It's content is mostly about April's Queen's Birthday stamps, the last of which may still be dribbling into your postbox soon. I know somebody who received the last set on his standing order on Saturday last. The only item of real news, now, comes from Head of Production Martyn Fry, concerning the digitally printed Post and Go stamps.
Martyn writes that the paper is the same for both gravure-printed and digitally-printed stamps, but to allow the digital ink to adhere successfully a Digiprime* coating has to be applied first. The phosphor is added by gravure, but will eventually be digital.
As digital inks are glossier than gravure, this is dulled by the phosphor (which is all-over on the picture) on Royal Mail stamps, and by a matt varnish on the Gibraltar Year of the Monkey stamps.
* This appears to be made by MichelMan a US company with branches in other continents. There are several variants of Digiprime, some of them clear, some opaque white, and some with a colour tint. Most appear to be created for use with HP Indigo Solutions inks. DigiPrime 2500 is listed as:
Usage
When added to size press treatments or pigment coatings this primer will optimize substrates for HP Indigo printability. It is slower drying and provides excellent adhesion of HP Indigo Electroinks® to paper.
Description
Primer for digital printing suitable for paper substrates
Ian
ReplyDeleteLike you I have just received may but I had already received a copy so now have 2! Not sure what RM are up to>
John Embrey
I am glad Ian said he has at last got his May edition of the Philatelic Bulletin. My copy never arrived and I have given up on this. Not worth phoning as it takes too long. Still now with Ian's news there is hope that it might still turn up although it seems unlikely as I have already had June and July editions.
DeleteI had my later ones as well. I suspect the dealer list was held up.
DeleteI have all editions and just received July.
ReplyDeleteI have this on standing order and have done for many years although this time there is an enclosed letter saying my subscription has expired with this issue.
Will have to contact them tomorrow to check it will auto renew or whether now you have to pay separately every year, perhaps this is another side effect of computer problems.
It doesn't auto renew any longer, you have to pay yearly
DeleteClassic case of Hutber's Law (google it!).
DeleteThe Postmark Bulletin is free - I wonder if subscribers have to renew manually?
Chris
DeleteSo I found out after 35 minutes listening to that muzuck !!!!!!!
I do agree Ian (yes I had to Google it)