Photo Postage Stamps

Are you tired of the same old, standard-issue postage stamps made available from the US Postal Service? Sure, George Washington, the US Flag, a heart that says the word "Love", and your occasional tribute to a deceased celebrity, all make for good stamps too. Don't get me wrong!

But what if you wanted to customize your own stamps? What if you wanted to use your own logo, your own graphic, or even your own photo? Isn't it possible to produce your own customizable photo postage stamps?

The answer is yes! It is indeed possible now to print your own photo postage stamps, all from the comfort of your own home or office, right from your own computer!

Take any picture you want. If you have a digital camera, you can use the digital image as the background for your stamp. If you have a traditional camera, you can scan it in with a scanner to digitize it and use it as your stamp. Or of course, you can download any image you want off the Internet and use it too.

Make a good impression with your customers or clients. Touch the heart of a friend, family, or loved one. Get noticed! Photo postage stamps are a great way to add a touch of pizzazz to your mail.

All you need in order to produce your own photo postage stamps are:

1. A computer with Internet access.

2. A printer (color is optional, black and white works just as well, depending on your preference).

3. A metered weighing scale approved by the US Postal Service.

4. Adhesive printer labels whose size must conform to US Postal Service standards.

All you have to do is:

1. Weigh your package or your envelope.

2. Go online and enter the sender and the recipient addresses, the type of delivery you want (first class, media mail, priority mail, express mail), the weight of the package, and your delivery options (certified mail, insurance, or delivery confirmation).

3. Select the graphic you want to use for your stamps.

4. Pay for your postage online. Or if you have prepaid a certain amount, then the appropriate postage will be deducted from your balance.

5. Print out your stamps.

6. Peel the stamps off of the adhesive paper and affix them to your package.

7. Drop your mail in the mailbox or call the US Postal Service to come pick it up from your home or office. No need to visit the post office.

By Hyder Khan

Personalized Postage Stamp :A Hobby Hobbles Along Time Street

Stamp collection, once a favourite pastime for many, is now struggling for survival with the advent of modern technologies like email and cellphone.

Stamp usage has drastically shrunk at the domestic level as postal service is losing its ground with most people preferring stamp-less courier services to send letters.

The number of young collectors is gradually declining. Computer games, cable TV and use of internet and cellphones have become the hobbies of the young generation.

Retired or middle aged persons who once took stamp collection as their main hobby are now searching for their successors to carry on the tradition.

Stamp collectors save postage stamps and related objects, such as envelopes or packages with stamps on them. Some collectors prefer used stamps while some go for unused ones. Most of them try to collect commemorative stamps issued on various occasions.

The future of stamp collection in Bangladesh is bleak as the number of young collectors is on decline," said Kazi Shariful Alam, president of Bangladesh Philatelic Federation (BPF). "However, the hobby is fighting back at the international level.”

The veteran stamp enthusiast said, "Now we hardly see any collectors aged below 20 because stamp collection is no longer easy and cheap for youngsters."

Commemorative stamp is beyond the purchasing power of most collectors, he said.

Alam, also a professor at the marketing department of Dhaka University, is a collector of 'error stamps' and winner of several medals in Asian philatelic competitions.

For beginners, mostly schoolchildren, the easiest source was incoming personal letters with colourful stamps of home and abroad. Since the volume of incoming mails is coming down, the easiest source of stamps or envelops is shrinking.

Since independence Bangladesh Post Office has issued 732 postage stamps and 28 souvenir sheets on various national and internationals days and events, about the country's heritage and culture, and to honour eminent personalities.

Postage stamps no longer attract the young generation who use modern communication technologies, Prof Alam said. “Modern entertainment sources are driving the young generation out of the classic hobby of stamp collection.”

Expressing concern, he said, “If we cannot attract young stamp collectors to this hobby, there will be no one to inherit the tradition.”

For a stamp collector, stamps are not merely a paper evidence of postal fee, they are much more than that. It has an emotional appeal for them.

There are several types of collection and country-based collection is the most popular one. Collector's country of residence comes first when on starts collecting stamps.

Then comes thematic collection. It can be based on a specific topic such as birds, animals, nature, a renowned personality, architecture and landmarks, even a specific sport or a player. The subject of thematic collection is vast.

Some collectors look for 'error stamps' which means stamps that are rejected by the printing press or the postal department for any errors. Some collectors think an error in the stamp brings value. A stamp with a missing word, bad printing, perforation mistake, misalignment or blurred colour is called an error stamp.

Stamp collection also includes collection of covers or envelopes, money order forms, even parcel packages. Anything that comes through the post office is considered as a collectable item for most of the stamp collectors.

