A
postmark is a
postal marking made on a
letter, package,
postcard or the like indicating the date and time that the item was delivered into the care of the postal service. Modern postmarks are often applied simultaneously with the
cancellation or
killer that marks the
postage stamp(s) as having been used (though in some circumstances there may be a postmark without a killer, and sometimes the postmark and killer form a continuous design), and the two terms are often used interchangeably, if incorrectly. Postmarks may be applied by hand or by machines, using methods such as rollers or
inkjets, while
digital postmarks are a recent innovation. The
local post Hawai'i Post had a rubber-stamp postmark, parts of which were hand-painted. At
Hideaway Island,
Vanuatu, the Underwater Post Office has an
embossed postmark.