the postal administration. It includes not only stamps needed by the postal service, but also stamp issues demanded by the government and all sorts of public, cultural and other organizations.
On the basis of the plan of issues, stamp designs are ordered from experienced designers or a competition is organized. In most developed countries, a commission judges the submitted designs and there are many countries where philatelists and artists are members of such a commission.
Suppose that a new line-engraved stamp printed in two colours by rotary steel engraving is to be issued. The commission has decided upon the design and given its instructions concerning all details. The final drawing of the designer goes to the engraver. His first task will be to produce, on the basis of the drawing, a line drawing, usually six times the size of the future stamp. In many cases, it is necessary to simplify the original drawing, which very often contains unnecessary details difficult to reproduce on the tiny surface of a stamp. This line drawing is then considered jointly by the designer and the engraver, and corrected where necessary.
Not until then can the engraving begin. By photography, a mirror image of the line drawing is transposed on to a perfectly polished steel plate and the important work of the engraver begins. With the help of scorers of different shape, he engraves line after line, point after point. From time to time, he makes trial prints to see where he has to deepen the lines and to correct the design. It is a very exacting task. The design is very small, the designer has to use a magnifying glass all the time and whatever line has been engraved is permanent. It cannot be removed from the steel.
As soon as the steel engraving is completed, it goes to the printers, where it is tempered. Next, the original engraving is mounted on a machine and a ring of soft steel is rolled over it under great pressure (a roller-die). The design of the original recess engraved die is impressed inverted into the roller-die. Where there were lines on the engraving, there are now relief lines on the roller-die. Then the roller-die is hardened in turn. Under pressures up to 70 000 pounds per square inch, it is pressed into the printing plate or cylinder. The same roller-die transfers the design onto the plate or cylinder as often as there are stamps to a sheet. This process is slow and must be very accurate. The cylinder or plate has to be polished in between impressions and again the roller-die starts its work. Whenever the roller-die is placed upon the first impression, it is up to the experience, fingertip feeling and eyes of the workman to put it in exactly the same spot. All impressions on the cylinder or plate must be exactly the same.
As soon as this work is done, the cylinder or plate has to be hardened to protect it against wear. Then the cylinder can be mounted onto the rotary press. Initially, trial prints must be made to ensure that the cylinder is perfect and that all stamp spaces print correctly. Colours then have to be tested. The designer will have suggested colours together with his drawing of the stamp. Many trials are made, and out of the different colour shades, the designer and the commission agree on the most suitable.
This is the moment when the true printing of the stamp begins. Very often, the stamp designer and the engraver are present when printing starts. They want to ensure that the stamps are perfect in all respects. That is how the artist, engraver and the printer present a new stamp – which then, in sheet form, makes its way into the world.
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