IV. Production Flaws

Transcription

1 IV. Production Flaws The causes of spontaneous flaws in postage stamps frequently arise as a consequence of faulty materials or else as a result of errors in their manufacture. There are printing plate errors and flaws in the materials, such as paper flaws, which are defects like overlapping, impurities, wrinkles, and so on. Flaws due to the printing press or their attendant imperfections are: heavy or lightly embossed printings, slipped or doubled prints, prints on the gummed side, press offsets, fogs, blotches or foreign particles, blurred, pale, smudges, ink-blobs and dirty prints, partials, displacements and folded paper prints, uneven and missing gum. For perforated stamps there are: double and staggered perforations, missing or else extra perforations, and blind or misshapen holes. Plate Flaws Such flaws arise spontaneously on the printing plates, through chemical (photographic development, etching), or mechanical (build-up, wear on the plate, and so on) means. Plate flaws not only form sheets with flaws in specific stamp positions or from specific plates, but sometimes as well only for some particular stamp positions, such as those created during a defined printing period (for example, stamps from the initial period or during later uses of the plate, or because of damage, such as worn plates). After the production stage, three distinctive types of plate flaw occur. Primary flaws are those that have their origin in the preparatory materials and are common to several denominations (from the original die, or from the auxiliary setup, and so on), such that they are evident in every plate used for those denominations. Secondary flaws are those that have their origin in the preparatory materials for printing stamps for a single denomination (from the paste-up, or from the photographic negative, and so on), such that they are evident in every plate for that denomination. Tertiary flaws occur later directly on the printing plate and are thus the consequence of etching, damage, and so on. Primary and secondary flaws usually effect the printing plate by requiring its mending or by worsening, or they may cause still more flaws; yet again, they may well completely fade away. Plate flaws almost form stamp types. They are the basis for reductions and retouches. Their study provides a means for identifying stamp positions, printing plates, printing periods, and therefore are frequently the characteristic mark of a stamp, so help determine genuine stamps as well. After plate flaws, one must consider the accidental variations in the drawing of the stamp; however, these are not related to the printing plate but to the operation of the printing press and are, therefore, merely transient. Flawed plates are disproportionate in the first four designs, whose manufacture was pervaded by the situation s obvious urgency, for the initial pattern passed through three generations of photographic copies from the primary pattern to the specific pattern, and from there to the paste-up. A lesser number of flaws are attributable to the Fifth Design because it required only two photographic steps the specific pattern for the 25h denomination and the auxiliary setup. Plenty of plate flaws occur in lower denomination stamps, for every such plate printed a disproportionately larger number of stamps (by tenfold) than for stamps of higher denominations. The double gap in the right dove s tail was a primary flaw for the Fifth Design which originated in the pattern for the 25h denomination and, therefore, is seen in every denomination 170

2 with plates manufactured from this pattern. The full flaw is shown systematically as, rarer partial flaws in uncorrected plates are shown systematically as + and +. Secondary flaws, which commonly come from the negative, and therefore are seen in every plate for that denomination, occur in stamps of almost every denomination. They identify plates by being distinguishing marks (as alternate flaws). Some secondary flaws are striking. For instance, the droplet on the upper left spiral in the 5h Fifth Design (position 71), the clock on the 10h First design (position 91), and so on. Secondary flaws do not occur in the 1h denomination because each of its plates was manufactured from its own negative. However, when the initial glass negatives used are stored, they may undergo a mechanical or chemical change such that later plates reveal new flaws they have in common that become decisive guides for determining the sequence of new plates. Most apparent on Plate V for the 15h entirely inconsistently is the appearance of the right dove s tail as (shown systematically) + while the previous plates were uncorrected. A common flaw in position 78 on Plates V and VI that never appears on Plates III and IV clearly fixes their sequence. The preponderance of tertiary plate flaws, on the other hand, come directly from individual printing plates. One could write a chapter of its own on the variations in the sun and rays for the first two Designs where the focal motif was commonality. Most of these rays suffered repeated zincographic handling and they display this on the stamp by the most varied shapes (Table 35). The intensity of the etching was critical here, but differences in the amount of color and printing pressure applied often contributed to their thickness and placement as well. Although their variations are impossible to describe in detailed notes, they do serve however as identifying (subsidiary) flaws. These variations in the sun s rays could not be corrected on the printing plate because additive corrections were technically difficult. Likewise, although one might assume that reductions could have caused these flaws, it is possible to confidently rule that out, since we may be sure that action would not have been seriously considered during the time the printing plates for the first four designs were created, that is, between December 1918 and January A unique, yet characteristic flaw, generally manifested by being remiss in the proper manner for milling the spaces between the stamps, resulted in the rounded corners on stamps printed from Plate II in the Fifth Design 5h denomination and in stamps printed from Plate IV in the First Design 20h denomination (Fig. 211). In the same manner, the signature MUCHA was very often deformed, sometimes even cut off. Inadequate milling of the spaces between the stamps occurred as well it showed up as long lines or curved lines over and under the image of the stamp on Plate III of the First Design 5h denomination. Most plate flaws on the Hrad any are original; the later flaws are frequently gaps in the Fig Round corners. Fig Damaged edge. Fig Inner damage. 171

