Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-05-20
THE POSTAGE STAMP
HOW IT 10 MADE BY UNCLE SANS
EXPERT WORKMEN.

The Manufacturing Process From
the Engraving of the Steel Die TO
Tho Finished Gummed, Pressed and
Perforated Printed sheet.
The first mechanical process In the
manufacture Of postage stamp Is the
cutting, or engraving, of the die. This
Is q piece of steel Of the finest quality,
on the polished surface Of which man
slowly and patiently cuts. line by hne'
the portrait or other emblem which
has been adopted for this particular
stamp. A steel engraving Is what Is
called an incised plate-that Is, every
line which is to show In the nnished
nrint Is cut into the surface Instead OF
being left in relief, as In wood engrav-
ing,
The die which the engraver cuts Is a
"negative;" In other words, reversal
Of the design which the stamp VIII
show. The reason for this soon be-
comes apparent.
When the die is finished and proofs
show It to be satisfactory 1t Is hard
ened and fixed in the bed Of powerful
press. Over it is then passed steel
roller. the circumference Of which Is
several times, perhaps four times, the
diameter Of the die. Immense pressure
Is applied, so that every line on the
surface Of the die Is impressed upon
the surface of the roller as many times
as the circumference of the roller IS
larger than the area Of the die. In this
way four perfect copies of the die are
REPRODUCED on the roller, but reversed.
Each of these impressions Is posi-
| tive"
| This roller is now hardened In turn
in order that it may transmit the I'M
nressions once more, this time 10 the
plate from which the actual printing
Is to be made. This plate Is also OF
steel. The size is sufficient TO print a
whole sheet of stamps-from 200 to 3oo
at single impression
Into the surface Of this plate the I'm
presslon on the roller is forced by great
pressure, once for each stamp In the
subsequent sheet, and then the plate
is hardened. These impressions are
negatives, so that the prints from them
the stamps themselves-will be posi-
tives
The reason for all this preliminary
work is most interesting. In the first
place, printing could not be done from
! n single die because Of the vast guam
titles Of stamps required. In the Sec
ond place, 1t could not be done from
the roller because on that the lines are
In relief instead Of being incised, and
IN the third place, 1t would not be
feasible TO have several dies or large
number Of them engraved, both be
cause the expense would be prohlDi
tive and because no two would then DC
absolutely alike The present system
makes 1t certain that every stamp OF
a certain lot is exactly Ike every 9th
err Of the same lot-a great safeguard
against counterfeiting.
When three printing plates have beer
made they are all fastened to the bee
of a special printing press. When th'
machinery Is started the first plate II
linked, then automatically wiped unit
It is like a mirror. The wiping removes
all the ink except what clings In I'M
lines Of the 200 duplicate engraving
which dot the surface.
Over the plate is laid a sheet o.
dampened paper, the plate is slight!
warmed In order to permit the ink t
swell. and heavy pressure Is applied
Meanwhile the second plate Is receiv
ing its ink, and then the third comes
into play, so that, although all tnre'
| are on the same press, each Is at
given moment undergoing a diferen
process from either Of the other two
This has wrought great saving o
time over the old process Of printing
by hand. When the printed sheets ar
dry they 90 to the cumming machine
in which they pass between Or.
roller on one side and one moistene(
with mucilage on the other From
these rollers they are cast out, we
side up, upon an endless web, whicl
carries them through a steam heate'
box.
They come out dry, ready for tn
perforations, which permit them to b
torn apart easily. These are very easl
ly made by passing the sheets between
one cylinder studded with steel pin
! and another perforated with holes t
. match the pins. The two together &C
like the Jaws Of conductors punch.
= The last process is pressing the sheet
} by hydraulic power to counteract tn
= tendency to curl, which Is impaired b.
the mucilage.
The printing Of stamps, like the print
ing Of gold and silver certificates ant
bank notes, Is subject to the most care
full and constant inspection.
Every sheet Of paper Is counted be
fore 1t Is delivered to the printer, an
before he goes home at night he mus
return exactly the same number o
{ sheets, either Of perfect stamps o
spoiled paper, and no seconds" o
samples are given away to visitors
Edward Williston Frentz In Youth
Companion.