Setoff

Setoff or set-off is accidental printing on the back of a stamp. This word is used to distinguish itself from the offset printing process.

In some cases where the stamp paper is very thin, all or parts of a design can bleed through. In some other cases, sheets could be gummed before printing and ink can transfer to the gum from a sheet stacked below it.

With engraved stamps, the sheets are also piled up as they are printed so that some ink can transfer to the backs from the sheet below. In some cases, one can get a partial to full recognizable reverse image of the front side, shifted or not. Clear setoffs tend to have a ghostly look as only a small but even amount of ink was transferred. Remember that at this point, sheets are not perfed and gummed so this will be a permanent transfer of a reversed image.

US Washington-Franklin flat plate stamps are well-known for having some spots of ink transfer on their backs. That is often a spotting feature. They can have partial to full reversed images on their backs.

 File:Canada setoff.jpg|Full setoff on Canada 2c Small Queen. 

See

 * Backprint

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