Schrijf eens een taartje

On 8 June 2026, PostNL released Schrijf eens een taartje (roughly "Write a Cake / Write a Tart") — a delightfully playful stamp sheet of 6 stamps in 6 different designs. The title is a pun on the Dutch phrase "schrijf eens een kaartje" (send a postcard), playfully swapping "kaartje" for "taartje" to encourage people to use these stamps for sending cheerful mail.

Each stamp bears the denomination 1 for domestic mail up to 20 grams within the Netherlands. The stamps are self-adhesive with free-form shapes that follow the contours of each cake illustration, and best of all — they are scented, adding an extra sensory dimension to the mailing experience. This is a limited issue of just 110,000 sheets.

The Six Cakes

Each of the 6 stamps features a colourful cake illustration, arranged on a larger tabletop scene that spans the entire sheet. The cakes at the top are presented on cake stands, while those below sit on plates — with whole cakes above and smaller slices and pastries below.

Between the stamps on the sheet margin, the designer has added drawings of ingredients and baking tools — spoons, whisks, mixing bowls, and cake slices — reinforcing the culinary theme. Each stamp's free-form edge follows the outline of the cake and part of the tableware, making the stamps themselves feel almost like edible treats.

Designer: Jose Luis Garcia Lechner

The illustrations and overall design of Schrijf eens een taartje are the work of Amsterdam-based illustrator Jose Luis Garcia Lechner. In 2022, his children's book Smaakspoken (Taste Ghosts), written by Daan Faber, won a Bronzen Penseel (Bronze Brush) award — one of the most prestigious Dutch awards for children's book illustration. The book features a large illustration of a lemon meringue pie.

"Someone at PostNL had seen that drawing," says Garcia. "When they decided to issue stamps about cakes, they came to me. I was delighted! One of my greatest hobbies is everything to do with food — from preparing and eating to studying and drawing it. I love cooking for family and friends, with lots of conviviality and tables full of food. That social aspect is a nice counterbalance to the solitary work of an illustrator. I grew up in a large family, with a Spanish father and a Dutch mother, where elaborate cooking was always part of daily life."

Garcia's style is characterised by vibrant colours, whimsical details, and a warmth that makes his food illustrations almost tangible. The Schrijf eens een taartje stamp sheet marks his first collaboration with PostNL.

A Brief History of Cake

The word "taart" derives from the French torte or tarte, which in turn comes from the Latin torta (twisted pastry) or tortula (small white bread roll). The ancient Egyptians, as early as 9500 to 6000 years ago, already baked grain-based dishes filled with honey on glowing charcoal. Later, during the time of the pharaohs, bakers at the Egyptian court made breads filled with fruit, nuts, and honey — their baking process is even depicted in the tomb of Pharaoh Ramses II (c. 1300–1213 BCE).

Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE) is said to have introduced baking arts to Greece after encountering Israelite fig cakes. Cakes frequently appear in Greek plays, and when the Romans conquered Greece, they too learned the art of cake-making. The Crusades and the Age of Discovery brought cane sugar to Europe, making cakes progressively sweeter, while the development of the enclosed oven and baking powder in the 19th century enabled the light, airy cakes we know today.

Design Details

The entire stamp sheet is designed as one cohesive illustration of a tabletop. The top row features whole cakes on cake stands, while the bottom row shows smaller pastries and a slice of cake on plates. The self-adhesive stamps are cut in free-form shapes that follow the contours of each cake and its accompanying tableware — an unusually playful format for PostNL. The sheet margin is decorated with drawings of ingredients (eggs, flour, sugar, lemons, berries, figs) and utensils (rolling pins, piping bags, cake slicers), reinforcing the baking theme.

Why This Issue Matters

Schrijf eens een taartje is one of PostNL's most charming and unusual releases in recent years. The combination of free-form die-cut stamps, scented paper, and a unified tabletop illustration spanning the entire sheet makes it a standout issue for collectors of novelty stamps, food-themed philately, and modern Dutch postal issues.

With a limited circulation of just 110,000 sheets — significantly lower than many other PostNL issues — and the playful, collectible nature of the designs, this sheet is expected to become a favourite among thematic collectors. The collaboration with award-winning children's book illustrator Jose Luis Garcia Lechner adds further appeal, bringing his signature warmth and whimsy to the world of stamps.

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