Heaven for vain stamp collectors: Australia Post in Melbourne has the
technology to put your own picture on postage stamps (WO 99/60551). It proposes
printing sheets with each stamp divided into two areas by an extra perforation
line. One area bears the official national stamp image, fluorescently doped to
prove authenticity. But the other area is left blank and undoped during the
first print run. People can then take a photograph, piece of artwork or company
logo to a suitably equipped post office, which will print it into the blank
space. The extra perforations allow collectors to tear off the personalised
image if they think it robs the official stamp image of value.
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