1. All about proofs

2. Color trial basics

1.0 All About Proofs

1.1 MONOCHROME PROOFS – As the name itself suggests, mono means single, these proof have only single color. These are on thin cardboard and done in black and white - they are firstly used to check the design of the stamps - and are also used in the working out of the design between the artist and the consultants - at times as a result of the monochrome proof, the design is rejected . Sometimes the monochrome proofs are done without values - these are added later - the proof was used to see where best the values would fit in around the design. They are usually printed in small numbers, say about 10 or 20. There may be single proofs or may be in a strip or of Miniature sheets. The cost increases from single to strip to miniature sheets Monochrome proofs.

1.2 CROMALIN PROOFS are on thick cardboard and in full colour, a proofing method used by Printers in which full color proofs are produced directly from the color separations prior to final production of the printing plates. Each color is layered on top of the next thus building up to the full color design. It is at this stage that any final color change and occasionally design adjustment is made. As only 2 or 3 were done, cromalin proofs are quite scarce till they are made available to collectors. Tonga/Niuafo’ou (also known as Tincan Island, a former British Colony) authorities called them Cromlin Proofs.

1.3 PLATE PROOFS - Before the beginning of the main print run, one large sheet - always uncut, with wide margins (sometimes containing more than one small sheet as issued) was done for checking purposes - everything was checked from this first uncut sheet, including design, colour and printing quality. This sheet was never perforated (as was the main printing run) and was taken after checking and placed in the archive material. Number of plate proofs depend on the number of stamp per sheet. If suppose 20 stamps will be printed in a sheet then there will be twenty plate proofs or 10 plate proof pairs. But in cases where there are se-tenant pairs or strips throughout the sheet, the number of plate proofs of different design is much less. Depending upon the number of plate proofs available the price varies and it is always more for Miniature sheet plate proofs for the reason mentioned above.

1.4 OTHER PROOFS - For a small number of sets, proofing is done by overprinting the value with the word "cancelled" - the "cancelled" sheet was then placed with the archival material. This was done instead of keeping an imperf sheet as a plate proof sheet.

1.5 SPECIMEN STAMPS WITH PROOF TABS STILL ATTACHED Around 1984 Tonga introduced progressive proof tabs into the printing process of its stamps. Instead of having blank gutters, 5 different progressive proof tabs are shown in the gutters (dividing two panes of stamps) of the 5 rows of stamps in each sheet of stamps, with each proof tab showing how the stamp looked at a different stage of the printing process. For instance, proof tab 1 usually shows how the stamp looked when the first color yellow was done. The proof tab shows the same picture/design as the issued stamps, but is only yellow, and is also missing the words and values. Proof tab 2 is usually blue, the second color used in the printing process. Proof tab 1 2 shows what the stamp looked like when both yellow and blue were mixed together, giving the result of a greenish/yellow proof. Proof tab 3 is usually red which was the third color done. Proof tab 1 2 3 always shows the stamp in its finished colors after the red is mixed with the blue and yellow - the stamp is the same as the others in the sheet, but it has no values or words as it is a progressive proof item. The proof tabs can be collected:-

1. As a horizontal strip of 5 with the proof tab in the middle.
2. As a gutter pair with the proof tab in the middle.
3. As a pair - one stamp normal with the proof tab attached. Many collectors and exhibitors are finding that a strip or gutter pair with the proof tab in the middle is a "different" way to show an item in their collection or exhibit. Very few people thought to collect these proof tabs in this format - the Tonga islanders just used the stamps and threw the proof tab gutters away, as did most new issue dealers at the time.

1.6 SPECIMENS - Usually 100 to 200 sets of each issue overprinted specimen, however most of these are given to dealers or stamp magazines in advance for publicity of the issued stamps and some are handed out by the philatelic bureau to customers who purchased large numbers of the new issues - very few remain in the archives.

1.7 ORIGINAL ARTWORK - Sometimes INITIAL artwork is available and sometimes the FINAL full colour artwork is available too. When an artist submits his artwork for approval it is called initial artwork. When it is approved a final full color artwork is printed. Sometime original artwork is rejected and it is called unaccepted design, but that is also a collectible item if one can procure them.

Most interesting thing about proofs is that unlike stamps nobody knows when and where they will be released. Many countries have never released their proofs. Take for example India, they have never released their proofs. Seldom you will find proofs from US, GB, France, Australia in the market. When ever the postal authorities need money and space in their archives they sell their proofs to dealers and collectors. But one good thing about them is that they are sold at the same price to Dealers as well as collectors. Suppose a dealer buys 100 Monochrome proofs and he pays $2500.00 to the Archive @ $25.00 per proof, now if a collector buys one proof from them they will still charge $25.00.So there is no concession for buying 100 proofs.

2.0 Color Trial Basics

Tonga did its colour trials mainly by way of the progressive colour proof tabs - the first colour done for Tonga stamps was usually yellow.

So proof tab 1 is always a color trial for yellow.

Second color to be done was blue to proof tab 2 is usually blue.

Third stage in printing process for colors was the mixing of the yellow with the blue - this mixture gave a yellowish/greenish color - this mixture is shown in proof tab 1/2 (meaning mixing colors 1 and 2).

Third color done was usually red, so proof tab shows the color trial for the red color in the stamp being done - proof tab 3 is red.

Finally the red color was mixed in with the others, to give proof tab 1/2/3 - which is usually close to the issued stamps, except the color proof tab has no words or values like the issued stamps do.