Appreciation of Printing: Stamps, an Inherited Love

With all of the talk about digital alternatives and printers abandoning their heritage in favor of the moniker "marketing services provider," a salute to the art and craft of printing is long overdue. Look no further than the proud-yet-humble postage stamp for a prime example of timeless printing.

The stamp is an amazing way to view the world, its history, people and culture, places and events, moments in time and the subtleties of life. Jesus Christ has been celebrated on postage stamps. So has Adolph Hitler. Bunnies and butterflies. Malaria and war. Dag Bumstead and Dag Hammarskjold. Benjamin Franklin and Homer Simpson. Politicians, scientists, poets, musicians, astronomers, explorers, doctors, inventors—the list goes on and on. Even chickens have graced stamps.