• Introduction
  • Welcome
  • About BNAPS Education
• Novices
  • Youth
    • Introduction
    • Canada’s Art and Artists on Canadian Stamps
    • My Favourite ... Cartier, 1534-1934
    • Collect Canada’s 1953–57 Wildlife Stamps
    • A Ship from History
    • First Day Covers
  • Adult
    • Introduction
    • A Small Start Can Build a Grand Collection
    • Canada's prime Ministers series of 1951-1955
    • The Admiral Stamps of Canada
    • An Introduction to Canadian Machined Slogan Cancels
• Experienced Collectors
  • Stamp Collectors
    • Introduction
    • Grenfell on Stamps of Newfoundland and Canada
    • Bluenose is Still Considered Canada’s Finest Stamp
    • The Open (or Shut) Case for Booklet Collecting
    • 1946 Stamps Show Canada’s Return to Peace
    • Issues of WWII: King, Country, and Conflict
    • The 1932 Medallions are Modern Classics
    • Canadian Stamps Marked Montreal Olympics
  • Postal Historians
    • Introduction
    • Canada’s ½¢ Small Queen had Multiple Uses
    • Covers Commemorated the Royal Visit of 1939
    • Some 19^th Century Mail That Took it on the Chin
    • Markings on Canadian Naval Mail of WWII
    • Crashes, Fires, and War Interrupted the Mail
    • Paquebot Covers: Mailed on the High Seas
• Exhibitors
  • Introduction
  • Aid to Exhibitors and Judges
  • Getting Started in Philatelic Exhibiting
  • Use resources to help solve puzzling covers
• The Press
  • Commercial publications
    • Introduction
    • Stamp Society Supports Youth Philately
  • Society publications
    • Introduction
    • Stamp Society Supports Youth Philately
• EDUCATION SECTION MAP

Introduction |  Formats |  Printings |  Dies |  Paper |  Straight-Edges |  Coils |  Fakes |  Forgeries |  Varieties |  Cancellations |  Rates |  Bibliography

The Admiral Stamps of Canada: Identifying Wet and Dry Printings.
by Randall W. Van Someren (ENA3C)

The Canadian Bank Note Company in Ottawa used the line engraving (intaglio) printing process to print the Admirals.

Wet Printing Method.

Line engraving required the paper to be dampened with water before the stamps were printed. When the paper was dampened, it absorbed water and expanded. As the newly printed sheets of stamps dried, the paper shrank - about a half millimeter per stamp - back to its original size. Once the stamps were dry, they were gummed and perforated.

Dry Printing Method.

Technological advances made it possible to print stamps on dry pre-gummed paper by using greater pressure. Eventually all denominations current as of December 1922 and later were printed by this method.

Identification.

It is fairly easy to distinguish stamps printed by the wet printing method from stamps printed by the dry printing method.

The paper used to print the Admirals was machine-made wove paper. The stamps were printed on the paper so that the grain of the paper was vertical. When the stamps from the wet printing shrank, they shrank across the grain of the paper and became narrower. Stamps printed by the dry printing method did not shrink because the paper was not dampened. Notice on the above picture, both stamps are the same height, but the wet-printed stamp is narrower by about half a millimeter.

An easy way for stamp collectors to determine whether an Admiral stamp is printed by the wet printing method or the dry printing method is to lay one stamp on top of another stamp. Notice on the above picture, the stamp on top is narrower than the stamp it is partially covering.

For reference, one can use the 2¢ carmine which is always wet-printed, and the 3¢ carmine which is always dry-printed. (Stamps from booklet panes could be a problem, so make sure your reference copies are perforated on all fours sides.)

Some booklet panes were printed on stamps with the grain of the paper running horizontally. This is discussed further on the page entitled "Paper Varieties on the Admirals."

Introduction |  Formats |  Printings |  Dies |  Paper |  Straight-Edges |  Coils |  Fakes |  Forgeries |  Varieties |  Cancellations |  Rates |  Bibliography