The starting point of every new collector is to save stamps from incoming personal mails and ask family and friends to save theirs. Official mails, pen friends, post offices, stamp dealers and philatelic bureau are the other sources of stamps. Sale and exchange of duplicate stamps among the collectors enrich their collections.

Stamp collection is also considered as a means of study and source of general knowledge.

“It is a splendid teaching aid because it leads to study of the topic depicted on the stamp. To understand the stamp better, a collector must research on the topic and that is the most exciting part of the hobby,” Prof Alam said.

“Every stamp or cover has a story to tell. A collector discovers history, science, geography, politics, art, architecture, cultures, custom, rituals and more by analysing it.”

Prof Alam said the young generation of Bangladesh is no longer interested in working hard for a mere hobby like stamp collection.

Mannan Mashrur Zarif, a young stamp collector, however differs on some points. "After the invention of television everyone thought newspapers or books will disappear but they did not. Like that stamps still exist,” he noted.

"Emails and other electronic means of communication did not end the journey of hand-written letters. It still poses a romantic appeal to many," he added.

Zarif started with collections left by his elder brother. He is now a collector of wartime postal history of Bangladesh. He focuses mainly on letters of the prisoners of war exchanged with the help of Red Cross after end of the Liberation War.

The young collector blamed lack of promotional activities for the dying condition of the hobby. “There are hardly any promotional activities by the postal department to encourage collectors and create new collectors," he said.

Bangladesh Post Office organised the last national philatelic exhibition in 1992. There were several initiatives to hold such event by both collectors and the postal department afterwards but the efforts never succeeded. Lack of sponsors and fund held them back.

The classic hobby also brings hard cash for many. There are some dealers who collect and sell rare postage items. But their number in Bangladesh is very limited.

Only four authentic philatelic stores exist in Dhaka city. Salam Stamp Store at Farmgate is the oldest specialised dealer in Bangladesh that started its journey in 1962.

However, a new breed of stamp brokers is evolving in the city. They are called the 'mobile dealers' who visit other collectors and offer exchange of their collection.

The auction organised by Bangladesh Philatelic Federation on the first Friday of each month and another one on the second Friday organised by the Philatelic Association of Bangladesh are considered as the best place to exchange stamps.

However, the auctions are also losing participants. The Philatelic Association of Bangladesh has around 500 members from across the country.

There is also online auction through which stamps can be collected from abroad. E-bay is one of the most popular online platforms worldwide.

SB Salam, a professional philatelist and owner of Salam Stamp Store, said, "Our business is on decline. We are gradually losing customers.”

He said the hobby requires a good amount of money to purchase rare stamps, which most young collectors cannot afford.

The collectors also need to preserve the stamps, also very expensive youngsters. This is why we are losing young customers, Salam explained.

Most people in the beginning tend to focus on the number of stamps or covers they are able to save. Quality or the age of a stamp does not make it more valuable, rather quality and rarity is very important in stamp collection.

By : Shahnaz Parveen

Need a Unique Last Minute Gift That Will Appeal To Almost Anyone?

Photo stamps are personalized postage stamps you easily make yourself using any photo you wish. It’s actual, real postage you can use to mail cards, letters, announcements, invitations, etc.

You probably haven’t thought about giving stamps as gifts, right? Postage stamps seem to convey no meaning, no emotion. They’re bland, almost thoughtless.

But what if you could create a set of customized postage stamps yourself, and give those custom stamps to a family member or friend, and use photo of something near and dear to them? Use a photo of their kids, or pet, or artwork, or photography… almost anything! Endless possibilities

Read more

Photo Stamps

How to Make Personalized Postage Stamps

You can design and personalize your very own postage stamps by adding your favorite photo and graphics. Personalizing your postage stamps is perfect for when you want to mail wedding or birthday party invitations, holiday greeting cards and birth announcements.

Instructions

Step1

Go to a website such as PhotoStamps or Zazzle. These sites are approved by the U.S. Postal Service as licensed vendors. Choose a photo that is saved on your computer, or upload an image from the image gallery at PhotoStamps. If you are using Zazzle, click the link for creating custom postage stamps, and then select "Add Images."

Step2

Select borders and colors for your stamps to match your uploaded photo. Preview your customized stamps and edit wherever necessary. You can choose from small, medium or large stamps. Zazzle also gives you the option to write your own text on the stamps if you want to add your family or business name.

Step3

Use the customization tools in PhotoStamps or Zazzle to move, zoom in, rotate or crop your image. Save and publish your creation. View your pricing options for first-class, postcard or other types of postage. At Stamps or Zazzle, choose your postage, select your quantity of stamps and select "Add to Cart."

Step4

Confirm your order of customized stamps, then purchase them online by using a credit or debit card. Enter your mailing address so that your stamps can be delivered to you. Mail your letters or packages to friends, family or others using your new stamps.

