Beryllium Guy
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Posts: 5,911 
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jan 19, 2021 12:12:02 GMT
Vince ( stanley64), I just wanted to let you know how much I like your custom pages. I have told you privately that I especially like the font you have chosen, but I figured it's time for me to state that on the open Forum. I think it is a great choice for a couple of reasons: 1) it is a bit unusual compared to what most publishers or DIY collectors choose, and 2) I find the style very appealing as it is reminiscent of Craftsman or Art Deco, at least to my eye, which gives it both a classic and modern feel at the same time. Anyway, I just wanted to acknowledge that I think it is a very fine design choice on your part.  |
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stainlessb
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qaStaHvIS yIn 'ej chep
Posts: 4,905
What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Jan 22, 2021 23:15:35 GMT
Working on France 1934 issues (that are not part of a definitive series) The pages will oppose each other when opened. These are the draft printings- final pages printed on ivorly/manilla Vellum if you see anything off, please let me know (I've already spotted the $ instead of a &.... and issues instead of issued)   |
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renden
Member
Posts: 9,162
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Jan 23, 2021 0:09:06 GMT
Very touching posts, Stan.....for a "french Canadian" - Thanks stainlessbRené New Brunswick Canada |
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stainlessb
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Posts: 4,905
What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Jan 30, 2021 23:18:00 GMT
Opinions wanted Page 1? or page 2 Trying to differentiate where the break in year issues is ( and I wanted to avoid 5 stamps on a page, especially the preoblitres are 3 stamp types option 2 is more balanced - but I felt it needed something in between (I thought about pulling the pre-oblitre image.... but that just might be confusing)   |
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,698
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Jan 31, 2021 11:43:29 GMT
I like the lower image and I would repeat the year range over the bottom row.
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stainlessb
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Posts: 4,905
What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Jan 31, 2021 23:30:24 GMT
Back to the drawing board.... maybe just try 2 rows of 5...  |
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stanley64
Member
Posts: 1,979
What I collect: Canada, USA, Netherlands, Portugal & Colonies, Antarctic Territories and anything that catches my eye...
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Post by stanley64 on Feb 1, 2021 9:12:28 GMT
I too like your second option better Stan( stainlessb ). Visually it is a better balance, but I would encourage playing with your idea of two rows of '5', just to see. As well, if it is 5 x 5 for the series, what about a diamond or some variant over four lines,
XX .XXX .XXX XX
Just a thought...
Happy collecting!
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,698
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Feb 1, 2021 11:40:09 GMT
You could free up space vertically if you had less text below each stamp to allow more rows. I put the catalog number inside the stamp box at bottom so I just have to lift bottom to view. Once the stamp space is occupied I usually do not have much of a need to know the number.
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stainlessb
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What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Feb 2, 2021 0:31:59 GMT
I'm still mulling over the precancels... I'm too far into things to change format, so for the time being, my "abundance" of information is here to stay needing a distraction I tackled the 1935 issues- 10 total and the goal being to get on a single page- this is one of the more "busy" pages.... opinions and comments always welcome- this is the draft printing- I think I've caught all the typos and set-up errors  |
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,698
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Feb 2, 2021 17:41:55 GMT
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,698
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Feb 3, 2021 13:52:07 GMT
There is one consideration in DIY pages is the size of the stamp box especially in relation to the mount.
On Steiner pages, when you use a black mount it will cover the printed border. I know some do not like it.
From editing the PDFs, for Machins the stamp box is 24.825 mm wide and 28.847 mm. The stamps measure 21mm x 24mm.
The ideal mount size is 24mm but I have had to use 25mm for some when I ran out of 24mm and to make matters worse I have used both Showgard and Prinz mounts, I discovered the Prinz mounts are almost 1mm taller than Showgard for the 25mm size. Showgard 25mm is 29mm tall and Prinz is 30 mm tall. Prinz has a 0.5mm gap between the cut edge and the bond (back to front halves) and Showgard slits it at the bond.
Net, if appearance is important for many same size stamps (like Machins) pick one mount (if you use mounts) and use it consistently for best appearance and the stamp box should consider the actual mount size if an in between one where say it is a snug fit vs a loose fit for one size up.
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Post by classicalstamps on Feb 3, 2021 14:08:49 GMT
I use 2mm "whitespace" around each stamp. I use clear mounts, cut to fit the border. Works well.
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anglobob
Member
Posts: 2,602
What I collect: France and French Colonies,French cinderellas British Commonwealth QE2
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Post by anglobob on Feb 3, 2021 16:36:27 GMT
angoreI have always used Hawid 21 x 24 mounts for the regular gummed Machins.I purchased a bulk lot from Dauwalders on my last trip to UK.Have to experiment a little with the self -adhesives as they are usually with added backing paper and are a larger size.
