The Papers Used To Print The Centennial Definitives - 1967-1973 - Part One
Overview Today's post will deal with what is perhaps the most complicated topic of all, as far as this issue is concerned: the paper used to print the stamps. Much attention has been paid to the fluorescence of the paper, which is to say the appearance of the paper when placed under a long-wave ultraviolet lamp. However, there are other attributes of the paper that are important, and worthy of detailed study as well. These include: 1. The thickness of the paper. 2. The whiteness of the paper when viewed in normal light. 3. The direction of the paper weave: i.e. horizontal versus vertical. 4. The texture of the paper on both the front and the back - i.e. smooth versus ribbed. 5. The surface porosity of the paper - porous and soft, versus coated and non-porous. 6. The opacity of the paper. 7. The surface finish - whether or not the paper is matte unsurfaced, or glazed. This post will discuss all of these attributes in detail as well as covering the topic of paper fluores...