3 Table 35. Notable variations in the rays. 1 Value b c d e f 3 10/I, II 32/I, 79, 91/II 52/I, 84/II 5 95/I 75/I, 67/IV 17/I, 29/III 10 many 11, 15, 25/I 20 12/I 59/II 8/I 24/II 25 35/I, 8, 51 II 30 34/II 40 88/I /I 39/I, 26/II /I, II most 69/I /I drawings and borders of the stamp, mostly caused by stress on the edge of the plate as a consequence of uneven application of the pressure cylinder. They are found, by value: 3h next to positions 20, 31, 51, 81, and 100 on Plate I (Fig. 212). 5h I on position 3 of Plate II. 5h V next to positions 90 and 100 on Plate II. 10h V next to position 20 on Plate I. 20h V on position 10 of Plate I. 1 Dr. Kubát offers a footnote for this Table, but none is present in the original text. It may have indicated that this table was for Designs I and II Tr. 172

4 g h i k l m, n 13, 85/II 52/II 2, 27, 34, 67/ III 47/IV 6, 69/III 60/I 16/IV 44/I 14/III, IV 4, 13, 14, 42/III 13, 14, 42, 73/IV 42/I 30/III/,IV 23, 96/II 17, 23, 42, 43, 59, 87, 98/IV most 99/I 98/II 42/IV 4, 17/I 15/II 9/I 10/II 12, 64/I 99/I 1, 47/II 7, 91/I 66, 91/II 25/I 3, 42, 91, 93/II 28, 32, 42, 71, 72/II 39/II 9/I 15/I, II 11/I 29/II 66/II 60/I Printing plates are often damaged by a loose mounting nail, for instance, for the First Design 20h denomination, positions 10, 20, 60, 70, 90, and 100 on Plate IV. For the most part, particularly noticeable damage to the outer border for stamps in the 30h Va denomination are found on the inside of the plate, likely the result of moving and striking the galvanized plate wrapped only with wire (Fig. 213). Noticeable as well is the gap in the frame for position 61 from Plate II with an extended upper left spiral. 173

5 Sheets of stamps from an authenticated printing period are necessary for determining the origin of plate flaws, those which display the best colors, paper, gum, and perforations. Trial prints and essays cannot do this. Many plate flaws were essentially un-repairable because of difficulty or the press of time, as indicated by their presence in the 1948 re-release (closed numerals, the coffee grinder, and more). Perhaps as a consequence of the fact that large flaws are always easier to correct, there was a lower expectation for the correction of these lesser flaws. One must always keep in mind that these flaws are part and parcel characteristics of typographic printing, and to them this fully applies: Oh, these stamps, oh those variations! Flaws in paper are incurred, removed, and repaired during its production, when it has no connection with the actual printing of stamps. Printing Flaws These flaws have a haphazard character, and because they originate as a consequence of misadjusted or ill-inspected printing runs, such as poor handling, they result in spoilage, such as printer s waste. They are of interest to collectors only as documentation about stamp production. Only a small amount of these flaws were released through lapses in quality control by the print shop. Obviously, the rest only left the print shop by illegal means. Heavily or lightly embossed printings are due to a faulty application of the pressure cylinder. In the first case the printing or color is deep, but as though smeared, the outlines in the image are thick and the characteristic embossing is missing from the verso of the stamp. Heavy or lightly printed stamps occur in many denominations (Fig. 214). Muddied prints are found in stamps of the lower denominations, especially the First Design 3, 10, 20, and 30h, as well as the 60, 100, 200, and 300h denominations, and come from obviously un-removed color sediments during the rush of printing urgently needed denominations (Fig. 215). Slipped prints, sometimes doubling the stamps outlines, come from excessive movement in or jarring of the printing press causing multiple encounters of the printed sheet with the plate. They are found most often in the edge stamps (Fig. 216). They occur seldom and are easily overlooked. Double prints occur as a failure of the sliding mechanism or a re-insertion of the printed sheet into the press. Fig Muddy print. Fig Light embossing Fig Slipped print. 174

