Identification
Stamp Paper and Gum Types: A Guide
The paper a stamp is printed on, and the gum on its back, are part of its identity, and can distinguish otherwise identical stamps. Papers differ in their make (such as wove or laid), their surface (such as chalky or ordinary), and added features (such as coloured or phosphor papers), while gum varies in type and finish. Telling these apart takes care and, for some, a simple test, and the differences can matter to both identification and value.
At a glance
Why paper and gum matter
Two stamps can look identical in design, value and colour and still be different stamps, because they were printed on different paper or carry different gum. Catalogues distinguish many such varieties, so knowing the paper and gum is part of accurate identification, and occasionally the difference between a common stamp and a scarce one.
This is specialist territory, particularly among long-running issues like the definitives, as our guides to identifying British stamps and identifying a Machin explain.
The main paper types
- Wove and laid paper. Wove paper looks even when held to the light; laid paper shows fine parallel lines. The difference, seen against the light, can distinguish issues.
- Chalky (chalk-surfaced) and ordinary paper. Chalky paper has a coated surface, used as a security measure; it reacts differently and must never be soaked, as it can be damaged. Ordinary paper has no such coating.
- Coloured and safety papers. Some stamps are printed on tinted or specially prepared papers, a feature in their own right.
- Phosphor. Modern stamps often carry phosphor bands or coatings, invisible in ordinary light, used for machine sorting and central to identifying modern definitives. Our guide to watermarks covers another paper feature read against the light.
Wove, laid, chalky, phosphor
Identical-looking, but different stamps
Paper and gum are part of a stamp's identity. Held to the light, wove and laid papers differ; chalky surfaces and phosphor bands distinguish modern issues. A scarce paper variety can be worth far more than the common version.
How to tell paper and gum apart
Some paper features are seen simply by holding the stamp to a good light, wove versus laid, the lines of laid paper, the look of the surface. Chalky paper can be identified by careful, expert testing, but never by guessing or by anything that risks the stamp. Phosphor is detected with an ultraviolet lamp, which reveals the bands. Gum is judged by eye for its type and finish. As always, handle stamps with tongs and care, and when a test could damage a stamp, leave it to an expert, as our guide to handling stamps explains.
Paper, gum and value
Never soak chalky-surfaced stamps
Paper and gum bear on value in two ways. First, identity: a scarce paper or gum variety can be worth more than the common version of the same stamp, so correct identification matters. Second, condition: the gum's state is a major part of a mint stamp's value, as our guide to gum and hinging explains, and damaged paper, a thin, a tear, a stain, reduces value sharply, as our guide to condition and value explains. A particular caution: chalky-surfaced stamps and many others must never be soaked, since water can ruin them. Values are a guide only and depend on the individual stamp.
Frequently asked questions
Because paper is part of a stamp's identity, and two otherwise identical stamps on different papers can be different, and differently valued, stamps. Catalogues distinguish many such varieties.
A paper with a coated, chalk-surfaced finish, used as a security measure. It reacts differently from ordinary paper and must never be soaked, as water can damage it. Identifying it is a job for careful expert testing.
Held to the light, wove paper looks evenly textured, while laid paper shows fine parallel lines. The difference can distinguish issues and is part of identification.
Yes. A scarce paper or gum variety can be worth more than the common version, and the gum's condition is a major part of a mint stamp's value, while damaged paper reduces value sharply.
Paper and gum are part of identity
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Founder and stamp dealerLast updated June 2026