Rectangular: Stamps in this shape are the most common. They range in size from 0.870" wide by 0.98" tall to 1.255" wide by 1.59" tall. Depending on the actual dimensions, the specific rectangular sizes range from definitive to jumbo.
Square: These stamps are used for specific designs, and have included stamps in the Music Icons® series and the Total Eclipse of the Sun stamp. They are also used for stamps with unique rates, such as those designed to be sent on square, nonmachinable envelopes.
Round: The newest stamp shape has been used in the Have A Ball! stamps and for international rate stamps to showcase unique designs.
Some stamps are also produced with special features, such as scratch-and-sniff (Frozen Treats), heat-sensitive ink (Total Eclipse of the Sun), and lenticular printing, which creates a holographic effect (The Art of Magic Souvenir Sheet).
Stamps are sold in a variety of different configurations. Panes are “sheets” of stamps cut from the original press sheet, coils are strips of stamps (one stamp wide) sold in rolls, and booklets are the most easily portable option, commonly employed for mail-use stamps.
