3D - Motion stamps

Category - Sight
Subcategory - 3D Motion Stamp


MotionPrint is a specialized printing process that can show depth, movement, movies, or combinations thereof. The lenticular material consists of small reliefs or lenses (hence the name of the press "lenticular). RAW images are taken and treated through a computer algorithm, which corresponds to the lens surface of the lenticular material. Printing is always on the back of lenticular material, as there is the focal point, allowing the human eye to reproduce the images as if you change the viewing angle. There are several basic effects:

The Flip is the simplest of all animation effects and results in an image change from one to the next. A lenticular flip allows up to three different images to be combined and independently when viewed from different angles while moving the lenticular lens.

The 3D Lenticular is achieved through the production of sufficient information to enable the viewer to see the 3D effect. Typically this requires 12 images of the subject recorded in a strictly defined. 

The Full Motion Video uses multiple frames of moving action from beginning to end. It 'very similar to watching a movie. This effect is better optimized when the background remains constant throughout the sequence.

The Zoom Effect makes the images seem to approach or move away.

Malaysia 2011 - Underground Engineering Excellence 3D Lenticular Miniature sheet

Issue date: 21 November 2011

A  3D miniature sheet was issued in Malaysia in 2011 to promote and show the Excellence of Underground Engineering.  The issue commemorates the Kuala Lumpur SMART Tunnel construction.

As Malaysia suffered in the past from many flooding, a solution was sought to keep traffic going on. Tunnels used to flood, roads as well. A special tunnel was designed and constructed between 2003 and 2007. It is called the 'SMART' tunnel : Stormwater Management And Road Tunnel.

The purpose of this tunnel is to keep traffic going on under normal conditions even with small flooding of the city. The tunnel is designed to divert the floodwater.

The First Stamp shows three images of the construction of the tunnel, while the second stamp shows three images - the breakthrough of the tunnel and scheme of tunnel.

Great  Britain 2011 - FAB The Genius of Gerry Anderson 3D Motion MS

Issue date:  11   January 2011

London-based GBH's Special Stamps Issue: FAB – The Genius of Gerry Anderson set has been created for the UK's Royal Mail to honour the work of Supermarionation legend Gerry Anderson MBE and his team at Century 21 Productions.

GBH's lenticular stamps feature the countdown and launch sequence of all the legendary Thunderbirds craft from the iconic 1960s series' title sequence.

FAB: The Genius Of Gerry Anderson marks the 50th anniversary of six ground-breaking series, which began with Supercar in 1961.

Fittingly, the issue also features the first ‘moving’ pictures on British stamps, by virtue of lenticular images incorporated into a miniature sheet devoted to the best-loved show of all, Thunderbirds.

The idea is to recreate the program’s dramatic '5-4-3-2-1' opening sequence. The countdown begins with Thunderbird 5, the Earth-orbiting space station, on the border. A moving image of lift-off can then be revealed for Thunderbirds 4, 3, 2 and 1 by tilting the four stamps back and forth.

Philip Parker of Royal Mail Stamps said: 'Gerry Anderson’s sophisticated puppetry, combined with his taste for state-of-the-art special effects and futuristic super-vehicles, caused a sensation in the 1960s. Collectors and TV fans alike will enjoy the chance to see the opening credits of Thunderbirds again, but this time through the technology of stamps!'

MINIATURE SHEET

1st class Thunderbird 4 - Thunderbird 4 is a submarine piloted by Gordon Tracy.

60p Thunderbird 3 - Thunderbird 3 carries out deep space rescues in the capable hands of Alan Tracy.

88p Thunderbird 2- Piloted by Virgil Tracy, Thunderbird 2 transports International Rescue’s equipment wherever it’s needed.

97p Thunderbird 1-Thunderbird 1 is always first on the scene of a rescue, piloted by Scott Tracy.

HOW IT WORKS

To create the lenticular stamps in the miniature sheet, frames from the original television footage were divided into micro thin slices, which were micro printed onto the back of a special magnifying lens.

When these images are viewed at an angle of about 47° through a lens ridged with tiny curved lenticules, the light is refracted in such a way that all of the slices from one particular frame reform to show the complete image.

As the miniature sheet is moved, the light refraction changes, and a sequence of 36 frames can be seen.

Hongkong 2010 – Centenary of the railway service in  Hongkong 3D motion stamp

Issue date: 28 September 2010

The first single-track railway service connecting Hong Kong and the Mainland at Lo Wu commenced operation in 1910 and has since expanded to cover a nationwide network of key destinations. Throughout this period, trains served the commuting public tirelessly, witnessing the changing economic fortunes and social ties of the two places.

