UNITED STATES. SSK issues (2018 - ...)


2018. The new SSK postal kiosks

  After nearly 15 years in operation, the United States Postal Service (USPS) decided to replace all APC / SSK postal kiosks installed from 2004 in post offices across the country (see article, also published in VARIABLE 34). This ambitious project of renovation and modernization of postal kiosks began in April 2018 and lasted until the end of 2018. In total, 2,843 machines were removed and 2,745 new upgraded kiosks installed.

  The new SSK (Self-Service Kiosk) machine in grey, consists of a main unit with a touch screen and a card payment device. To the left of the main unit, there are scales, which for the first time, incorporates technology which measures the dimensions of the postal items.
In these new kiosks, the thermal printers for stamps and postage labels are installed in the lower part of the main unit, leaving an empty area below the scales. After printing, the stamps are deposited in a tray which is illuminated in blue.
The new kiosks are also fitted with a barcode reader that allows the direct sale of retail products and Ready Post items.

The program installed in the new equipment offers a menu and a sequence of improved screens, and additional postal services.


2018. The new definitive design 'US flag (2)'

  Coinciding with the installation of the new SSK postal kiosks, USPS issued a new basic label design for the machines, again featuring the US flag.
The new design could be obtained from August 2018, and replaces the previous definitive US flag design issued in April 2014 (see article, also published in VARIABLE 34).

With regard to the domestic stamps with permanent validity, the printing of these from the new kiosks is similar to the earlier ones, with the matrix code, the 'FOREVER' face value indicator, and a vertical code. The first four digits of this code denotes the kiosk number, followed by five digits for the year, month and day of issue (YMMDD format), and another six digits for the time of issue (HHMMSS format). In the new machines, the kiosk number starts with a number (8 in the images), while in the older machines it always started with a letter.
For its part, the 'THIS BLOCK IS NOT VALID POSTAGE' imprint on the void labels is larger and centered, unlike with the old kiosks imprint, where it was left-aligned.


Before the kiosk is put into operation the type of roll, installed in the machine to issue stamps with the 'FOREVER' value, needs to be manually selected as each design has its own characteristics. The back office program installed in the new kiosks offers three options: white labels, old US flag design, and new US flag design. In many cases, the lack of knowledge or lack of interest on the part of the post office staff causes errors in the combination of selected design and installed reel, resulting in the printing of stamps with some erroneous impressions, such as those shown below.
The default option selected in the new kiosks is the white label, without pre-printed design; in this case, the machine prints the basic design with the USPS logo introduced in 2013 (article and VARIABLE 34) on the 'FOREVER' stamps (first strip below), and the matrix code design (article and VARIABLE 34) on the variable value stamps (second strip below).


2018, Sparkling Holidays

Once again in October 2018 USPS produced a new series of postal and philatelic issues for domestic mail dedicated to Christmas holidays, 'Sparkling Holidays'. The issue consists of four self-adhesive 'traditional' stamps issued in a booklet, a souvenir-sheet, and also in a special edition of thermal self-adhesive labels to be used in many of its SSK postal kiosks.
The images reproduce details of paintings by Haddon Sundblom, close-ups of Santa's face created for The Coca-Cola Company from the 1940s through to the early 1960s.
In 1931, Sundblom created the first of his more than 40 paintings of Santa Claus for the multinational's Christmas advertising campaign, which over time came to embody the very essence of Santa Claus. The detail chosen to illustrate one of the 'traditional' stamps and the SSK kiosk issue corresponds to the design for the 1945 campaign (right image).


The labels with the new 'holidays' design were available at some SSK postal kiosks from November 16th 2018 until the end of December or until stocks were depleted.


The SSK kiosks use sheets of ten labels, fan folded and die-cut between sheets. The size of the labels is 47 x 26.50 mm., and are manufactured on thermal paper with a colourless vertical fluorescent strip on the left of the label. The pre-printed design is on the right, and has a glossy surface coating.
The kiosk prints a Datamatrix - 2D barcode, the vertical code, and the 'FOREVER' face value indicator on the labels. This is the only possible value, corresponding to the postage for domestic priority ('First-Class') letters up to one ounce (50 cents, in 2018).

The sheets include five rows and two columns of labels (left) and, after printing, the kiosk cuts the sheets horizontally, so stamps may only be issued in multiples of two. If the customer requests an odd number of stamps, one of the labels is issued with the text 'THIS BLOCK IS NOT VALID POSTAGE' (upper image), indicating that it has no postal value.


2020, the 'Holiday delights' series

Every year since 2012, with just the rare exception of 2019, USPS has released a special edition of thermal self-adhesive labels for sale during the Christmas season to be used in its SSK (Self-Service Kiosk) postal kiosks.

The design of these issues usually comes from one of those included in the series of 'traditional' stamps issued on the same day. Such is the case with the label produced in 2020, whose design corresponds to one of the stamps included in the 'Holiday Delights' booklet of 20 self-adhesive 'Forever' stamps for domestic mail, released on September 24th 2020.
The four designs that make up the stamps in the booklet are by Antonio Alcalá, with illustrations by Kirsten Ulve based on ancient ornaments and Scandinavian folk art. These include a Christmas tree bauble, a decorated Christmas tree, a festive stocking with a teddy bear and sprig of holly (the design chosen for the SSK kiosk issue), and a reindeer-shaped ornament.		  

USPS announced that labels with the new holiday design would be available at selected postal kiosks from Sunday (!) November 15th 2020 until the end of December or until stocks were exhausted.
Because of the lack of strict regulations for these types of issues, some postal staff placed the new rolls in kiosks before the official issue date, whilst in other kiosks the new rolls were not used for days or even weeks after this date.		  


