Evening star., 1961-07-02


Artists Viewpoint
In an effort to avoid such
unsatisfactory (from a pro-
duction view point) designs
the bureau. tried to convince
the Stamp Advisory Commit
tee that designing should be
done with both the posSibili-
ties and the limitations of
the press in mind. But the
idea received only grudging
acceptance. For most stamps
of the last few years the bu-
reau has had to take already
completed art work, often by
an artist with no stamp de-
signing experience, and do
the best job possible under
the circumstances.
The artists saw it differ
emily, Of course. Any
mechanical limitation on
their creativity was resented.
Ervine Metzl, one of the
artist members of the Stamp
Advisory Committee, sug-
gested, in a moment of frus-
tration, that in view of it's
limitations the Giori press
would have to go.
Mr.. Metzl had two specific
complaints. Although yellow
and blue will produce green,
he said, blending colors in
this way was impossible on
the Giori press. And even
worse than being unable to
print one color over another,
the press was unable to print
one color next to another
without a separation to allow
for bleeding. 1t was, he said,
like the Kremlin telling
artists what they ought to
paint, and how.
Mr.. Metzl's irritation is
quite understandable. But
the bureaus own artists, en-
gravers and plate printers,
who were somewhat closer to
the problem, had no desire
to throw out the new press,
which was the best available.
Instead, they took its limita-
tions as a challenge. Some
of the recent trial work,
undertaken with the encour-
agement of the new Kennedy
administration postal Off
cials, is the result.
Color Blending Tried
Color blending trials were
made with old stamp plates
and with special designs used
for a new ink sample book.
But the real advance came
with the especially prepared
design in stamp p-size pictur-
ing the jefferson Memorial.
The vignette of marble
Memorial with its trees and
shrubbery is enclosed by a
complicated border using
several engraving techniques
and depths. The design was
created to include all the
possible difficulties to be ex-
pected in printing line en-
graved work, but also to
make the most of the press
potential.
The engraved die was used
to prepare a conventional
stamp plate of 200 subjects
in the usual four panes of so.
Sample sheets were printed
with the two bottom panes in
three colors and with the
upper panes in four or five,
the additional colors being
blends created by overlapping
two of the original three inks.
On one sheet, for example,
the frame is red, the Me-
mortal and sky blue, and the
foliage green on the bottom
panes. On the upper part
of the sheet part of the
frame and the Memorial are
printed with a red-blue over
lap and minute red areas
are spotted into the design.
IL Color Combinations
Twelve different color
combinations prepared in
this way give an amazing
variety of effects-the Me-
mortal at dusk, in bright
sunlight, etc.-and all of
them are far more realistic
in their coloring than any
stamps we have ever issued.
In the actual printing,
done at production speeds,
the linking rollers apply first
the lighter, then the darker
color in the overlap areas
and the plate is then wiped
clean. The ink blend takes
place in the recess engraved
lines of the plate itself, not
in successive applications of
the inks to the paper.
In this test work there are
no white separation lines be-
tween the colorS. The colorS
used are compatible and any
accidental overlap produces
a blend which is unob-
jectionable and in fact is not
likely to be noticed except
by careful study under a
magnifying glass.
With the success of the
jefferson Memorial test
plate, we can Ssume that
similar color blends will be
used in a regularly issued
stamp before long. 1t ought
to be a long step in the di-
rection of the Post Office
Departments "best stamps
in the world" goal.