A design in the paper visible by transmitted light. For handmade paper, the watermark is made with bent wires placed on the mould on which the fibres are deposited to make the paper. Designs vary from simple initials to intricate coats-of-arms. Watermarks are often helpful in identifying the age of the paper. The study of watermarks is called FILIGRANOLOGY. See chain lines. See also countermark. For books on watermarks available in Malta, see MMS Newsletter Vol. 1 Issue No. 1, pp.4-5.
