What is the EME printing method? How do I identify stamps printed that way?
Electromechanical engraving, or EME, is a gravure process that replaces the photography, carbon tissue, and acid etching of the old photogravure process with an automated process that transfers the image to the printing cylinder with a diamond stylus or laser under control of a computer. There’s no photography involved, except perhaps in capturing the original artwork. The Scott catalogs still incorrectly refer to this process as photogravure, but other works correctly call it simply a gravure process. EME produces a sharper image than acid-etch photogravure. It was introduced gradually starting in 1991. Sharpness of the portrait was also increased by the use of a new digitized image of the Machin head. This image was created by Harrisons in 1997 and supplied to other printers. Machins printed by gravure processes can therefore be divided into three groups: • Machins produced by the original acid-etch photogravure process. • Machins produced by EME using the original image of the Machi
