So, I've Decided To Design My Own Album Of Ukrainian Stamps.

I have a whole whopping ONE PAGE done. But it, at least, help me standardize the layout I was thinking of using. Once I get a get a whole year set up, I'll start posting them for free download, so the other guy collecting Ukrainian stamps can use these sheets along with me.

I would like the feedback of other stamp collectors, so if anyone has a second, grab the 1 page PDF and let me know what you think:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2301411/199...Template.pdf

EDIT: 1992 is done. You can see it here:

http://www.stamphacks.com/files/try...mps-v1.1.pdf

EDIT: 1993 is done also. You can see it here:

http://www.stamphacks.com/files/try...mps-v1.1.pdf

EDIT: 1994 is done. You can see it here:

http://www.stamphacks.com/files/try...mps-v1.1.pdf

EDIT: Cover Page is done. You can see it here:

http://www.stamphacks.com/files/try...%20Cover.pdf

EDIT: 1995 is done. You can see it here:

http://www.stamphacks.com/files/try...%20Pages.pdf

EDIT: 1996 is done. You can see it here:

http://www.stamphacks.com/files/try...ges-v1.1.pdf

EDIT: 1997 is done. You can see all the pages here:

http://www.stamphacks.com/files/try..._stamp_album

EDIT 1998 is done. You can see all the pages here:

http://stamphacks.com/wp/?p=43

Wow
I really like that.
I might try doing the same, it will save heaps on buying albums
Horamakhet

Excellent . I hope you do the pages for the old Ukraine too

Marvelous! Personally I might put the heavier page border outside the thinner one, but that's personal preference.

Well done!

Debating the old Ukraine. Technically, the old Ukraine was a different country. Perhaps a back of book section for that?

apastuszak,

Very nice. I especially like that you didn't put too many stamps on the page.
My (non-collector) wife told me that the fewer stamps per page, the more impressive the stamps become. Also, that interesting bits to read makes looking at page after page of my collection almost bearable.

You need to have checklist for checking the pages as you complete them. As you correct errors or make adjustments, write them down and soon you will have a decent checklist and saving reprints and tons of toner/ink. Have someone else look them over.

Some suggestions:

Run spellcheck (first stamp has "wigth" in the description.
Double check the 'foreign' names and places that spellcheck does not catch.

Some of your final description sentences have a period some don't. I suggest using a period so the viewer doesn't think some of the description did not print.

You might want to add the date of issue as it is often related to the reason that the subject was chosen (birth date, anniversary, etc.)

The page may look less 'blocky' if the text boxes above and below each stamp are wider than the stamp. Also turn off the text justification. These changes will eliminate some hyphenation (see stamp two's title) and maybe allow more detail if needed.

Finally, years (decades? Time flies when you're having fun) ago I read somewhere that the stamps should be vertically centered above the center line of the page. This was for both album pages and exhibits. Try moving the stamps a little closer to the top and see what you think.
Also, when possible, use a "V" pattern - wider at the top - for mounting. You could try it with this page by moving the top stamps further apart and/or the lower stamps closer together.
Once again, you have to experiment with these last two ideas. Often the change is amazing, sometimes not.

I love the page mate. I collect Ukraine as well; so these pages when posted would be awesome.

In the spirit of community, I can look over the pages if you want just to double check spellings etc.

Cheers
Ram

Ramananda,

There is one thing you can do for me. Confirm actual postage stamp size. I am going off the following web site for stamp size:

http://www.ukrainian-philately.info/menu.htm

I am taking the measurements on there and adding 3mm to each size to account for the mount. But almost all the stamps are listed as 40x28.

I am hoping to have 1992 done by the end of tonight/early tomorrow. I'll send you a link as soon as they are done.

Looks great. I like that there's also some info about stamps.

Ok, I finished and proofread 1992. I had to redo a bunch of stamps because the web site I was using had the wrong sizes.

Let me know what you guys think:

http://www.stamphacks.com/files/try...mps-v1.1.pdf

Ok, for those interested in doing this yourself here is some of the stuff I was tinkering with:

1. There is an open source desktop publishing app called Scribus that I am using to lay out the pages. Though I could easily have used MS Publisher on Windows, or Pages on the Mac, I wanted to be able to make source files that people could edit on any computer type. Plus I have a Linux laptop at home I wanted to be able to work off of. Scribus is available for Linux, Mac and Windows http://www.scribus.net

2. You can get some really really nice open source typefaces from The League of Movable Type: http://www.theleagueofmoveabletype.com/. Using these is nice because you can embed them in your PDF and when you distribute, it looks the same as what you saw on your screen.

Off to work on 1993...

Ok, I managed to bang out 1993 this morning. If someone with the actual stamps could confirm the box sizes, I would appreciate it.

Link to 1993: http://www.stamphacks.com/files/try...mps-v1.1.pdf

1994 is done

http://www.stamphacks.com/files/try...mps-v1.1.pdf

1994 is awesome. Bravo.

I need to finish the web page where I am going to host these things, so they don't live in these forums.

Ok, I made a cover page. You can get it from here:

http://www.stamphacks.com/files/try...%20Cover.pdf

My MNH 1992 set of Ukrainian stamps came in the mail today, so I need to go mount some stamps! Of course, none of them are US sizes, so I need to go buy some mounts now...