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bcuddy
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Inactive
Posts: 123
What I collect: United States, famous people
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Post by bcuddy on Feb 3, 2021 16:48:19 GMT
I have a lot of trouble sizing the boxes correctly. Especially when I don't actually HAVE the stamp in question. But I'm getting better at it the more I do.
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stainlessb
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Posts: 4,905
What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Feb 3, 2021 17:23:40 GMT
I use Scribus and it is not 100% accurate for size, so I always print out a test page on regular 20# paper and check to make sure the boxes are correct- even with the larger black border
plus it allows me to look at an actual page instead of something on screen that I've beed looking at for a bit. It always surprises me the things my brain just passes by.... until later
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brightonpete
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Post by brightonpete on Feb 3, 2021 21:23:23 GMT
I cheaped out and bought a 21.5" iMac vice the 27" this one replaced. On the 27", the file on screen matched the printed size, so it was easy to check the frame sizes. I haven't figured it out on the 21.5 yet. But I use the Steiner frames when I don't have the stamp in question.
I usually buy the 210x55 mm mounts and cut to size. That is easier than keeping a variety of sizes and measuring the stamp to see which one to use. I do have some 28 and 32mm strips now though. I use clear mounts, so it doesn't matter if I don't trim them, as the frame shows through.
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,698
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Feb 4, 2021 11:45:42 GMT
I also use Steiner pages as a reference for stamp sizes. You can get the exact size by opening it up in LibreOffice Draw and check properties. Many Steiner page measurements for stamp boxes were likely done in inches after checking mm to inch conversions. The spacing for objects was done in points. Self-adhesives are a challenge. Of course, Steiner has had errors in stamp box sizes and I have reported quite a few.
I have drawer full of scrap paper (all printed on one side) to use printing test pages. Of course, I have a drawer with error pages using the good paper too! Now, for me with my old Brother printer Scribus behaves weird (what side it prints on) depending if the duplex option is enabled even printing on just one side so errors due to that,
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brightonpete
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Post by brightonpete on Feb 4, 2021 12:33:41 GMT
The other thing I have done is to have a grid on the file within the boundaries of the border. I then print it out so I can measure accurately the size of frame needed. For the longest time, I always wondered how the heck I messed up sizing the stamp! Turns out, I had three size attributes to that grid! Now it's the same everywhere, including the printout!
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stainlessb
Member
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Posts: 4,905
What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Feb 6, 2021 21:34:27 GMT
I went through all the precut mounts I currently and after a number of printings and adjustments I now have a "guide" to check against whenever making a new page. The wider lined box gives me some "wiggle room" if the mount is not exactly parallel and centered. If anyone knows how to "calibrate" a printer so it prints in actual dimensions, let me know (I have a Brothers)- It's close, but not close enough!  |
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renden
Member
Posts: 9,162
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Feb 6, 2021 21:59:15 GMT
If anyone knows how to "calibrate" a printer so it prints in actual dimensions, let me know (I have a Brothers)- It's close, but not close enough! Stan, in my software, when I import a stamp to the Album. I can change the dimensions of the boxes at a touch of the keyboard as I already know what the by default measure is - very useful...... I have not named my software LOL - they do not need publicity but it is not free !!!! René |
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brightonpete
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Post by brightonpete on Feb 6, 2021 22:24:00 GMT
I just print my files at 100% size. I did have to fiddle around a bit to get the sizing of the border printed all around. I could probably push it out a but further, but I think it's good enough now. Also, if you can add a grid the the files you are working on and print that, you can get exact measurements needed for the frames. I have 15x15 pixels boxes with subdivisions every 5 boxes. Makes it easy to size everything.
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tomiseksj
Moderator
Woodbridge, Virginia, USA
Posts: 6,385
What I collect: Worldwide stamps/covers, Cinderellas, Ohio Prepaid Sales Tax Receipts, U.S. WWII Ration ephemera
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Post by tomiseksj on Feb 6, 2021 23:16:12 GMT
...If anyone knows how to "calibrate" a printer so it prints in actual dimensions, let me know (I have a Brothers)- It's close, but not close enough! Do you have "scaling" and/or "fit to page" turned off in the Advanced tab of the printer dialog? Your printer may have a variable percentage option for scaling -- if so, try setting it at 100%. If "borderless printing" is an option, give that a try. |
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clivel
Member
Posts: 386
What I collect: Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Rhodesias, South Africa, Swaziland, Israel to 1980, Ireland predecimal, Palestine Mandate
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Post by clivel on Feb 7, 2021 0:59:23 GMT
If anyone knows how to "calibrate" a printer so it prints in actual dimensions, let me know
It is unlikely that it is your printer that requires calibration, any half-decent software should be able to produce correctly sized boxes without any wrangling, as tomiseksj has already pointed out, it is probably your printer settings that is the culprit, check that no settings such as "Shrink oversized pages to paper size" or "Expand small pages to paper size" or similar are selected in the print dialogue box.
