TPG Post

We have designed several stamps for TPG Post. Traditionally the Dutch TPG commissions designers from The Netherlands as well as other countries to design the stamps. It's an honor to be asked for the design of a stamp - it is a piece of complex design, and intricate printing. The topics, materials and formats are selected before we get involved.

2006: Leesplankje Aap Noot Mies.

In 2005 the TPG asked us to design two series of stamps for the Fonds Ouderenhulp, a charity for the elderly. The foundation and the TPG had chosen the Aap Noot Mies board, a device used to teach reading and spelling as the theme for the series. The board gets its name from the first three words. Kids had to put cardboard letters on the board to spell the words. The additional typography on the stamp is set in LTR Critter. We experimented with lettering styles similar to the type on the board, but felt a bit more distance was necessary.
It was a bit of a puzzle, this layout strikes a balance between the fixed size of the sheet and perforation, and the layout of the board. The illustrations (by Cornelis Jetses, Dutch link) take up most of the actual stamp. A sliver of wood at the top hints at the board. The letter panels are not on the actual stamp, but on separate stamplets.
Leesplankje letterzegels
We had a look at a collection of boards at the Onderwijs Museum in Rotterdam (site, Dutch) and picked a good specimen for the images. The letterpanels were taken from another board, we liked the scratching on "noot", and the damaged paper in "jet", showing that children worked with these things. The cardboard letters and the red storage can come from a personal collection.
Leesplankje letterzegels

1999: Christmas Stamps

Every year the PTT offers a special rate for the season's greetings. Special stamps are for sale with the reduced rate, 55 cents in 1999. On the flip side of the 1998 stamps the PTT solicited designs, ideas, drawings or photographs from the 'general public'. In february 1999 a jury selected 20 designs from over 6000 entries. Then we were asked for a design that would bring all entries together and make stamps out of them. The material was very diverse: children's drawings, photographed pets, from professional illustrators and designers to inspired hobbyists.
PTT December stamp 1999

In July 1999 we presented the sheet of 20 stamps to the winners and press. Printing started in August, a run of 200 million stamps. Typeface is HTF Leviathan, the numbers are from HTF Knockout, both from the The Hoefler & Frere-Jones Type Foundry.

An added bonus was the design of a stamp for 25 cents, the amount needed to make leftover christmas stamps suitable for regular mail, 80 cents. After several different designs, this entirely typographic solution was chosen.
Kwartjezegel

Parcel stamps

Based on the design of one of the 1999 christmas stamps, the parcel postage is a 4 sheet self copying form. A special rate for parcels in the holiday season, and also a special design. Two variations for parcels to EU countries, and the rest.

1997: Suske and Wiske

In 1997 we were commissioned to design two stamps about Suske and Wiske, two cartoon characters famous in the Benelux countries. The illustrations were selected from hundreds of books. The brief asked for two stamps which would show the long and rich history of the characters, as well as some sort of picture the current figures. The typography and the images were selected from many different stories. Our work, apart from dealing with technical and print related issues, was to find the right material. More like editing than design.
Suske en Wiske zegeltjes