Id'ing Machins By Direction Of Print

I am now studying print direction to assist with identifying certain Machins. I assume this applies to most gravure stamps.

Deegam discussed spikes and loops but from the images I do not see much difference on this stamp since it has a similar dot pattern. If it is a messy side (the only side different to my eyes) associated with the streaks (believe stray ink) but not 100% on their explanation.

Here is a Machin 2d.

Upper Right


Lower Left (doh!)


Using the above (maybe flawed reasoning) the left side is the messiest so the print direction could be left. If anything it is not like the other two. In checking Deegam, the 2d only had 2 print directions (up for all sheets and some coils and left for other coils). The perfs look more like a sheet (all torn) but stamp is in rough shape. It is 2B but that does not rule out coil vs sheet.

Upright printing

It was a sideways delivery coil that was printed sideways to the left. Not all coils were cut, some were split. So the straight edges are not a 100% guarantee. They should be top and bottom.

If any side looks split, it is the right that was not the one of the SL-printing.

I can imagine the right looks like it has "peaks" but it should be the left. That, certainly, is not the case here.

You say upright but then say it sideways left. Please explain. I am trying to understand what I am seeing I do not see streaks and Deegam also mentions blur method.

I am not sure what makes you think it could be SL. If anything can be seen in your pictures, the picture of the bottom left of the printed area shows quite clear rounded dots at the far left of the printed area.

The top picture, showing the top right of the printed area appears to have a saw-tooth at top and, to some extent, at right. The latter would indicate sideways right printing. If the paper passed at speed from left to right. The drops of ink deposited from the screen will run away from the direction in which the paper passes through the press and into the printing direction.

This stamp has no sideways right (SR) printing.

The horizontal stroke at the bottom of the two in the value (bottom image) also provides information. It clearly shows dots hanging from the ceiling. So, inverted printing can be eliminated (if at all required for this value). On the floor of the same bottom stroke, you see the blurry running of ink towards the ceiling. That is another indication this was an upright print: i.e., the paper passed bottom first through the press that printed the image from bottom to top.

I shall post magnifications of the coil stamp you are looking for, later.

Same corners of SL stamp

Thanks for the feedback but seems it will take some more work to be sure I come to the right conclusion.

Note the nicely-shaped round dots at top, right, and bottom of the printed area.

Now, look at the left of the printed area in the bottom image.
From the top, the first screen droplet looks quite round. The next four, however, show a directional ink flow pointing left. This is caused by the ink being applied by the cylinder when the paper is passing from its right to left side.
Most screen dots show this pattern.

Towards the bottom, the line blurs from the screen dots in the next row that run to the left.

The value also helps. In the vertical stroke to the D, you can see the very round screen dots at the left-hand side. On the right-hand side of the same vertical stroke, this blurs. Compare these to the screen dots in the margin at the same height and to some extent the left side of the loop to the 2 in the value.

Also, perforation tips at the bottom of the stamps. These are cut in a horizontal direction. The stamps were printed with HM the Queen lying on her back. The cutter separated columns in the direction the paper passed through the printing press, as this is how the paper was reeled. With sideways printing, this direction is sideways to the design, as happened with the printing.

I hope this helps.

Sometimes, I am left asking why my DOP is not listed. You, also, can apply this to your Hong Kong Machins. Most exist printed in two opposing directions, including the high values. In mint condition, the gum colour, sometimes, is of help.

But Deegam and Tangri do (did) not always coincide. I think Tangri gets it right most of the time.

Hi NSK,
Do you mean your designation of origin here in the SCF forum?
Don

Hi Don,

DOP is Deegam Machin lingo for Direction of Printing.

(Unless I would be posting about a piece of queso urgélia -Spanish cheese -, in which case it means Denominación de Origen Protegida - protected designation of origin.)
It is one of those clear communication things that specialist listings just ignore.

Ah, I thought perhaps you were asking about having your location shown in your posts and was going to help.

Don

It is a shame "European Union" is not an option. But I found out how I can change the country.

In going back to some samples, using the "microscope method" as called by Deegam by looking at the dots in the portrait one can tell direction in part by the shape of the dots since elongated in the direction of print.

That is what causes the saw-tooth pattern at the edges. Indeed, the portrait sometimes works well.