6 Prints on the gum are the result of inserting an inverted print sheet into the press. Offsets result after an idle press runs (without having has a printing sheet inserted) and deposits the image from the printing plate either fully or partially onto the printing cylinder, such that afterwards another sheet absorbs the mirrored (full or partial) image from the printing plate on its verso along with the normal imprint. Offset printings are progressively lighter because the color on the printing cylinder is not replenished. One can discern press offsets because they are created by printing the caked-on color from one sheet onto another by layering the sheets atop one another. Offset sheets can be identified in that both prints are mutually un-aligned, while those that are press offset tend to have Fig 217. Even and irregular double prints Fig Printing and offset on the gummed side of the paper Fig Full and partial press offset fewer differences. More pronounced offsets are the result of jarred impacts on the printing sheet. Offsets in this instance take place in the spaces between the stamps on the press because they are (as a result of pressure upon the print) spoiled and only an embossing of the image is on the press therefore the offset image is placed in the gaps. Nearly all denominations exist as even and irregular double prints (Fig. 217) and as prints on the gum (Fig. 218), as full and partial offsets (Fig.219), and for lower denomination stamps there are also offset sheets (Fig. 220). Fogs and light spots of various forms and sizes are created by odd little bits, that somehow got on the printing plate (mostly at its edges), but without remaining there; they carry away a deposit of color as they fall off, such that some small part of the stamp is not printed, then slowly the place fills with color and gradually shrinks away. 175

7 Fig Offset sheet Fig Fog Fig Watery print Fig Phases of the so-called zeppelin Fig. 224.Transient splotch behind the numeral. Fogs of the most varied forms (Table 36) are discovered on stamps of most denominations (Fig. 221). The most characteristic are the large fogs on stamps of the 120h denomination in position 67 of Plate II and on the 500h in position 71 on Plate I. Pale prints come out of a lack of ink or the over wiping of fouled ink. They are seen on the entire area of the stamp or as a partly pale (watery) and uncolored area; blind prints happen on the entire or part of a sheet because of an un-inked printing plate; they are seen in the relevant parts of the printed sheet in relief as colorless embossments of the design. Pale prints are common on stamps of the Hrad any issue, blind prints are only found sporadically and easily escape attention. White and colored splotches occur all the time; whenever a foreign particle of dust lands on the plate, the pressure cylinder may press it into the plate s depressions so that it conceals part of the image or resists the application of ink. This results in the output s missing part of its printing, a white splotch, but afterwards, with further printing, the particle is painted over and in place of this white splotch a colored splotch appears with the same shape. Colored splotches have some of the characteristics of white rings, in that their creation is the same, that is, that a particle travels across the face of the printing plate as the pressure cylinder presses down upon the paper. When the particle falls off, the plate repeatedly prints (because in the particle s vacated space there is insufficient ink) a white splotch for a short while (Table 37). By chance, bits of thread, paper lint, and other motes get snared by the sharp edges on the plate, with the natural result that it forms a splotch on the printed sheet. The remarkable zeppelins are splotches on stamps of the First Design 5h in position 27 on Plate I and position 46 on Plate II, which at first were 6 x 3 mm in size; for the first part of the printing it was a colored splotch, in the latter part it was white, and subsequently shrank until it was gone. Some who were ignorant of its cause often misjudged its importance among plate flaws and assumed that it had been retouched (Fig. 223). 176

