Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-05-16
MAKING POSTAGE STAMPS.
They Are Printed Rapidly, But With
Great Care.

They Are Printed Rapidly, But With
Great Care.
The first mechanical process In the
manufacture of postage stamp Is the
cutting or engraving, Of the die. This
is piece of steel of the finest quality,
on the polished surface Of which a
man slowly and patiently cuts, line
by line, the portrait or other emblem
which has been adopted for this par
ticular stamp. A steel engraving is
what is called an incised plate; that
Is, every line which is to show In the
finished print Is cut into the surface
instead of being left in relief, as In
wood engraving. says a writer in the
Youths Companion.
The die which the engraver cuts Is
negative; in other words, a reversal
Of the design which the stamp Will
show. The reason for this soon be-
comes apparent.
When the die Is finished and proofs
show 1t to be satisfactory, 1t Is har-
dened and fixed in the bed Of a pow
erful press. Over 1t is then passed a
steel roller, the circumference OF
which is several times-perhaps four
times-the diameter of the die. I'm
mense pressure Is applied, so that ev-
cry line on the surface Of the die Is
impressed upon the surface Of the
roller as many times as the circum-
ference Of the roller Is larger than
the area Of the die. In this way four
perfect copies Of the die are reproduc-
ed on the roller, but reversed. Each OF
these impressions is a positive"
This roller Is now hardened In turn
in order that 1t may transmit the i'm
pressions once more this time to the
plate from which the actual printing
Is to be made. This plate Is also OF
steel. The size is sufficient to print q
whole sheet of stamps-from 200 to
30O-at a single impression.
Into the surface Of this plate the
impression 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-willb be
positives.
The reason for all this preliminary
work is most interesting. In the first
place, printing could not be done from
single die, because Of the vas,
quantities of stamps required. In the
second 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 6
large number of them engraved, both
because the expense would be pro-
hibitive and because no two would
then be exactly like every other Of the
same lot-a great safeguard against
counterfeiting.
When three printing plates have
been made they are all fastened to the
bed of a special printing press. Wher
the machinery is started the first
plate is linked, then automatically
wiped until it is like a mirror. The
wiping removes all the ink except
what clings in the lines Of the 200 du-
plicate engravings which dot the sur
face.
Over the plate Is laid a sheet OF
damped paper, the plate Is slightly
warmed in order TO permit the ink to
swell, and heavy pressure Is applied
Meanwhile the second plate Is receiv-
ing it's ink, and then third comes into
play, so that although all three are or
the same press, each Is at given mo-
ment undergoing~a different process
from either of the other two. This
has wrought a great saving Of time
over the old process Of printing by
hand. When the printed sheets are
dry they go to the cumming machine
roller on one side and one moisened
with mucilage on the other From
these rollers they are cast ouL wet
side up upon an endless web, which
carries them through a steam-heated
box.
They come out dry, ready for the
perforations which permit them to be
torn apart easily. These are very cas-
lily made by passing the sheets be-
tween one cylinder studded with stee
pins and another perforated with holes
to match the pins. The two act to-
gether like the jaws of a conductor
punch.
The last process is pressing the
sheets by hydraulic pressure to coun-
teract the tendency to curl. which is
impaired by the mucilage.
The printing of stamps, like the
printing of gold and silver certificates
and bank notes, is subject to the most
careful and constant inspection.
Every sheet of paper Is counted be-
fore it Is delivered to the printer, and
before he goes home at night he must
return exactly the same number OF
sheets, either Of perfect stamps OF
spoiled paper, and no seconds" Oh
,yiH To uiSitnrS