Color trial

Color trials are just that, stamp designs printed in various colors as a test to determine the issued color or color combination. They can be on stamp paper, cardboard or other papers. They are typically printed from the printing plates intended for the actual issued stamp. Color trials will be in the issued design, so are proofs. In a few cases, the colors used can be very close to those used in issued stamps. But colors trials will be imperf and not have gum, generally. 



Progressive color trials or progressive color proofs are a feature of engraved modern French, French colonial and French Community stamps. Single stamps offered for sale as color trials do not tell the whole story. Since the multicolor stamps mentioned are printed all in one go, a full pane of color trials will show various combinations of colors for each stamp's colors in each row or column. The next row or column will use a different colors in different combinations.





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