Tips & Warnings

Make sure that your photo files are no larger than 5 MB in size. They must be saved as JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG, Photoshop PSD or Mac PCT files.

By : eHow Hobbies, Games & Toys Editor

Personalized Postage Stamps : Spring Wedding Stamps & Summer Wedding Stamps

More detail : http://www.artisticpostage.com/

Useful Information About Postage

By Ross Bainbridge

Postage stamps were first issued in the United Kingdom (Great Britain). Rowland Hill, a staff member, of the British Post Office was the inventor of the first postage stamp. The first stamp introduced by the British Post Office restructuring, under which it transposed the fee for postage, from the receiver to the sender of the mail, also introduced the 1-ounce mail with flat rate postage, to any place in Britain regardless of the distance. The only nation in the world, which does not bear a name, but always features a photograph of its reigning monarch, on its stamps is Great Britain.

Postage has come a long way since its inception, and is now available in a variety of forms and dimensions. There are also a variety of postage stamps available that depicts diverse cultures and geographical features. Many postage stamps also have birds and animals as their theme. The sale of some postage stamps assist charities in generating funds. There are also postage stamps that are issued in honor of national and international personalities.

The rate of postage often differs according, to the weight of the letter or package to be posted and the nature of the mail. There are postage calculators available that assist people in accurately calculating the cost of mailing letters.

Postage stamps can be either self-adhesive postage stamps or water-activated postage stamps. Postage, by and large has details such as the name of the country, year, and the value of the stamp.

Along with other aspects of postal services, postage art too, has come a long way. From the days of black and white mono-colored stamps, users can now select from a wide range of explicit and unique visual forms. Apart from the monetary value attached to these stamps, they are highly valued and are also a collector?s pride.

Postage Stamps

By Ross Bainbridge

Postage stamps are an adhesive label stuck on envelopes and other postal packages, as proof of the deposit of fee paid for postal services. The first country to issue postage stamps was United Kingdom.

Postage stamps are traded through various outlets of the post office, and are issued by the government. Postage stamps are available in various forms and dimensions. There are memorial postage stamps committed to various important events. Postage stamps are also issued to give respect to national personalities, or other extremely important personalities. There are also a range of other types of postage stamps available that depict diverse cultures and geographical features. Many postage stamps also have birds and animals as their theme.

Postage stamps differ according to the way they are used. The main kinds of postage stamps in use are airmail stamps, postage due stamps, special delivery stamps, and express mail stamps. The rates of postage stamps usually differ according to the weight of the postal article and the nature of the mail.

Self-adhesive postage stamps and water-activated type of postage stamps are available. Postage stamps by and large have details such as the name of the country, year, and the value of the stamp. These days, there are postage stamps that are sold around the holidays that are a sign of the season, such as Christmas and Hanukkah. Individuals may also opt to buy postage stamps that have messages on them, such as stamps that are sold to generate funds for charities. Apart from, raising fund for charities, there are various other postage stamps that help medical institutions and health organizations raise adequate funds.

Philately is the collection and study of postage stamps, and many a philatelist would pay an exorbitant amount to get a rare stamp. Stamps that are collector?s items can be bought at auctions or online.

Personalized Postage Stamps

By Ross Bainbridge

A personalized stamp is a postage stamp to which a member of the community or some non-governmental entity can add a picture or photograph. This concept was initiated by the United States, on trial basis, for about six weeks.

Since, its inception, personalized stamps were declared a success and an estimated 100,000 sheets or 2 million individual stamps were ordered in the first few weeks of the market test. The stamps that were produced during those weeks remain valid, according to some companies.

Unfortunately, certain individuals pushed the scheme to its limits and personalized postage stamps were banned. Internet pranksters ordered stamps of controversial figures, which created opposition from various sections of the society. Hence, people could no longer use the images of their dogs, babies, and outlaws on the stamps. Following this ban photo stamps programs came to a standstill all over the U.S.

Companies that were printing personalized stamps had requested citizens to write to the US Postal service to renew the program of personalized stamps. Residents also wanted the personalized stamps to be back on the scene; hence, several handwritten mails and requests reached the U.S. Postal Service.

The following year, the U.S.P.S. once again announced the legalization of personalized stamps; the second phase of the experiment commenced. The second phase was to be taken into consideration, but for one more year only. It was to be seen whether the second phase would get as much response as the earlier one. However, companies producing personalized stamps were taking extra measures to ensure that troublemakers did not get an opportunity to misuse the stamps again.

The continuity of personalized postage stamps is a highly debatable topic. It is not sure whether personalized postage stamps would be in the market or not, in spite of them being preferred by a large section of people.

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