Postage stamps
Inspire the nation with a set of Royal Mail Special Stamps
Brief A: Social Mail
Celebrate and encourage the art of letter writing through the design of a set of stamps that will entice the sender to post a letter.
Brief B: World with a Future
Design a set of stamps as a means of encouraging consumers to make positive environmental changes and educate future generations with regard to energy conservation, low-impact transport, zero-carbon housing, and reducing water over-consumption.
Download brief - Postage stamps
View further reading and resources
Award information
Royal Mail Awards
Value: £5,000 cash awards
Value: £2,500 internship at Lewis Moberly and/or Pentagram
Duration: 12 weeks
Location: London
Royal Mail created the world's very first postage stamp in 1840. Today the commemorative stamp programme aims to represent the UK’s contribution to world affairs, from cultural and sporting achievements to advances in science and technology. These miniature works of art consistently present the work of the UK's foremost image-makers, while pushing forward the boundaries of design. Artists and image-makers who have collaborated with us include: David Gentleman RDI, Derek Birdsall RDI, Andy Goldsworthy, Michael English, Tessa Traegaer and Howard Hodgkin.
In 1971 the Post Office got together with the RSA to establish an annual student bursary for the design of postage stamps. Candidates were invited to submit designs for a set of four stamps on the theme of industrial archaeology. David Gentleman was one of the judges who considered the 76 entries.Since then Royal Mail and the RSA have enjoyed a long and hugely creative relationship. Royal Mail is proud of the creative work of these young designers and the innovative new ways that they have challenged the iconography of stamp design.
De La Rue Security Print Award
Value: £900 cash
De La Rue Security Print is a division of De La Rue plc, the world's largest commercial security printer and papermaker involved in the production of more than 150 national currencies. It is a market leader in postage and fiscal stamps, passports and other security printed products. The Company's experience, resources and specialised equipment has helped it grow into the world's leading security printer designing and printing documents of value to governments and commercial organisations around the globe. De La Rue produces postage stamps at a dedicated production facility. Its record of excellence is founded on confidence and trust achieved through an ongoing commitment to customer service, quality, security and innovation.
Judging panel
Mike Dempsey RDI FRSA, studiodempsey (Chair)Catharine Brandy FRSA, Design Manager, Stamps & Collectibles, Royal Mail
Tony Bryant, Key Account Manager, De La Rue Security Print International
Marcus James, Head of Design & Editorial, Stamps & Philatelic, Royal Mail
Jane Pluer, Associate, Pentagram
Joanne Smith, Lewis Moberly
Further reading and resources
Visit the Royal Mail website and under 'See our Special Stamps', go to 'Stamps and Collecting'.
Publications
Collect British Stamps (Stanley Gibbons 2010)
Great Britain Concise Stamp Catalogue (Stanley Gibbons 2010)
Brief A: Social Mail
A Question of Correspondence: an inspiring set of quotes, proverbs and poems about letter writing.
Brief A: World with a Future
WWF Changing the way we live
Digital Templates
The digital templates of the various stamp sizes provided are to assist you in your design work. They are shown at 400 percent but the actual sizes of the stamps are 27mm x 37mm portrait, 35mm x 35mm, 37mm x 35mm landscape, 30mm x 41mm landscape.
As described in the Submission Details for this project, one of your presentation sheets should show your set of stamps at actual size, and a second presentation board should show them at four times larger than actual size.
The templates include a blank outline, an outline with the Queen's head and first class value, and an outline showing the two alternative positions that the Queen's head can take, together with the alternative positions that the first class value can take.
Definitive templates
Positioning of Head and Values (PDF, 83KB)
Definitive sample (PDF, 72KB)
Definitive shape (PDF, 64KB)
Templates
27 x 37 portrait (PDF, 25KB)
35 x 35 (PDF, 33KB)
37 x 35 landscape (PDF, 34KB)
41 x 30 landscape (PDF, 26KB)
Heads and Values (PDF, 29KB)
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