Inphilately, the vignette is the central part of a postage stamp design, such as, a monarch's head or a pictorial design, which often shades off gradually to the edges of the stamp.[1][2]
The central vignette is often surrounded by a frame. Often times the vignette and frame are engraved on a single plate, while sometimes there are two separate plates for the frame and vignette, where the vignette may be printed separately and is often of a different color. The plate from which the vignette is printed is known as the vignette plate.[3]
Printing errors have sometimes led to the vignette being inverted. Perhaps the most famous example is the Inverted Jenny.
A different use of the term vignette in philately is to describe publicity labels or poster stamps which do not have postal validity,[4] such as those produced in France during World War One by Delandre.
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