STAMP PRINTING

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 52, 25 November 1926, Page 10

STAMP PRINTING

HOW A GOOD DESIGN CAN BE MARRED BY “ECONOMICAL’’ METHOD MR. RICHARDSON’S WORK NOT AT FAULT T n view of tbc wide interest and diverse criticism induced by the recent issue of new 2s. and Id. stamps, it should interest the public equally to hear something from the designer of those stamps, and his opinion of the m Whcii °ecn bv a Dominion reporter the designer, Mr. L. Richardson, who is art instructor at the Technical College stated that as a boy in England he had alwavs been interested in stamps from an artistic point of view, more than philatelic, especially the splendid designs of some of the earlier issues. As he grew up his taste developed, and the

processes of engraving and etching engrossed his attention for a long time, and not without result. Two of Mr. Richardson’s etchings appeared in "Art in Australia,” and he had considerable ex-

perience as an ilhistrater and designer for London and American publishers, having at different times illustrated the classical novels of Sterne, Goldsmith, George Eliot, and others, experience that was valuable to him in the fine work called for in the designing of stamps. One of Mr. Richardson S illustrations to Lawrence Sterne was exhibited in the Royal Academy, Lond°Mr. Richardson designed the 1915 issue of New Zealand stamps (Iyd., o'd , 2|d., 3d., Id., 4}d., 6d., 7jd., 9d., Is.), the design being the head of King George V, with a Maori design as a border, and incorporating the Southern Cross. These stamps were printed from the intaglio or recessed plate. The |d. stamp (same design) issued the same vear was "surface printed, that is to say, it was printed from the block as one would print circulars or letter-heads. He also designed the New Zealand atid South Seas Exhibition stamp in 1925, •which Was reproduced bv the photographic line process. The Georgian issue (2s. and 35.) of this vear, which exhibits the head and shoulders of His Majesty in Admiral’s full dress uniform, was surface printed, as was also the much criticised new Id. stamp,. showing the head and shoulders of King George in a Field Marshal’s uniform. If anvotie interested compares intaglio with surface printing, he will realise to what extent the designer is in the hands of the printer or the authorities who direct the form of printing to be used. Various Styles of Reproduction. Mr. Richardson supplied the following description of the various ways of printing stamps: — “The finished design is handed to the engraver, who engraves it on softened steel, following as faithfully as possible the original. ' This piece of steel is hardened, and is known as the motherdie, or matrix. The mother die is applied with great pressure to another piece of softened steel, producing a die on which the lines stand up in relief. The secondary die is hardened, and is used to impress the large final plate

of softened steel with as many reproductions as required. The final plate is hardened, and is.ready to print from. “In intaglio printing, the lines holding the ink are recessed, consequently the printed design is in slight relief. This process lends itself to great refinement and richness. In surface prointitig the parts of the plate which produce the coloured portions of the stamp are raised up'. and the printed stamp shows slightly inducted lines. This is less refined, and not so rich in appearance as in the first-named. Lithography, or printing from the stone on which the design has been drawn or laid down, produces neither raised nor indented lines. The result sometimes lias a poor appearance. Another method is the embossed, by pressure from a cut-out die. Good inks and good printing help materially to produce an artistic' result.” Mr. Richardson Exonerated. When the new 2s. stamp (Admiral’s uniform, face in profile) was reproduced in The Domin ion, with a description of the design, a copw of the article was forwarded by a' Dominion representative to Messrs, Whitfield, King, and Co., of Ipswich, England, philatelic publishers,- which firm, through the Press, had boldly attacked the stamp. The following reply has’ been received: “Dear sir,—-We are very much obliged to vou for sending us a copy of The Dominion containing an article on tiie subject oi the new 2s. stamps of New Zealand. The opinions we expressed on this stamp were published in the ‘Weekly Dispatch,’ and we still bold to the opinion that they are an atrocity. We have read a great many Press opinions, philatelic and otherwise, on these stamps, and this is the first one we have seen that has had. a single word of praise for these abortions. It is not the artist’s dpsign that _is in fault, but the engraving and printing, which could hardlv have been worse.— Yours faithfully, Whitford, King, and Co.” It will be seeiy.that the final sentence of the letter entirely exonerates Mr. Richardson, and throws the blame for artv crudity which might exist on to the manner in which the stamp was printed.