Dutch designer Richard Hutten has designed a postage stamp that consists of a tiny eight-page book for Dutch postal company Royal TNT Post.
The stamp measures 3 by 4 centimetres and contains a 500-word story,
It was commissioned to mark the 75th Dutch Boekenweek (book week).
More stories about stamps on Dezeen:
Lees Mee braille stamps by René Put (November 2009)
British Classics stamps by Royal Mail (January 2009)
Dutch design stamps issued (January 2007)
The text below is from Royal TNT Post:
Dutch designer Richard Hutten designs stamp for Royal TNT Dutch post.
For the first time in the history of stamps a stamp in the form of a book is being made. The stamp is the concept of and designed by Richard Hutten.
End 2008 Royal TNT post asked Richard Hutten to come up with an innovative, 'never seen before' concept for a stamp. Hutten was honoured by the request, since the Royal TNT post has a long tradition in design. In 1911, as one of the first companies in the world, they founded a design department. The first outcome of this department was a stamp designed by De Bazel, an architect, like Hutten also a 3D designer.
Half a year ago the TNT got the request to bring out a stamp on the occasion of the 75th book-week (boekenweek in Dutch). This was, for the TNT, the occasion to combine the concept of Hutten with this request; an obvious combination. The stamp in the form of a 3 by 4 centimeter book, has 8 pages. A design concept never been seen before in the world of stamps.
The design shows the designers vital authenticity and the unstoppable drive to innovate. "on the stamp you can see the suggestion of the third dimension" Hutten explains. "You can see a 3D installation made with books on the floor of our studio". The stamp was made in the scale of 100:1. The perspective image made of this installation was then transformed in the computer back to a perfect rectangle. Famous Dutch author Joost Zwagerman wrote the book-week gift. Hutten decided to put him on the stamp. Hutten also asked Zwagerman to write a 'bonus track' for the stamp, to go along with the book-week gift, which he, after some hesitation, agreed on. In the book-stamp you now can read a 500 words story, as an addition to the book-week book. The story can also be read separately.
The value of the stamp is € 2.20, enough to mail 500 grams, for example a book.
The sales of the stamp will start on the 9th of march.
Number of stamps printed: 250.000
Concept, design, photograpy: Richard Hutten
Print: Joh. Enschede & Zn.