How Austria put a 3-second video clip on a postage stamp

By Eurostamper — May 19, 2008
See more about: Austria | New issues | Soccer (football)

Andi Herzog’s still-talked-about goal against Sweden in 1997 brought such pride to Austria that eleven years later, the Austrian post office has created the most expensive postage stamp ever designed using footage of the goal.

Yes, footage — not a still picture but several sequential images printed using lenticular technology, which, as the stamp is tilted slightly, gives the illusion of motion. Just picking up an envelope with one of these stamps on it should tilt it enough to catch the eye with its apparent video motion.

Lenticular printing is not new. It was designed in the 1940’s, and continues to be refined. This latest application is Austria’s way of honoring the UEFA EURO 2008.

The process of printing such a stamp is extremely complex, with several intricate steps needed to get the effect working right. The Herzog stamp uses a total of 48 images, or about three seconds of “video”.

The stamp is pricey: its face value is a whopping €5.45. It’s big, too, at 2.55″ X 1.85″. They are available from post.at, Austria’s official postal website.

See soccer-related stamps from all countries here.

See comments for "How Austria put a 3-second video clip on a postage stamp"