Burelage (French: burelage),[1] also burelé, is a French term referring to an intricate network of fine lines, dots or other designs printed over or as the background of some postage or revenue stamps to prevent counterfeiting.[2] [3] In English the word is sometimes spelled with an accent on the first "e" as burélage, although the accent does not appear in the French spelling and its origin is unclear.[4] Burelage most commonly appears as a form of underprinting.
Early uses of burelage on postage stamps include the first issue of the stamps of Denmark from 1851,[5] and stamps issued by the City of Hanover beginning in 1855.[6] Stamp varieties may be distinguished in catalogs based on the presence or absence of burelage as well as variations in the burelage itself, such as the size of network,[7] orientation on the stamp,[8] color,[9] or method of printing.[10]
Although burelage is usually unobtrusive, some of the Mexico Exporta stamps (see below) had burelage printed over the stamp which is dark enough to obscure the stamp image.