To mark the centenary of railway service in Hong Kong, a $20 stamp sheetlet produced by a sophisticated printing technique called lenticular process that gives the steam train the visual effect of movement.

Canada  2009 – 100 Years  Montreal Canadien  Hockey Team – 3D Motion stamp

Issue date:  17 October 2009

Montreal Canadiens are the most storied sports team in Canadian history having won 24 Stanley Cups, more than any other team. They are the oldest continuously-operating professional ice hockey team, predating the founding of the NHL. Their team jerseys can be found in arenas across Canada, often outnumbering home-team sweaters. They are the Montreal Canadiens, and Canada Post has issued a stamp set honouring the team's centennial and its iconic jersey.

A domestic-rate permanent stamp featuring a close-up of Maurice "Rocket" Richard's game-worn #9 hockey sweater, plus three high-value stamps featuring actual footage of the historic 500th goals of Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Jean Beliveau and Guy Lafleur are available now at post offices across the country.

Using an action-oriented printing process, called Motionstamp technology, and digital footage of the Richard, Beliveau and Lafleur goals provided by the Canadiens, the stamps become mini-movies. When moved up and down, the actual sweep of action-from shot to goal-as it appeared in the original film clips, is visible on the stamps. This is the first time this technology has been used on a Canadian stamp.

Austria 2009 – Centenary of Vienna Technical Museum motion stamp

Issue date 17 March 2009


Austria Post issued a motion stamp to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Technical Museum of Vienna. The motion stamp highlights the Mercedes Silver Arrow car which was one of the exhibits at the Technical Museum. The Silver Arrow won 9 victories in 13 Grand Prix Competitions.

Thailand 2009 Philatelic Exhibition 2009 Commemorative Stamps (THAIPEX'09) - Thai Puppet Shows

Issue date 04 August 2009

Bringing Hun Lakorn Lek to Life (World Premier First 3D Motion Stamp of Thailand)

Hun Lakorn Lek, a type of traditional Thai puppetry, was developed by Kru Krae Sapthawanich on the model of the Ramayana Thai puppets originated in the court of Krom Phra Ratchawang been transmitted to the present day through the dedicated work of Kru Sakorn Youngkhiewsod, also known as "Joe Louis", and members of his family. The first public performance of Hun Lakorn Lek was given at Joe Louis Theater in 1985. H.R.H. Princess Galayani Vadhana later renamed this theater to the "Nattayasala Hun Lakorn Lek" Theater.

The major driving force behiknd the amazingly life-like performance of Hun Lakorn Lek puppetry is the puppet artists themselves who, through their expert Khon performance skills, bring these puppets to live. Three puppet artists are required to manipulate each ppuppet. To give a faultless performance all there artists must be able to fuse their thoughts and mind together and perform as one person.

Finland 2008 – Alpine Skiing – 3D Motion Stamp

Issue date: 24 Jan 2008

The miniature sheet designed by Susanna and Ari Lakaniemi is dedicated to alpine skiing features Tanja Poutiainen, Antti Avtti, Matti Raty and Tapio Arska Saarimaki.

This is the largest MotionStamp sheetlet that has ever been produced which included four individual stamps. On the four-stamp miniature sheet devoted to Alpine skiing, champions Antti Autti and Matti Räty perform dazzling jumps, while Tanja Poutiainen and Tapio “Arska” Saarimäki speed downhill. The helicopter fans are also seen rotating.

The way the sheet is printed is based on a lens technology which combines multilevel images. When you move the stamp around in your hand, an illusion of movement is created. The production process is called MotionPrint imaging.

Austria 2008 Venus Von Willendorf 3D lenticular motion stamp

The Venus von Willendorf, 25000 years old prehistoric art, stamp was released in 08 August 2008 and was celebrating 100 years since finding [Venus] one of the most famous examples of prehistoric art. It was found in Willendorf / Wachau in Lower Austria on August 7th 1908. Current location - Natural History Museum, Vienna.

Switzerland 2007 Museum of Communications 100 years 3D Motion Stamp

Issue date 27 April 2007

Special stamps 100th Anniversary

To mark the centenary of the Museum of Communication in Bern, Swiss Post is issuing two special postage stamps, which use a novel technology. This anniversary also provides an opportunity to review the varied history of the Museum and to cast an eye over its current innovative program of exhibitions.


