Remove and dry stamps correctly!

Posted by Oliver Eckl on

In this tip we will explain to you how to remove and dry stamps correctly. There are a few things to keep in mind when removing the stamps in a water bath, especially to avoid discoloration. When drying the stamps, you can use the tips in this article to prevent the detached stamps from bulging or curling.

Step 1: Remove stamps correctly from the paper

If you follow the steps here, you should be able to remove stamps from envelopes without damaging them.
  1. You need a small, elongated bowl of lukewarm water.
  2. Do not put too many letter cutouts in this tray, otherwise there is a risk that the stamps will stick to each other.
  3. Also avoid putting a stamp stuck on colored paper in lukewarm water. In this case, some of the dye from the paper could come off and discolor all the stamps in the water bath.
  4. The same applies to letter clippings that are written in ink in some way. The ink also dissolves very easily in water.
  5. If you have letter cuttings of this type and still want to remove them, it is best to do so in a separate water bath.
  6. Use tweezers to remove the detached tag from the water bath. This will ensure that no damage occurs to the brand.
  7. If you notice any rubber residue still attached to the detached stamp, put the stamp in a water bath again. The residue will then come off on its own after a while.

Step 2: Dry stamps properly after removing them

You also need to practice properly drying the detached stamps so that they don't bulge or curl up.
  • It is best to place the detached stamps with enough space between two pages of blotter and weigh them down with books after briefly dabbing the stamps with kitchen paper or similar.
  • Alternatively, dry the stamps in so-called drying books. It's best to weigh these down with books or comparable weights.
  • After some time (10 minutes to 1 hour), remove the stamp and place it again - overnight - between two dry pages.