Clive
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,698
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Feb 7, 2021 11:54:25 GMT
I also believe you need to check the printer settings to be sure the page settings match your device. When a printer is asked to print something outside the printable area the printer dialog software or printer can try to adjust (scale down or up) This is common with printing PDFs. Printers can use raw data or print as an image.
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madbaker
Member
Posts: 802
What I collect: (Mark) General worldwide collector (to 1975 or so) with a soft spot for Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.
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Post by madbaker on Feb 14, 2021 1:03:49 GMT
I've been working on Sweden pages as I wait for mounts to arrive. Here's my page for the 1920 - 1934 Standing Lions. I might split them over two pages once I see it printed out. 5 ore on one page and the rest on Page 2. The page is built with AlbumEasy. I'm curious if clivel or others know how to remove the border from a stamp box? That bottom 'type differences' area is set up using two columns ( 5 ore and 10 ore), the the 5ore column has the picture. I'm trying to put text beside the picture, but all I can think of us using a stamp box. (the picture is a 'stamp image' and there is a 'stamp box' beside. But the border isn't awesome.
I tried deleting the border parameter on the ROW_START_ES command, but got an error. Setting it to 0 leaves a border.
If I split over two pages I'll have a lot more room to put text beside or below the picture. But thought I should push my knowledge of this awesome tool. I see some superb pages made by others, so I figure I should be able to figure it out!   |
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clivel
Member
Posts: 386
What I collect: Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Rhodesias, South Africa, Swaziland, Israel to 1980, Ireland predecimal, Palestine Mandate
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Post by clivel on Feb 14, 2021 1:44:03 GMT
The page is built with AlbumEasy. I'm curious if clivel or others know how to remove the border from a stamp box? That bottom 'type differences' area is set up using two columns ( 5 ore and 10 ore), the the 5ore column has the picture. I'm trying to put text beside the picture, but all I can think of us using a stamp box. (the picture is a 'stamp image' and there is a 'stamp box' beside. But the border isn't awesome. Your page looks really great
You can set the border style to blank before the box: STAMP_BORDER_STYLE( BLANK )
and set it back to solid after the box:
STAMP_BORDER_STYLE( SOLID )
Clive
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madbaker
Member
Posts: 802
What I collect: (Mark) General worldwide collector (to 1975 or so) with a soft spot for Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.
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Post by madbaker on Feb 14, 2021 4:47:13 GMT
Thanks so much, clivel ! I swear I have the help file memorized and close at hand but I still miss things. I really appreciate this. |
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madbaker
Member
Posts: 802
What I collect: (Mark) General worldwide collector (to 1975 or so) with a soft spot for Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia.
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Post by madbaker on Feb 14, 2021 5:54:13 GMT
After Clive's help (thanks again!), I figured I should show you my final pages for the Sweden 1920-1934 Standing Lions. I collect according to the Facit catalogue, so there are 20 stamps in the set using major numbers. I don't have the eyes for shades. I built two options using AlbumEasy: all 20 stamps on one page; and split across two pages (5 ore on Page 1, everything else on Page 2) Curious to see which setup you all prefer. I'm probably going with the two page alternative, since the headings have a bit more room to breathe. But I'll print both and lay the stamps out before making a final decision. All-in-one: And the two page version:   |
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,698
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Feb 14, 2021 11:44:43 GMT
I would split on two pages When I used black mounts with my Machins, I decided to increase the horizontal spacing to make it look less crowded. In your layout, no matter what you do you cannot get more than 6 boxes across so the trade off is spacing between vs getting to close to border.
When I created my pages with AlbumEasy it was fairly easy to make changes to spacing etc to experiment on different looks,
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brightonpete
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Post by brightonpete on Feb 14, 2021 12:20:05 GMT
If I had a choice, Mark... I’d go with the all in one page. But, I would put the info regarding the stamps on the facing page. For me, I’d have the stamps on the left page and the info on the right. But then one needs to be doing double sided printing. If single side, I’d do the same but with info on the next. But with no stamps mounted on the left side if that’s the case, I’d stick but the info on the left side so it is visible when viewing the stamps.
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