A blind stamp ('blind' meaning uncoloured) is an image, design or lettering on an art print or book formed by creating a depression in the paper or other material. It is the opposite of
embossing which refers to a design created by ''raising'' the paper above the surrounding area. It is also distinct from
foil stamping
Hot stamping or foil stamping is a printing method of relief printing in which pre-dried ink or foils are transferred to a surface at high temperatures. The method has diversified since its rise to prominence in the 19th century to include a var ...
, which is a depression that is filled with a thin layer of metal, usually gold.
A blind stamp is often unobtrusive, and careful inspection may be necessary to establish its presence. Occasionally seen on the covers and spines of older books, blind stamps may be quite decorative. Libraries or book owners often make use of a blind stamp to mark their copies in the same way that a
bookplate
An , also known as a bookplate (or book-plate, as it was commonly styled until the early 20th century), is a printed or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the front endpaper, to indicate ownership. Simple typographical bookplates are ...
denotes ownership, and legal firms have taken to marking their documents in such a way.
In 1838 the guild of the ''Printsellers' Association'' was set up, later known as the ''Fine Art Trade Guild'', and one of its aims was to regulate the number of proofs printed before commencing the main run of a plate. The presence of their blind stamp is therefore clear evidence that a print is a proof.
''Prints and Printmaking''
- Antony Griffiths
Antony Vaughan Griffiths, (born 28 July 1951) is a British museum curator and art historian, specialising in prints and drawings. From 1991 to 2011, he served as Keeper of the Department of Prints and Drawings, British Museum. He was Slade Pro ...
(1996) Blind stamps were not part of the printing process, but were added on completion of the run and consequently vary in their placing on the prints.
Manufacturers of leather goods, such as handbags, often make use of blind stamps on their products to discourage fakes, and to indicate the provenance and date of manufacture. Since it is technically simple to forge a blind stamp, the system has limited deterrent value.
References
External links
{{Commonscatinline, Blind stamps
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