What are Smilers Sheets?

A4 sized stamp sheets printed by Royal Mail in very limited editions – superb gift ideas and look great framed.  To view our range of these beautiful stamp sheets please click on the STAMP SHEETS tab above or alongside.

A brief history of Royal Mail Smilers and Customised Sheets.

Smilers sheets evolved from Royal Mail’s greetings stamps which were issued in the 1990s. These greetings stamps were designed for use with birthday cards and other personal mail. On sale at Post Offices for a year or more, at last the public had access to attractive stamps all year round.

The concept of the Smilers sheet was first introduced in May 2000 at the international Stamp Show 2000. The set of Royal Mail Greetings stamps, first issued in 1990 were available in sheet format (A4 in size) with a label attached to each stamp. Customers could go into a photograph booth, have their picture taken which was then printed on the labels alongside each stamp. The name “Smilers” was adopted to reflect that the sheets are designed to be used as celebrations of happy events.

Royal Mail recognised that collectors would also want these stamps, but not necessarily with their own photographs, thus the Generic versions of the same stamp sheet came into being. Royal Mail created designs which were printed alongside the stamps (in place of the 'personalised' photos) and added an illustrated border. These stamp sheets are marketed by Royal Mail under the general name of Smilers. Since that first sheet of 2000 many issues have followed.

Royal Mail further developed the concept by providing a sheet which could be used by businesses or organisations to promote their companies or celebrate anniversaries and events. In December 2002 the first Customised Stamp Sheet was printed. The stamp sheets offered for sale on my website all fall into this category. Many are produced in remarkably low numbers.

The History of Britain series of Stamp Sheets has become a huge success, with Royal Mail buying many hundreds to sell to their own customers. These are all designed by Adrian Bradbury (BFDC Ltd) and printed by Royal Mail’s security printers.  To view our range of these beautiful stamp sheets please click on the STAMP SHEETS tab above or alongside.