Destampatge

Destampatge is a term in Catalan that denotes the removal or detachment of stamps from documents, envelopes, or other media. The term is used mainly in philately (stamp collecting) and archival conservation, where it refers to techniques for separating a stamp from the paper to study its design, watermark, printing varieties, or postmarks, or to access text or other markings on the underlying sheet. It can also denote artistic or graphic practices that remove stamped imagery to create negative space or mixed-media effects.

In practice, destampatge aims to minimize damage to both the stamp and the host material. Conservators may document the item’s condition beforehand and select methods appropriate to the stamp’s age, ink compatibility, and paper fiber. Ethical considerations emphasize preserving provenance; destampatge may affect the monetary value of rare items, and some institutions restrict the practice on culturally significant pieces.

The term appears in Catalan language philatelic literature and conservation discourse. In broader contexts, similar concepts exist under different languages, but destampatge is specifically the Catalan designation for this detachment process.