Dry and Wet Printing

In the 1950's the Bureau of Engraving in the USA switch stamp printing processes from wet printing methods to dry printing methods. The wet print method required the stamp paper to have a 15% to 35% moisture when printing; and the dry print method required the stamp paper to have a 5% to 10% moisture when printing. In each case the printing was acceptable except that the dry printing method printed clearer stamps that stand out. To a stamp collector this presented a problem. How could you tell if a stamp was printed using the wet or dry print methods? Well lucky for us the paper used in Wet Printing is thinner and more flexible. Dry printing requires a thicker, stiffer paper and special ink. If your a USA collector, you will notice that some stamps are printed using both methods. To identify them requires some experience identifying what represents a thicker stiffer paper. The best way to learn how to tell the difference is to sample a known stamp that uses each method. Or you could go the scientific route which requires a lot of data and instruments. Either way you choose will make you a better philatelist.

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