Burelage

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.