Varied and goal-shifting use of framed stamps

In addition to the annual official issuance program, a flexible unofficial issuance program for the Personal Stamp has existed since 2003, which was given the fitting name of frame stamp as of March 2024. Its execution, design, and use have undergone significant change over the years. Framed stamps: from maximalist to minimalist frame size Over the years, the L-shaped text printing has been increasingly minimized, not only in the notation and size of the country name and postage value (euro cents – postage digit), but also in color. With the most minimal indication of country name and postage numeral notation, the image emphatically commands attention without distracting details. Personal Stamp With the issuance of the Personal Stamp in 2003, customers were given the opportunity for the first time to create their own stamp set for a birthday, birth, or personal anniversary. Subsequently, associations, foundations, and branches of the business world have also made grateful use of this. The publicity of this issue was increased with the release of the stamp sheet 'Ten Most Beautiful of the Netherlands' (nvph 2199/08), featuring the most beautiful photos of customers. Maximum letters In the 80s and 90s, the business community ordered numerous stamp issues from PostNL every year. At that time, clients also had access to corporate envelopes suitable for anniversaries. The attention value (advertising) of such postal items (maximum letters) was/is astonishingly high and attractive to the outside world. Unfortunately, this form of creative philatelic franking and 'advertising' belongs to the past. Looking back at maximum letters Three special envelopes bearing particularly fitting commemorative stamps from the commissioners (and financiers) of the stamp issues. After all, whoever orders stamp issues from PostNL must also pay for them. 1) Vereniging Hofwijck (lavish Baroque-style decoration with curls & garlands) in Voorburg is closely associated with Constantijn Huygens (1596 – 1687). The poet-statesman lived at Hofwijck in Voorburg at the time. 2) The 150th anniversary of the Groningen Agricultural Society (1837 – 1987; GWL incorporated into logo) resulted in a special stamp combined with the flag-postmark text 'Rijks Agrarische Hogeschool Groningen' (Groningen Agricultural University) with the first day of cancellation of June 16, 1987. 3) The 100th anniversary of the Broeker Veiling in Broek op Langendijk was cancelled on the first day of issue, June 16, 1987. The company logo (bottom left) depicts barges, with which the through-boat vegetable auction is organized—the only auction in the world to do so! Official issue stamps? Increasingly monotonous & poverty To date, the following have been released: 1) 750 Years of Amsterdam 2) Experience Nature Sint-Eustatius 3) New Dutch Design 4) Roman Giants 5) Post Europe 6) Camping in the Netherlands. Due to a 'traditional' round of cost-cutting at PostNL, the Day of the Stamp Issue in 2023 and 2024 was issued in a framed stamp format, whereas in previous years the issue was always included in the official issue program. The reason/cause for this is that the production costs for PostNL and/or the issue applicant are lower, making it more attractive to issue in the framed format. After all, the institution or organization requesting a stamp issue (applicant/client) pays. This shift in the issue means that the official issue policy is increasingly becoming a repetition of previous years, with only a few unexpected releases remaining. The result is monotony and poverty in the annual official issue program. Frame stamps 2025? Surprising, challenging & varied I do not know which clients / financiers from the business sector were involved in the six attractively executed and colorful stamp subjects. To date, the following have been issued: 1) Dutch station buildings (1x10pz) 2) 100 years TT Assen (1x10pz) 3) 17th and 18th-century shipping (4x5pz) 4) Molly the Cat (1x5pz) 5) Year of the Snake (1x2pz) 6) Classic carriages (1x10pz; not included in Collect 123!!) Image quality of gravure printing and offset printing method The image rendering and quality of the facial fragment of Willy Alberti (intaglio print with fine screen) and those of the slanted red and blue bands (offset print with coarse screen) are different: fully opaque and speckled opaque (pixel difference). 1) Intaglio printing possesses high image quality. * Sharp and clear images due to high resolution (fine screen). * Extensive and broad color spectrum. * Accurately detailed and vivid images and nuances with fine lines. * Extremely suitable for high stamp print runs. The image quality remains constant and consistent. * Production costs are high. * Preparation and setup costs take well over half a year. 2) The offset printing method possesses a uniformly smooth image quality (coarse screen). * Fairly limited color spectrum. * Suitable for low stamp print runs. * Reasonably low production costs. * Preparation and setup costs can be realized within a particularly short period. Reason? The applicant provides the image, which has already been designed in advance. Stamp printing can start immediately. Price difference between official issue stamps & framed stamps There is therefore a clear difference between the two printing methods and, consequently, a different price tag: 1) All official-issue stamps are printed using the intaglio method at a high price. 2) All framed stamps and Personal Stamps (permanent, surcharge, and commemorative stamps) are printed using the offset printing method at a low price. And finally 1) The cost factor plays an increasingly prominent role at PostNL these days. Hence, I wonder: “Which issue will follow the degradation path of the Day of the Stamp in the (short) term?” 2) Also, given the negative reactions to the framed stamp, I wonder: “Why are these stamps less attractive to the collector? In terms of design and execution, they often correspond entirely to official issues to me.”