Making A Template To Frame Stamps

I've got a crazy (or maybe not) plan, and was wondering if anyone else has tried anything like this before? And how it went?

Basically, I want to make multiple album pages with rectangular outlines to frame each stamp. Each page will have the same layout with the same sized stamps - so the boxes will be identical for every page.

Normally, I think a printer would be useful but my album pages have glassine facing on them, so can't go through a printer. My plan is, to get a sheet of clear acetate and accurately cut rectangular holes in it, to make a template. Then, by placing it on top of a page, and running a pen around each rectangular hole, I should be able to draw all my boxes with a pen, and do sheet after sheet.

Or is this a daft idea?

I think it would work if, like me, you have a high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Of course, you would not want the ink to "feather" or bleed under the acetate. Some preliminary practice would definitely be in order.

I'm curious what exactly what it is you are trying to accomplish. That way I can consider your idea and respond appropriately.

Ringo, have you tried AlbumEasy? It is a album page design website. I have used it for years for my plate number coil collection, and it is not nearly as painstaking as doing every page by hand.

Peter

I'm trying to accomplish album pages with line frames around the stamps. I like the way that looks. As I mentioned, the pages have attached glassine leaves, so I don't see I can use computer software to print onto the paper - the glassing would have to be folded back and could tangle.

I think preliminary trials would definitely be a good idea. I just wondered if anyone else has tried hand-drawing frames, and how it came out. I'm actually trying to save labour by making a template. You could do it just with a ruler and pen, but it would take ages!

If it's just your desire to have pages with a boxed frame around each stamp, I would think from the huge amount of your time it would take it would be easier to find an album more to your liking. I too like the rectangular frame and discription, so I chose the Mystic Heirloom Albums and black background mounts. I then purchased individual acid free archival type page protectors to protect the entire page from yellowing and toning. I waited several years and simply purchased the entire album set several times which was cheaper then purchasing supplements each year and allowed me to acquire enough matching binders. Now my US collection is housed in 12 volumes.

As best as I can understand your intentions, I think I would carefully evaluate whether or not use of your existing pages with "attached glassine leaves" is worth it for what you are trying to accomplish.

In other words, you may be better served by buying quality paper WITHOUT the glassine leaves, print the desired line frames (and anything else you may want on the album pages) with the aid of your computer and printer and then simply add glassine leaves after printing, if they are desired.

It seem to me the cost for the paper and inserting glassine leaves thereafter may be virtually insignificant as compared to attempting to hand-draw frames, which can be very labor-intensive and time-consuming, not to mention that the end result may be less than perfect in appearance.

There's certainly a cost factor to be considered in the value of your time in attempting to do all of this manually rather than with the aid of a computer and printer.

Hi Ringo

It sounds to me that every stamp you are going to mount is the same size and therefore the same outline. If that is the case, what will you do if the stamp you wish to mount is larger or smaller than the template?

The suggestion to not use glassine faced pages is worth consideration. I am a great supporter of using your local "mom & pop" printer to obtain appropriate paper. Use AlbumEasy to layout your own pages, subscribe to Steiner pages, or, as a friend of mine did for years, use Microsoft publisher and do your own thing.

By the way. Where did you get pages with glassine facing? The only time I have seen that was for stock pages.

Jerry B

Thanks everyone.

On the subject of the page choice, it's because my grandfather used 1960s Stanley Gibbons Swing-o-Ring albums for his collection, that I decided to obtain one. I used to marvel at his collection when I was a kid, and that got me into collecting in the first place. The album leaves (23-ring) are all faced, hence the printer problem - the pages won't go through it.

I don't want to use an alternative album for what I have planned (Malaysia definitives) but I have been unable to come up with a viable method to draw the boxes. I did a trial with a sheet of acetate, and cut some rectangular holes in it to make a template. Trouble is, the acetate has to be fairly thick to resist the pressure of the pen as it goes around the edge - and that means it's tough to cut. It took multiple cuts with a scalpel to get through it, the result being an edge which was not perfectly straight and sharp.

I think I'll abandon the idea for now. At some stage I will make up an album with outlined spaces, but not on this project, which is heading for my new old Swing-o-Ring album.

Make the frames separate from the album pages

What?

Ok, here's the details:

- design your frame and have a commercial printer print the frame on archival paper - multiple copies on the page (your choice of colors - you can match the color of your existing pages, or go with a contrasting color)
- Have them cut rectangles of the same size with the frames. You'll end up with a large pile of little rectangles with frames on them
- Mount your stamp in the frame
- Glue the piece of paper onto your album page.

You'll also get some side benefits: this will allow you to have both vertical and horizontal frames, be able to change the layout or number of frames on a page to suit the needs of whatever issues you're showing, and, if you don't glue them down that hard, move the framed stamps from one page to another as things come and go.

Feasible?

Now, THAT is a good idea! I'll give it some thought.

Could maybe use up a couple of blank album pages by printing them myself onto pages with the glassine torn off. Cut up into individual pieces, they'd match the paper better.

Great idea.

Hi Ringo

What chipq proposes seems, to me, a lot of effort and expense. Not only that, it will make each page very thick as it would essentially be 2 sheets of paper instead of one.

As for expense. One or two years ago I had a local printer make quadrille pages for me. The setup charge for the quadrille was about $10 and the minimum amount of pages was 500 pages.

If you go chipq's route you do not need a printer to make the "mountings". There are 2 ways other than Publisher. Use Microsoft WORD and tables or the Drawing feature of WORD. If you have never used WORD for this it is not very difficult. I remember once that some mentioned doing this with EXCEL.

Here is a tutorial on using WORD drawing feature. It is for WORD2000 but should get you going.

http://ext.msstate.edu/homepages/ca...eference.pdf

Jerry B

I can see the limitations of sticking paper on paper, but I do admire - no pun intended - the thinking outside the box!

I'm fine using software to size and print boxes myself. I've had a further thought - instead of boxes, use coloured backgrounds (probably black, but not necessarily), cut into slightly oversized rectangles (a bit like black mounts). There's potential in the idea, I think.

Jerry:
Yes, this could all be done at home using any program with graphics capabilities and cut apart using a home paper cutter.
The thing that going to a commercial printer would get you is consistency - and predominantly in the cutting.

However, it is not a requirement. A good paper cutter with a set of standardized pages could and should produce more than adequate results.

Chip

by the way, the idea was based on a very common technique used by exhibitors - background squares of a contrasting color upon which items are mounted. Not a "frame" per se, but the same idea.
See for example this exhibit:
http://www.aape.org/exhibit_view_fr...rameNumber=1

Hi

What I used to design my pages was Micrsoft Excel, then one I had typed up the description, I put a dot where I was going to have the Hawid Mounts, and then printed them out, and placed the mounts on the dots to hide them, and it looks great, so there is another solution.
Horamakhet