Since 1934, the year of the first Federal Duck Stamp, the stamp's design has included three components: a central vignette, a denomination and textual inscriptions. Early Federal Duck Stamp designs were entirely engraved and printed on a flat bed press. Today printing technology is constantly changing and combination printing techniques with security measures are standard. Federal Duck Stamps are also issued in different formats such as the water-activated (WAG) single stamp and the self-adhesive mini-sheet (PSA). See examples

The artwork for a Federal Duck Stamp has specific requirements to be effective as a stamp design. Not only must the duck(s) be anatomically correct and in the appropriate habitat, the design must also meet the following considerations:

• Is the composition strong with sufficient color contrast to emphasize detail and shading ?

• Do elements such as shape and line appear strong enough that they do not blur together ?

• Does the central design stand out from the background? Is it eye-catching?

• Is there space for lettering and numerals without overlapping the central featured design elements?

• Is the background simple enough to facilitate these additional elements?

• Is the design simple? Avoid complicated designs that will not reduce well or in which important details will be lost. Use a reducing glass to see how the design will appear when reduced to stamp size.

• Is the design original? Avoid designs that are duplicates of previous Federal Duck Stamp designs. Good sources for earlier designs and information about duck stamps include: