In printing from typographical plates the ink is applied to the surface by means of a roller.  Impressions from these plates, before they have been pressed, show the design forced into the paper, instead of raised above it, as in taille douce printing.

[Illustration:  Stamp, “Confederate States”, 5 cents]

There is often a noticeable difference in the impressions made from the same plate by different workmen, owing to the varying degree of skill and care employed.  We frequently find in stamp catalogues such terms as “London print” contrasted with “local print.”  These terms indicate a fine impression and an inferior one.  We find a good example in two five cent stamps of the Confederate States.  They are both from the same plate but the first was printed in London by the skilled workmen of Messrs. De La Rue & Co., and the last was locally made with poor facilities.

Embossing is a variety of printing connected with both line engraving and typography.  Embossing dies are produced by sinking lines in the plate but, as a rule, they are intended for such productions as stamped envelopes and the sunken portions are a series of hollows rather than sharply cut lines.  An envelope, viewed from the reverse, will give an excellent idea of the appearance of such a die.  In printing from these dies very heavy pressure is used and the paper usually is backed by a piece of leather or something of similar nature.  In its simplest form embossing is a stamping in relief without color.  The stamp of Natal shown here was produced in this manner.  The stamps of Scinde, issued in 1850, were embossed and for the red one large wafers, at that date in common use for sealing letters, were used.  The brittle nature of this material is probably responsible for the scarcity of this stamp, especially of copies in fine condition.

[Illustration:  Stamp, embossed, “Natal”]

[Illustration:  Stamp, embossed, “Scinde District Dawk”, 1/2 anna]

[Illustration:  Stamp, “Halfpenny Postage”]

[Illustration:  Stamp, “Heligoland”, 2 Pfennig]

[Illustration:  Stamp, “Bayern”, 1 Kreuzer]

Embossing is usually combined with typography.  The surface of the die being inked, that part of the design is printed in color at the same time that the rest is embossed.  These three stamps show this class of work, one being an envelope stamp with the head deeply embossed.  The Heligoland stamp like all the stamps of that island is in the local colors, red, white and green, of which the inhabitants are so proud.  In the case of the Heligoland and Bavaria stamps the entire sheets are embossed at one time and not each stamp singly, as is usual.

[Illustration]