Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I do not have any other fluid.
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Orange/yellows can be tough...I typically have to wait for the flash before I see watermarks on orange stamps. Since the flash can only be a second or two, I sometimes have to try several times before I finally figure it out.
Don
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Following is information I received in a seminar on identifying faked stamps, at the Washington D.C. 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition. I am old and cannot remember who gave the presentation, but did take notes. "If after several unsuccessful attempts at finding parts of any of the letters "U" "S" or "P" on the perf 12 WF, you may want to try using a colored filter. If you’re really serious about this, you may want to try a photographic or scientific supply house to get filters specifically designed to remove light of a specific color. Alternately, I have found that colored cellophane wrapping paper, for example the kind that fruit baskets come in, often does the job. Either way, you will want to use a filter of the complimentary color of the stamp in question. For example, you would want to use a blue filter for the difficult orange stamp, a purple filter for the yellow stamp, and a red to reddish violet filter for the olive green stamp. The filter should be translucent enough to let plenty of light through and yet block the color of light reflected from the ink of the stamp."
My daughter is a theater teacher and obtained a complete set of "Gels" color filters used by theaters and photographers. I have not counted them, but there is over 500 different colors to include 6 different blues. Each of my Gels are 3 x 1 1/2 inches and very thin which allows the image and light to shine through. Not always successful, but has helped me to find the difficult WM. Maybe this will help.
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Someone messaged me asking for clarification about a watermark ‘flash’. The ‘flash’ occurs as the watermark fluid evaporates and only lasts a few seconds. I usually place the stamp face down on black glass and add a drop or two of the watermark fluid.
If you sit and watch as it dries there is a short period of time, just before it completely evaporates, where the stamp changes color (or ‘flashes’). It is in this short period of time that some difficult watermarks can reveal themselves. You may need to do this several times, rotating the stamp or light source before you can see it. And oh, I find that some Glenfiddich or other good single malt scotch can help with the process.
Don
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"...And oh, I find that some Glenfiddich or other good single malt scotch can help with the process."
Dunno, Don ... using scotch that way might give your stamps a 'peaty' odour ...
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Don, I also find a watermark fluid "splash" sometimes works at the moment that a dry stamp is dropped (splashed) into the fluid. Like the "flash" it lasts only a split second, and can take many attempts to see the watermark (or not). The stamp must be dry before making each attempt to "splash" it in the fluid.
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I have occasionally wondered, if instead of coloured filters, whether a light source through a prism would produce a better image of a watermark. Not having a prism I have never tried this.
I envision moving the stamp along the individual colour bands (or vice versa) until one works.
Anyone with a prism handy care to try?
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At an APS presentation at StampShow in Richmond, it was suggested that using a blue tray was sometimes productive in detecting watermarks in orange stamps (seemingly similar to the use of filters described above).
The blue lid from a popular peanut butter brand was given as an example of one such tray.
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I have tried the blue filter approach with scanned images. I will post some results.
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I have run across a couple stamps on orangish paper and it seems impossible to see the watermark using Clarity. I have also tried scanning while in liquid and still no way to get anything to show. I just see a shadow of the front.
I do not have any other fluid.
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re: Watermarks on colored paper
Orange/yellows can be tough...I typically have to wait for the flash before I see watermarks on orange stamps. Since the flash can only be a second or two, I sometimes have to try several times before I finally figure it out.
Don
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re: Watermarks on colored paper
Following is information I received in a seminar on identifying faked stamps, at the Washington D.C. 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition. I am old and cannot remember who gave the presentation, but did take notes. "If after several unsuccessful attempts at finding parts of any of the letters "U" "S" or "P" on the perf 12 WF, you may want to try using a colored filter. If you’re really serious about this, you may want to try a photographic or scientific supply house to get filters specifically designed to remove light of a specific color. Alternately, I have found that colored cellophane wrapping paper, for example the kind that fruit baskets come in, often does the job. Either way, you will want to use a filter of the complimentary color of the stamp in question. For example, you would want to use a blue filter for the difficult orange stamp, a purple filter for the yellow stamp, and a red to reddish violet filter for the olive green stamp. The filter should be translucent enough to let plenty of light through and yet block the color of light reflected from the ink of the stamp."
My daughter is a theater teacher and obtained a complete set of "Gels" color filters used by theaters and photographers. I have not counted them, but there is over 500 different colors to include 6 different blues. Each of my Gels are 3 x 1 1/2 inches and very thin which allows the image and light to shine through. Not always successful, but has helped me to find the difficult WM. Maybe this will help.
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re: Watermarks on colored paper
Someone messaged me asking for clarification about a watermark ‘flash’. The ‘flash’ occurs as the watermark fluid evaporates and only lasts a few seconds. I usually place the stamp face down on black glass and add a drop or two of the watermark fluid.
If you sit and watch as it dries there is a short period of time, just before it completely evaporates, where the stamp changes color (or ‘flashes’). It is in this short period of time that some difficult watermarks can reveal themselves. You may need to do this several times, rotating the stamp or light source before you can see it. And oh, I find that some Glenfiddich or other good single malt scotch can help with the process.
Don
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re: Watermarks on colored paper
"...And oh, I find that some Glenfiddich or other good single malt scotch can help with the process."
Dunno, Don ... using scotch that way might give your stamps a 'peaty' odour ...
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re: Watermarks on colored paper
Don, I also find a watermark fluid "splash" sometimes works at the moment that a dry stamp is dropped (splashed) into the fluid. Like the "flash" it lasts only a split second, and can take many attempts to see the watermark (or not). The stamp must be dry before making each attempt to "splash" it in the fluid.
Login to Like
this post
re: Watermarks on colored paper
I have occasionally wondered, if instead of coloured filters, whether a light source through a prism would produce a better image of a watermark. Not having a prism I have never tried this.
I envision moving the stamp along the individual colour bands (or vice versa) until one works.
Anyone with a prism handy care to try?
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this post
re: Watermarks on colored paper
At an APS presentation at StampShow in Richmond, it was suggested that using a blue tray was sometimes productive in detecting watermarks in orange stamps (seemingly similar to the use of filters described above).
The blue lid from a popular peanut butter brand was given as an example of one such tray.
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re: Watermarks on colored paper
I have tried the blue filter approach with scanned images. I will post some results.
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