With the passage of time, stamps not only continue to serve the simple purpose of paying postage, but they have also become collectible items for people from all walks of life. For this reason, the Hongkong Post invests constant efforts in enhancing stamp printing techniques. In conjunction with the opening of the Hong Kong 2004 Stamp Expo around the time of the Chinese New Year, the Hongkong Post issued a stamp sheetlet featuring Chinese New Year pudding and a New Year scroll: in a design also known as ‘Flip-flop’, the Chinese characters on the sheetlet read either ‘Happiness and good fortune in the New Year’ or ‘May everything go well’ depending on the angle from which they are seen.

Issued to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR in 2007, a stamp sheetlet featuring ‘A Symphony of Lights’ as its design was produced using lithography and hot foil stamping techniques and a hologram foil to create a flickering effect. The special stamps of ‘Christmas Stamps II’ issued that same year used lithography and UV varnishing process to present a cheerful colour. A set of special stamps from 2008 were printed with a luminous effect to juxtapose the stunning jellyfish of the design against a contrasting dark background.