8 Table 36. Fogs. Value Location Position Plate in the upper left corner 72 I 1 in the Š 7 II in the left decoration 59 II in the right dove 1 I in the right branch 100 I 3 in the leaves and towers 16 II in the main tower 52 II in the OŠ (especially the retouched stamp) 90 II 5 (I) in the right branch 92 II in the T 80 I 5 (V) in the right decoration (low) 10 IV in the right decoration (high) 91 IV over the cathedral s dome 40 I between the Š and T 69 I 10 (I) in the A 71 I over the value tablet 16 II across stamps II across the shrub 50 II 10 (V) to the upper left of the left dove 99 II in the left dove 41 I in the left branch 91 I 15 in the T 2 II in the right decoration 3 II in the right dove 52 II 20 (V) in the T 41 II 25 (I) in the left branch 79 II in the upper left spiral and the O of POŠTA 25 I in the lower left corner 20 II 25 (V) in the SL 31 III after TA 1 IV 30 (I) to the upper right of the shrub 71 II 30 (Va) alongside the left leaves 9 I in the lower left spiral 91 II 75 to the right of the value tablet 22 II 100 over the shrub and across the value tablet 60 II 177

9 120 over the shrub toward the towers 67 II 500 in SKO in the Š 10 in the upper right ring 19 Table 37. Splotches Value Location Colored Pos Plt. White Pos Plt 1 in the right dove 98 I between SKO-SLO 10 II 5 (I) high over the shrub* 46 I over the shrub 46 I nearby over the shrub* 27 II over the shrub 27 II after the 5 61,71 I 30 (I) bottom of the oval 91 II 120 in the right leaves 6 II to the oval s right 9 II 300 forks over the shrub on cathedral s dome 6 I over the shrub* 58 I over the shrub 58 I oval s lower left 36 II * Progressively disappears. Of the white splotches that merit mention, one lengthens the value tablet on the 120h in position 9 of plate II and the other is the forking splotch in the shrub in position 97 of the 300h (Fig. 225). Also interesting are the colored splotches on 1h stamps from position 10 on plate II and the splotch or smear after the digit in positions 61 and 71 of the 5h I Plate I (Fig. 224). Of the three colored splotches on the 400h the most striking is the splotch on position 58 of Plate I, which is the same as the zeppelin on the 5h I (Fig. 226). Once comes across phantom splotches and rings in various places on nearly every denomination (Fig. 227). A few colored flaws, especially in the spaces between the stamps, result from deficient cleaning of the printing plate after the previous printing run (Fig. 228). The so-called lightening stamps are from several denominations. They are the imprint of thread or string that has gotten onto the plate (Fig. 229). Blank prints are caused by bits of paper that have come between the plate and the printed sheet, that go through printing and then fall away (Fig. 230). There are a few cases of flaws due to pieces (of thread or string) falling onto or adhering to the back of the printing sheet such that the pressure cylinder later causes their outlines to appear on the printed sheet (Fig. 233). In addition, several denomination show smudges and blurs from the printing run (Fig. 231); when the First Design 25h stamps were being printed, some dust worked its way into the press, causing Plate II to be filled with dots. Blurs are caused by an excess of color deposited as sediment in cavities of the printing plate; sometimes they can be seen on the print as colored rings or dots, often wandering or changing shape. Paper defects show up primarily as foreign bits (crumbs of carbon, clay, straw, and so forth) (Fig. 232). They also result from folded paper (Fig. 234), stripes (Fig. 235), or splices; they are fairly frequent in 178

10 Fig White splotch Fig Splotch on the 400h Fig Rings in various places Fig. 228.Offset in the spaces between the stamps from poor cleaning of the plates Fig Imprint of a thread Fig Blank print (color taken by the snippet of paper) Fig Smudged print 179

