New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1905-05-17
THE POSTAGE STAMP
HOW IT is MADE BY UNCLE SANS
s. EXPERT WoRKMEN.

SIS EXPERT WoRKMEN.
The Manufacturing Process. From
the Engraving of the steel Die to |
the 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 piece OF steel of the finest quality,
on the polished surface Of which man
slowly aud patiently cuts, line by line,
the portrait or other emblem which
has been adopted for this particular
stamp. A steel engraving is what is
called an sincised 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 engrav
| ling.
The die which the engrayer 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 it to be satisfactory it is hard
ened and fixed in the bed of a 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-s
tive
4 This roller Is now hardened in turn
in order that it may transmit the Inn
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 a
whole sheet of stamps-from 200 to 800
at single impression.
Into the surface Of this plate the i'm
preston 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
2 work is most interesting. In the first
place. printing could not be done from
!, single die because Of the vast guam
II,
J ond place, it could not be done from
the roller because on that the lines are
in relief instead of being incised, and
in the third place, it would not be
feasible to have several dies or large
number Of them engraved, both be
. cause the expense would be prOhibi
tive and because no two would then be
G makes it certain that every stamp OF
a certain lot is exactly like every 9th
s er of the same lot-a great safeguard
! against counterfeiting.
e When three printing plates have beer
made they are all fastened to the bee
u Of a special printing press. When the
|, machinery is started the first plate il
/ it is like mirror. The wiping remove!
e all the ink except what clings in the
+ lines Of the 200 duplicate engraving:
e which dot the surface.
|. Over the plate is laid sheet O.
e dampened paper, the plate is slightly
I warmed in order to permit the ink tt
e swell, and heavy pressure is applied
nj, TO ie ni1y
q ing it's ink, and then the third comes
: into play, so that, although all tire,
V are on the same press, each is at ;
given moment undergoing a differen
= process from either Of the other two
Y This has wrought a great saving o
time over the old process of printing
by hand. When the printed sheets ar
dry they go to the cumming machine
n in which they pass between a DIR,
% roller on one side and one moistenet
l. with mucilage on the other. From
IS these rollers they are cast out, we
l. side up, upon an endless web, which
it carries them through steam heate,
n box.
a They come out dry, ready for tn
3 torn apart easily. These are very east
IS ~ made by passing the sheets between
8 one cylinder studded with steel pin
g and another perforated with holes t.
t, match the pins. The two together &C
) like the jaws of conductors punch.
It The last process is pressing the sheet
n by hydraulic power to counterfeit thu
tendency to curl, which is impaired b,
= the mucilase.
The printing Of stamps like the print
7 ing Of gold and silver certificates ant
d bank notes, is subject to the most care
e full and constant inspection.
d Every sheet Of paper is counted be
8 fore it is delivered to the printer, an6
k before he goes home at night he mus
/ return exactly the same number o.
t. sheets, either of perfect stamps OF
e spoiled paper, and no seconds" o.