New Love Postage Stamps Show That Love is in the Air
The sky’s the limit when it comes to how the Postal Service™ celebrates love.
We have a long history of issuing love postage stamps that help customers express their love through the mail, and the recent First-Day-of Issue ceremony for the Love Skywriting stamp was no exception.
“From the moment they’re spotted on an envelope, these miniature works of art foretell good news,” said USPS™ Chief Operating Officer Dave Williams during the issuance ceremony, held at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, CA.
Love stamps design
The stamp’s art depicts a plane that has completed skywriting the word “Love” in a white cursive script against a soft blue sky.
“And with this particular stamp, we can really say, once and for all, that ‘love is in the air’ — and in the mail,” said Williams.
The Love Skywriting stamp is available just in time for Valentine’s Day, though these are not meant to just be Valentine stamps. This beautiful stamp is perfect for any occasion to show a special someone you care.
During the issuance ceremony, heads not only turned when the stamp was unveiled — they looked up to see a live skywriting recreation of the stamp’s image by Skytypers CEO Greg Stinis.
The demonstration added a special and very fitting touch to the ceremony, which was held in conjunction with the museum’s Living History Flying Day celebration.
How skywriting is done
So how do planes write letters in the sky?
For short messages, like the word ‘Love,’ typically one small plane emits vaporized fluid from its exhaust system as the pilot maneuvers in specific directions releasing the smoke in precise sequences to form each letter.
The entire word was about five miles wide with the ‘L’ alone over five times the height of the Empire State Building. Creating script in the sky is a great challenge because the pilot is flying upside down and cannot see the other letters for reference.
“We are like musicians when we do this,” explained Stinis. “We have our own beat. The turns are all timed and coordinated to make the letters.”
Skywriting dates back to the early 1920s and was a popular advertising medium until the 1950s. While skywriting’s heyday has passed, some companies still rely on it to advertise their products. And more commonly, others rely on the skies to make very public declarations of their love, such as wedding proposals.
It’s no wonder we chose a skywriting demonstration to help promote the Love stamp.
Love stamps since 1973
The Postal Service issued its first Love stamp in 1973. Over the years, these stamps have featured candy hearts, flowers, ribbons and modern art to help customers add a special touch to their mail.
The 2017 Love Skywriting Forever stamps (#LoveStamp) are sold as a pane of 20 stamps. They are available at Post Offices and usps.com.
The 2016 Quilled Paper Heart stamp is also available for purchase.
We hope you enjoy this beautiful stamp and use it to spread a little love this year and beyond.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.