Issued in 1880,[1] it was designed and surface-printed by security printing company De La Rue.

[2] It superseded the Penny Red, which had been used in Great Britain since 1841, and was the third one-penny stamp to enter regular usage in the country.

[3] Like its predecessors, the Venetian Red sported individual letters in each of its corners to identify its position on the plate.

The Venetian Red had a short run, and was replaced by the Penny Lilac in July 1881.

It was decided that a new colour would also be desirable to defend against improper re-use; a fugitive lilac ink was used that would run and spoil the stamp if one attempted to wash off the cancellation.