  The SSK kiosks use sheets of ten labels, fan folded and die-cut between sheets. The size of the label is 47 x 26.50 mm., and manufactured on thermal paper with a colourless vertical fluorescent 4 mm. strip on the left of the label. The pre-printed design is on the right, and has a glossy surface coating.
The kiosk prints a Datamatrix - 2D barcode, the vertical numerical code, and the 'FOREVER' value indicator on the labels. This is the only possible value for this type of issue, and corresponds to the postage for domestic priority ('First-Class') letters up to one ounce (55 cents, in 2020).

The sheets come in five rows and two columns of labels (left) and, after printing, the kiosk cuts the sheets horizontally, so stamps are only issued in multiples of two. If the customer requests an odd number of stamps, one of the labels is issued with the text 'THIS BLOCK IS NOT VALID POSTAGE' (upper image), indicating that it has no postal value.

If kiosks are out of adjustment (not properly synchronised) then the thermal imprint is displaced to the left. In this case, some of the information is printed on the vertical fluorescent strip to the left of the label, with a significant loss in print quality, as can be seen in the test prints below.


 
2021, 'A Visit from St. Nick'

2021, sees 10 years since the United States Postal Service (USPS) released its first set of special labels in October 2012 for use in its postal kiosks during the Christmas season. Ten years but only nine designs, since for some unknown reason there was no special edition in 2019.
As in previous years, the SSK (Self-Service Kiosk) labels replicate the image featured on one of the 'traditional' stamps forming part of the annual Christmas series.

The 2021 'A Visit from St. Nick' series is made up of four self-adhesive 'Forever' stamps for domestic mail, issued in booklets of 20 stamps, and released on October 7th. The designs are by Greg Breeding, with illustrations by Brad Woodard, and feature scenes from Santa's visit the night before Christmas; Santa Claus with a sack full of gifts on a snowy roof, Santa Claus climbing down the chimney, Santa Claus winking, and Santa Claus in his sleigh pulled by reindeer in a starry full moon sky. This last design is the one used on the postal kiosk labels.		  

  As has happened before, because of the lack of strict regulations for the release of these types of issues, the new Christmas design was progressively placed in some postal kiosks throughout the months of November and December 2021, and was available until the end of the Christmas season or until stocks were exhausted.
In the image, the variable value stamp was issued on November 12th - 0406 (kiosk number) 1 (year 2021) 11 (month) 12 (day) 180153 (time of issue in HHMMSS format).

  The SSK kiosks use sheets of ten self-adhesive labels, fan folded and die-cut between sheets. The size of the label is 47 x 26.50 mm., and is manufactured on thermal paper with a colourless vertical fluorescent 4 mm. strip on the left of the label. The pre-printed design is on the right, and has a glossy surface coating.
The kiosk prints a Datamatrix - 2D barcode, the vertical numerical code, and the 'FOREVER' value indicator on the labels. This is the only possible value for this type of issue, and corresponds to the postage for domestic priority ('First-Class') letters up to one ounce (58 cents, in 2021).

The sheets come in five rows and two columns of labels (left) and, after printing, the kiosk guillotines the sheets horizontally, so stamps are only issued in multiples of two. If the customer requests an odd number of stamps, one of the labels is issued with the text 'THIS BLOCK IS NOT VALID POSTAGE' (first upper row), indicating that it has no postal value.
The back of the waxed paper is preprinted with black marks that are readable by the printer (image below), thus allowing the correct guillotining of the strips of stamps after printing.



2022, 'Holiday Elves'

On September 15th 2022, almost a month earlier than usual, the United States Postal Service (USPS) released its new annual series of Christmas stamps.
The 'Holiday Elves' series is made up of four self-adhesive 'Forever' stamps for domestic mail (right image), issued in booklets of 20 stamps and in five blocks of four stamps. Don Clark's designs show Santa's helper elves preparing and wrapping gifts for the holidays.
As every year, USPS adapted the image featured on one of the stamps to illustrate the special edition of thermal self-adhesive labels to be used in its SSK (Self-Service Kiosk) postal kiosks.		  

  Completely outside the protocol and strict regulations applicable to 'traditional' stamps, the new labels arrived at post offices and were progressively placed in some postal kiosks throughout the months of November and December 2022, and were available until the end of the Christmas season or until stocks were exhausted.
The stamp in the image on the left was issued on November 23rd - 0005 (kiosk number) 2 (year 2022) 11 (month) 23 (day) 171928 (time of issue in HHMMSS format).

  The SSK kiosks use sheets of ten self-adhesive labels, fan folded and die-cut between sheets. The size of the label is 47 x 26.50 mm., and is manufactured on thermal paper with a colourless vertical fluorescent 4 mm. strip on the left of the label. The pre-printed design is on the right, and has a glossy surface coating.
The kiosk prints a Datamatrix - 2D barcode, the vertical numerical code, and the 'FOREVER' value indicator on the labels. This is the only possible value for this type of stamp, and corresponds to the postage for domestic priority ('First-Class') letters up to one ounce, 60 cents in 2022. As previously explained and written about, these Christmas issues are not variable value stamps, since despite being issued from a postal kiosk, a customer can only obtain them with a single face value indicator.
The sheets come in five rows and two columns of labels (left) and, after printing, the kiosk guillotines the sheets horizontally, so stamps are only available in multiples of two. If the customer requests an odd number of stamps, one of the labels is issued with the text 'THIS BLOCK IS NOT VALID POSTAGE' (first upper row), indicating that it has no postal value.

The back of the waxed paper is preprinted with black marks that are readable by the printer, thus allowing the correct guillotining of the strips of stamps after printing.


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This page was created in March 2019 and last updated:  08.03.23 . English edition last rewritten by J. Gareze (7.03.2023)