11 stamps from the First Design 20h (Fig. 236). Finally, incorrectly inserting the paper printing sheets into the press causes wrinkles, folds, shifts, and tucks. Wrinkles are slightly bent paper, resulting from its rapid compression by the pressure cylinder; it appears as gaps in the design and white margins similar to rings and colored splotches; the paper is impossible to smooth out. Folds are fan-shaped bends in the paper that upon straightening out disclose a larger unprinted area. If by chance the fold happens before the paper is gummed, the paper within it becomes an inaccessible area impossible to smooth out. Shifting means a fold in the margin onto the face of the paper; the printing on the folded part ends up on the gummed side, so when it is unfolded, that part of the image on the face is missing. If there is a second fold upon the first, still another shifted print occurs. Tucks are when the paper is folded from the face onto the verso; since the part folded under is not printed upon, when it is unfolded there is no image. Wrinkles, folds, and shifting are often found in substantial numbers that should not have passed quality control. 2 However tucks are not very frequent (Fig ).It is a smaller production flaw that escaped oversight and is found infrequently and in a used condition. Spotty or missing gum are also production flaws, as are unevenly applied gum, and gum on the edges and face of the sheet, and this sometimes occurs on the printed area. For perforations, printing errors are doubled or staggered perforations, missing perforations and fouled perforations. Double perforations occur from misalignment of the moving apparatus or the reinsertion of already perforated sheets into the perforator. Double perforations are often irregular and uneven. If the two lines of perforations are close together, the margins may appears as though they were torn. Along with double perforations are saw toothed and irregular perforations (Fig. 240). Rarer are double perforations on folded corners or folded parts of the sheet (Fig. 241). Sometimes shifted perforations are seen as a displacement of the perforations into the sides of the stamps, leaving the margins of the sheet imperforate. Shifted perforations (Fig 242), except for comb perforations [the original sentence says including comb perforations which is contradicted in the following sentence. The reader may decide Tr.], occur frequently. Finding shifted comb perforations is far less common (Fig 243), and a reversed comb perforation is unique. Fig. 244 is a reversed comb perforation in the 13 3/4 x 13 ½ gauge, most easily noticed in the upper and lower margins. For comb perforations of 11½, these are not known and perhaps could not be noticed in the margins. As for the missing perforations I talk about here, that condition is only where the stamp margins are missing individual perforations. These are the result of damage or the falling out of perforation pins. Missing perforations are typically from the initial runs of line perforations on the 11 ½ perforating machine (Fig. 244a). Missing perforations in comb 11 3/4 perforation gauge make sporadic appearances. An entire sheet may have in the horizontal or vertical directions missing or lost perforations. These can only be confirmed for two stamps with no perforation between them or for a stamp that includes the edge margin. A missing set of perforations in the entire horizontal or vertical line are common (Fig.245). Extended perforations, which form unprinted areas in the margins of the sheet (false coupons ), occur only rarely (Fig. 246). Dirty perforations are caused by blunt needles. Blind perforations are caused by the needle s striking the paper but not penetrating it. These perforation defects are typical for comb perforations from the 13 3/4 x 13 ½ machine (Fig. 247). Non-production flaws merit mention as flaws which are the result of improper care of the stamps, especially with respect to acids, exposure to the sun, and so on, all of which frequently cause major changes to the color, paper, and gum, thus leading collectors astray. 2 This stamp material initially appeared in collectors hands quite legally. It often came from lapsed quality control, and existed in circulation as well as from ruined prints. Issue No. 1 of eský filatelista, January 15, 1919 spoke of sheets with doubled-over corners (printing on the gum), missing holes, and missing perforations. Later, only rarely did these defects escape print shop supervision, but waste and discarded prints did slip out of the print shop, especially items from the last three issues, and from them clippings were taken of all kinds of flaws (Fig. 238, 239). 180

12 Fig.232. Carbon fragment between the stamps. Fig Impression of pieces of string. Fig Large fold Fig Stripe in the left area of this group. Fig Dirty paper in the upper right corner. Fig Wrinkled paper. 181

13 Fig Shifts and tucks with missing images. Flaw in imperforate 10h First design folded with a partial image on the gummed side of the paper. Right part of the 5h V missing because of a fold. Fig Defective folded sheet of the 30h Va. 182

14 Fig Defective sheet of the 15h, front and back. Fig Double perforations, in the same hole and side-by-side. Fig.241. Bent perforation. Fig Shifted perforations. 183

15 Fig Shifted comb perforation. Fig [mislabeled? Not described] Fig Missing holes. Fig Missing row of perforations Fig Extended perforation Fig Rough (dirty) perforations 184