DESIGN OF STAMPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21131, 14 March 1932, Page 10

DESIGN OF STAMPS.

NEW SET CRITICISED. FORMER PRINTER'S VIEWS. A POOR ADVERTISEMENT. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Saturday. The new design for stamps is criticised by Mr. J. Burns, who for over 20 years was Government printer. Mr. Burns stated to-day that ho was disappointed with the new set. " In appointing a board to select the designs for the new stamp set, in my opinion,'a mistake was made in not having a stamp printer included in the board personnel," said Mr. Burns. " I recognise that members of the board are well qualified to perform their duties,but selection of the design is not the only esesntial •n the production of a good stamp. Colour, shade, paper, ink and method of pioduction are equally important. On these points the services of a qualified and experienced stamp printer would have been of value.

"The very first consideration to be decided by the board in the solection of stamp designs is by what process the stamps are to be produced, that is, by recess (or intaglio) or by surface printing. The selection made does not, in my opinion, compare with the old pictorial set, and I think the same opinion is widely held." A Somi-sccret Department. Mr. Burns said that the stamp printing branch of the Government Printing Office was a semi-secret department of State, and that visitors were not allowed to go through it except under special circumstances. Som 0 years ago denominations from jd to Is and also 2s and 5s stamps were printed by the intaglio process, but because tho surface printing was quicker and less expensive an infinitely better intaglio process was given up for these stamps, and from that point the good name of tho Dominion in tho philatelic world began to suffer. Ifc was impossible for an artist to produce a fine design working on sandpaper and it was equally impossible for a printer to put life and expression into a design with a blank face. " Unfortunately, the printer is not consulted in designs," said Mr. Burns. "The intaglio process is infinitely superior to any other process for the production of stamps, yet we find in the accepted designs at least one-half not up to intaglio standard and not worthy of being printed by this process. As an advertising agency, most of them fail lamentably. Tho best designs should bo of thoso stamps which are most freely used, both in and beyond the Dominion." Uniformity of Colour. Uniformity of colour in stamp printing was one of the safest means of defeating forgery, said Mr. Burns. Welldesigned stamps had in the past been killed by the adoption of an unsuitable colour, and it was to bo regretted that the l«st say in the adoption of colour was delegated to officers of tho Post and Telegraph Department, who, in his opinion, couid not be expertly qualified for the job. " I do not know whether the Government has approved of the set as a whole," said Mr. Burns, "but 1 hope not, and I suggest that further consideration should bo given to rejected designs or, as an alternative, that fresh designs should bo called for. There has, too, been too much repetition of subject matter and something more original and more historical would be welcome."