History of communication

The Museum of Communication is the only museum in Switzerland that is dedicated exclusively to communication and its history. In addition to temporary exhibitions with an original approach, like "Happy-The Promise of Advertising", "White on Red - United Colors of Switzerland" and "Electric Guitars -The Power and the Glory", the permanent exhibit entitled "The Communication Adventure" allows visitors to interact with the history of communication. Items relating to the Post, transport, tourism and philately, telecommunications and IT as well as radio and television constitute the museum's core collections, and a creative take on these themes makes them accessible to a broad public. How did this comprehensive collection come to be under one roof?

Postal Museum

A Swiss postal museum, modeled on the first Postal Museums in Berlin (opened in 1874) and Vienna (1889), is first mentioned in records in 1893. By 1901 concrete references can be found to an active collection, and the Swiss Postal Museum finally opened in the main Bollwerk post office in Bern on 22 June 1907. This museum began to run out of space in the early 1930s, and the search began for a suitable new location. The Postal Museum closed in 1933 and its collection was temporarily stored in the Natural History Museum in Bern until the Postal Museum could be reopened in the new Alpine Museum building at Helvetiaplatz in 1936.

PTT Museum

In 1949, with an eye to the centenary of electric communications in Switzerland, the PTT (Post, Telegraph and Telephone) Directorate General decided to supplement the Postal Museum with a collection on the history of telecommunications and to rename it the "Swiss PTT Museum".

The PTT Museum was housed in the Alpine Museum for another 40 years, but lack of space meant that philately was the only field for which special exhibitions could be staged. The museum attempted to raise its profile with guest exhibitions in the Museum of Transport in Lucerne and throughout Switzerland. Then, towards the end of the 1970s, the Alpine Museum terminated the PTT Museum's lease. 

At the same time, plans were afoot to establish a cultural center in the Lower Kirchenfeld district of Bern. The PTT became involved in the project, and architect Andrea Roost and his team between 1987 and 1989 designed the new PTT Museum. It was officially opened on 22 June 1990, and its interactive permanent collection and rotating exhibitions quickly earned the PTT Museum a good reputation.

Lenticular Australia 2007 – Year  of  the Surf 
- Life Saver - 3D Motion Stamp

Issue date:  6 March 2007

2007 celebrates the Year of the Surf Lifesaver. To commemorate the occasion, Australia's first motionprint mini sheetlet was produced. Produced using 24 individual images.

Austria 2008 – Andreas Herzog – 3D motion stamp

Issue date: 05 May 2008

MotionPrint is a specialized printing process that can show depth, motion, film or a combinations of these. The lenticular material is made up of tiny ridges or lenses (Hence the name "lenticular" printing). Raw images are taken and processed through a computer algorithm, which effectively matches the surface of the lenticular lens material. The printing is always on the reverse side of the lenticular lens material, as this is where the focal point is, Allowing the images to be replayed back to the human eye as the viewing angle changes.

The stamp uses 3 seconds of video footage, which is the highest number of images ever put within a motion stamp. Advanced video editing incorporating a picture within a picture. The film incorporated into the actual stamp shows the wonder goal scored by Andreas Herzog, the Austrian number 10, on September 6 1997 when Austria beat Sweden 1-0. 48,000 fans packed into the Vienna Ernst Happel Stadium on that memorable night to see the goal that helped Austria to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals played in France.

Ireland 2006 Ryder Cup Lenticular motion stamp

Issue date 14 September 2006

The 2006 Ryder Cup is a hugely significant event for Ireland, and to mark it, An Post is thrilled to announce a truly momentous stamp issue. On 14 September 2006, Ireland’s first-ever lenticular stamps was be issued. 

Lenticular images, like holographic ones, are those that appear to move when you change their angle. An Post’s (the Irish Postal service) stamps feature visuals of a powerful drive off the tee, and a classic bunker escape, and, as the first lenticular stamps to be issued in Ireland, are set to make history. Until recently, lenticular printing was limited to simple ‘flip-cards’, comprising images of 2 or 3 frames, which produced only a very stilted movement. The more frames used to create an image, however, the greater the detail and motion, and thanks to new, sophisticated software, the production of much finer lenticular images can now be achieved. An Post’s (the Irish Postal service) stamps feature 50 frames, which combine to provide a virtually seamless passage of dramatic action.”

UAE 2006 - HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum 3D Flip Stamp

Issued on: 2 December 2006 

Two Stamp set with3D Flip motion using lenticular lens technology. Each stamp features 4 images of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai and the UAE's Minister of Defence.

Disclaimer - Information about the stamp issues on this page has been taken from the net and are for informational purposes only. No copyright claim is made for the above mentioned information/pictures.