Intaglio Printing Excellence

***ALL ATTEMPTS AT UPLOADING IMAGES RESULTS IN BROKEN LINKS, DESPITE THE SYSTEM SAYING ALL IS OK AND THAT THEY SUCCESSFULLY UPLOADED. To see the images, go via www.gpspa.info/index.php?opt...mps&Itemid=55 until/if I get around the problem.***

There is an organisation known as "The Government Postage Stamps Printers' Association" See www.gpspa.info.

These are state printers, not private, and comprise: Algeria, France, Nigeria, Austria, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Indonesia, Portugal, Brazil, Italy, Spain, PR of China, Japan, Sweden, Czech Republic, Korea, Ukraine, Denmark, Mexico and Vietnam.

They have a Stamp Award Program that takes place during its bi-annual General Conference. Each member country may enter one postage stamp in one of six categories: "intaglio stamp, gravure stamp, offset stamp, combination stamp, multiple issue, most unique or innovative".

The host country sends the books of stamps before the Conference to all countries so that members can evaluate the stamps. They have uploaded the winning entries since 2004 and I record the intaglio results below.

Remember - these results are down to the opinions of stamp printers, not stamp collectors, so the stamps will/should/do have excellence written all over them.

2004 - Czech Republic. Engraver: Vaclav Fajt. Five colour intaglio (presumably uses indirect recess for two or three of the colours).
www.stampcommunity.org/uploa...ZECH_opt.jpg" border="0" style='cursor:default' onClick='doimage(this,event)'>

2006 - Denmark. Engraver Lars Sjööblom. One colour intaglio.
www.stampcommunity.org/uploa...MARK_opt.jpg" border="0" style='cursor:default' onClick='doimage(this,event)'>

2008 - Spain. Engraver: Alfredo Adán de Oro, engraver of the RCM-FNMT. Two colour intaglio.
www.stampcommunity.org/uploa...PAIN_opt.jpg" border="0" style='cursor:default' onClick='doimage(this,event)'>

2010 - Spain. Engraver: Alfredo Adán de Oro, engraver of the RCM-FNMT. Two colour intaglio.
www.stampcommunity.org/uploa...PAIN_opt.jpg" border="0" style='cursor:default' onClick='doimage(this,event)'>

2012 - Spain. Engraver: ? Two colour intaglio BUT some sites state that it is intaglio and offset, which would prohibit inclusion in the Intaglio section of the competition as it should be in the "combination stamp" category.
www.stampcommunity.org/uploa...PAIN_opt.jpg" border="0" style='cursor:default' onClick='doimage(this,event)'>

2014 - Conference not yet announced.

I hope this is of interest.

GLENN

Imagery works again today, so.......

2004 - Czech Republic. Engraver: Vaclav Fajt. Five colour intaglio (presumably uses indirect recess for two or three of the colours).



2006 - Denmark. Engraver Lars Sjööblom. One colour intaglio.



2008 - Spain. Engraver: Alfredo Adán de Oro, engraver of the RCM-FNMT. Two colour intaglio.



2010 - Spain. Engraver: Alfredo Adán de Oro, engraver of the RCM-FNMT. Two colour intaglio.



2012 - Spain. Engraver: ? Two colour intaglio BUT some sites state that it is intaglio and offset, which would prohibit inclusion in the Intaglio section of the competition as it should be in the "combination stamp" category.

65170 - Glenn, the above five-colour (yellow, red, green, blue, brown) intaglio stamp issued by the Czech Republic in 2003 (see also http://www.cpslib.org/aip/2003-384.htm ) was printed on a White & Saville diestamp print press from five different flat plates, each for one of the colours, using direct recess for all them to produce the rich, vibrant colour impact on the viewer similar to that of the original painting.

Many thanks Florian. The image at your link makes it far more obvious that it is direct intaglio throughout. Very nice. The Czech[oslovakian] Post Office has always excelled in this area of printing, of course.
GLENN

Some more stamps on paintings engraved by Václav Fajt (born in 1952) taking first place in the yearly poll of the Czech Post (see http://filatelie.ceskaposta.cz/en/f...mps-id27645/ :
http://www.cpslib.org/aip/1997-162.htm
http://www.cpslib.org/aip/1999-238.htm
http://www.cpslib.org/aip/2004-417.htm

Second place:
http://www.cpslib.org/aip/1996-131.htm
http://www.cpslib.org/aip/2000-276.htm
http://www.cpslib.org/aip/2006-495.htm
http://www.cpslib.org/aip/2008-578.htm

Third place:
http://www.cpslib.org/aip/1994-58.htm
http://www.cpslib.org/aip/1995-97.htm
http://www.cpslib.org/aip/1996-130.htm
http://www.cpslib.org/aip/2001-310.htm