NSS (National Screen Service)

Poster distributor, created in 1920. Through the mid-1980s, distributed nearly 90% of all American movie posters. Produced, printed, distributed and stocked all of the materials for most major movie studios. During the 1960s-70s, they had regional print shops in Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey and Wichita. Bought out by Technicolor, Inc., in 2000. Now, movie studios tend to print and distribute their own advertising materials.

The NSS Number (NSS established a dating and coding system for movie posters) appears on most material distributed by them. On one sheets, it usually appears in the bottom right margin. The back of a poster was often stamped with the title and NSS number. A poster for a film made during the NSS era that does not have an NSS number may be a reproduction.

NSS Stamp Bleed Through: Sometimes the NSS stamp on the back is visible from the front. Depending on how severe, this can be a major or minor flaw. Some consider this a good flaw, because it is part of the history of the poster and helps to authenticate it if Linen Backed.