Req 7a — Design Work

This option lets you step into the role of designer. Instead of only studying what other people created, you decide what message your image should send and how it should fit the purpose of a stamp, cancellation, or cachet.

Three good directions

• Design a stamp if you want to create the main picture and message.
• Design a cancellation if you want to focus on a special event mark or pictorial postmark.
• Design a cachet if you want to decorate an envelope to match a stamp or theme.

The pamphlet explains that a cachet is usually hand-drawn, rubber-stamped, or printed on the left side of an envelope to draw attention to the stamp or to an event being promoted.

What makes a strong design

• a clear main subject
• lettering that is readable
• a layout that is not overcrowded
• a reason for every symbol, color, or image you include
• a connection to history, geography, culture, or an event

This option shows that stamp collecting is not only about saving the past. It can also inspire new art and new ideas.