Hand-Written Album Pages

I recently ran across this 1965 book on how to write-up a stamp collection, and I thought it would be fun to start a new thread for people to show off their hand-written stamp pages (if anyone still does this!)

I know what you are thinking...my handwriting is so bad, I could never do this. Well, I feel the same way, but I was intrigued by one chapter in the book on using "ready-printed labels on gummed paper for sticking on the album leaves...For those who are not satisfied with their handwriting."

Anyone out there printing up labels on the computer and using them to label their blank or quadrille pages? Anyone out there still hand writing-up their blank or quadrille pages?

Here is an interesting thread in StampoRama on the subject: http://stamporama.com/discboard/dis...n=20&id=6147

Also someone in another thread was looking for a slide presentation on stamp collecting, arranging and displaying. Here is a downloadable slide presentation: http://www.slideshare.net/guest7b2c...p-collecting

My labels are not hand written but I do make labels on the computer and print them. Since I house my collection in black stock books the labels are black with white lettering. An example:

SWH,

Very nice! Most labels I've seen for stock books or Vario pages distract from the stamps, but yours does not. The black label blends in nicely with the black stock book pages and the white lettering stands out, but not too much.

If you don't mind, I'm curious how you make them. Just using black paper and printing with white ink? Any type of special paper or printer?

Thanks for sharing.

Looking nice! That black and white combination really pops!

I don't hand-draw pages myself, but I once bought a collection that came on hand-drawn pages. It was clearly a labor of love for whoever did it. It pained me to remove the stamps from those pages, as the collector who did them clearly put a lot of work into it. I think pages like that look great, but I don't have the patience nor good handwriting nor artistic ability, etc.

This is a fun and cool idea for stamp collectors. I don't think I could hand-write all of the pages out like this though.

@ chris2015

Nice to see you like the labels. I guess what you say is exactly why I started making them: labels that do not distract from the stamps. I make the labels in Powerpoint using a black background and a white font. Then I print them. That's it really. I use a slightly thicker than average paper so the labels come out nice and straight.

Here's the template I'm using:

Nice! Thanks for the clarification. You must burn through your black ink (assuming you are using an inkjet printer)?

Wonder if you can just use black paper?

Check out this thread: https://goscf.com/t/8740

It does take ink of course - though since the labels are relatively small as far as I am concerned not too much. Given the effect I at least think it's worth it.

I did look into printing on black paper but have not as yet come across a way to do that. Your regular printer won't be able to print white on black. Maybe in professional setting it is possible but that would mean investing in equipment that would cost a lot more than having to refill your cartridges a bit more often.

chris2015,

This is definitely a lost art. Seems more leisurely than running around filling holes! I know FDR wrote up his own pages - all his life.

SWH,

I am going to try put your method of printing black labels. Very nice indeed.

Jack Kelley

Some of that older collecting stuff we dont use too much anymore is just as collectable as the stamps

Not to harp on this, but just curious, what would happen if you used your "white font" in PowerPoint and just stuck black paper in your printer?

Regular Ink Jet Printer don't have white ink, unless it's an old Alpine or an expensive Epson WT7900

Technically home printers - and most professional printers - are set up in such a way that they can only print colors. When required to print something in white they actually print nothing - expecting the printing to be done on a white surface. Thus when you put black or any type of colored paper in you printer and use a white font you will see that nothing is printed. Again: to my knowledge only expensive specialized printers can print white on a colored surface. For the extra cost of such a printer you can buy more ink cartridges than you're likely to ever need.