Help With Grill ID

Hey!
Could someone please answer a question for me. Is there anyway to accurately check a grill without removing a stamp from a cover? I have scanned the stamp and shifted the gray scale but for the life of me every time I try to count the points I come up with different number.
Thank you
Ron

Ron,

I superimposed a grid in which the line lengths are grouped by twos to facilitate counting. If I see all the points correctly, it looks like 12 wide by 17 tall.



I suggest you redo in case I spotted the grill points incorrectly.

k

Ron,

I used the "negative" function of the IrfanView program on each of your images and got the following:



My counts of grill points pretty much consistently came up 11X17, so I would call this an F Grill.

Unfortuantely, I don't think the process will work every time, especially for stamps with weak grills.

I run into the same problem with detecting watermarks on stamps on piece and essentially end up cataloging them as "either/or."

Steve

[Edited to change "117" to "17" in the grill point count]

Trying to count grill points from a scan is a poor way to do it be because the whole area is washed with light. A great method I use is to essentially be in a dark room and shine light on the stamp from a very low angle. Every point will be marked by a shadow and quite visible. Incidentally, it is also a good way to detect faults such as thins and creases.

Ron, I enhanced the scan and came up with 12 X 16.5 (the bottom row are partial points). The top to bottom is very clear but the left hand side is really light impression.

I think the answer is "It Depends" on how sharp the grill is. What you 2 have shown is that even with your capabilities and knowledge, it's not easy. I would only have a guesstimate.

Actually, I believe we all came to the same conclusion -- it is an F grill.