HOW TO APPLY FOR A PICTORIAL POSTMARK

Letter of Request and Pictorial Cancellation Artwork

At least 10 weeks before the date of the event, sponsors or organizers of events who wish to use a pictorial cancellation must submit a letter of request to the postmaster of the city where the cancellation is to be used.  Requests submitted less than 10 weeks before the date of the event are subject to rejection.
        Each request must include the following information.
a.  The name of a contact person.
b.  The contact's telephone number.
c.  Camera-ready artwork for the pictorial cancellation design.
d.  A complete description of the event.
e.  The dates the cancellation  will be offered.
f.  Any and all supporting information required for the pictorial cancellation

Supporting Information

The sponsor or organizer must submit express written authorization from the individual or company that created the pictorial cancellation design authorizing the Postal Service to reproduce and distribute the design.  The Postal Service cannot approve a pictorial cancellation without express written authorization from the individual or company that created the design featured in the pictorial cancellation.

If any word, symbol, or illustration featured in a pictorial cancellation design is the proprietary interest of another person or organization, the sponsor or organizer must submit express written authorization for the Postal Service to use such proprietary material in the pictorial cancellation.  The Postal Service cannot approve a pictorial cancellation that features the name and/or image of any individual without express written authorization from the appropriate owners, families, or estates.  Authorization is also required for copyrighted material and other proprietary material such as trademarks, service marks, insignias, logos, etc.

Authorization is also required from the following individuals:
a.  Each living person who is named or featured in the pictorial cancellation.
b.  An authorized representative of the estate of each deceased individual who is named or featured in the pictorial cancellation.
c.  The owner of copyrighted material or other proprietary material that is featured in or incorporated in the pictorial cancellation (e.g., trademarks, service marks, registered marks, insignias. logos, etc.)
The above is a copy of the relevant pages that appear in the USPS Handbook PO-230, Pictorial Cancellations, February 2000.

Design Considerations

The use of a rubber stamp in applying postmarks is a medium that allows for much less detail than printing.  As a result, some constraints are in order.
a.  Avoid the use of black space, reverse printing, half-tones or shading.  These things just make a mess in any postmark that tries to use them.  Any required shading should be indicated by cross-hatching or other line elements.
b.  Avoid small size type.  No one can read it and the letters just run together in an illegible blob. 
c.  Avoid tiny or multiple elements for the same reason.
d.  The station name is the title or name of the postmark and should consist of just two or three words.
e.  Do not use a design that is in, roughly, the shape of a capital "L," as there will be nothing in the upper right corner with which to cancel the stamp.
f.  A simple line drawing with just a couple of words works best.