Choosing A Rubber Stamp That Meets Your Needs

This post is about how to pick a rubber stamp that meets your needs. You might be surprised to find out that there is more than one kind of rubber stamp and each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Some stamps are made from a pre-mixed liquid, called an inked pad, which creates the impression on paper. Other stamps are made from small pieces of rubber called blocks, which are cut into various designs by a die cutting machine. There are also individual specialty blocks with different needs (for example - some make clear impressions). Each of these have their own pros & cons.

Many years ago, I picked up a rubber stamp called the Magna-Tip. It was a fairly standard rubber stamp with a flexible ink pad that you would squeeze to create the impression. It worked ok but it was not exactly what I wanted.

I needed something that would give me more choice of design and flexibility on where to place the impression so I could position it anywhere on the paper (including upside down). In addition, I also wanted some control over where it would be located once it was inked.

So for my third stamp, I picked up an individual specialty block called a Pinnacle Stamp Block . I am sure that you have seen these blocks before. They are used by many crafters and scrapbookers - they even have a line of stamps that you can use to decorate your wedding invitations:

The cool thing about this block is that it is a solid piece of rubber. I found mine on ebay for $25 or so (about 5 years ago).

So what does this block come with? Not much. It comes with the impression in the top of the rubber and some guidelines for how to cut the blocks (more on why I need those guidelines in another post).

You need to "build" this stamp from scratch but it's pretty easy to do.

Here are the pieces that come in the Pinnacle Stamp Block kit:

To build this stamp, I need to cut out the design (above) and press it against the base of the block.

I used a heavy paperweight and some heavy duty scissors. For best results, you want all of your cuts to be straight and perfectly aligned.

Its as simple as that!

Of course, this is not a complete stamp yet. It needs something that will hold onto the ink so I can create an impression. In my case, I didn't want to use ink pads or block printing inks because I wanted more control over where & how much ink would be applied. So instead, I opted for using stamp pad cauls .

These are basically little rubber feet that hold the ink pad in place. I chose the 3/8" size. There were two things that I wanted out of my stamp pad: 1) I wanted a small area to hold the ink so that my impressions would not be too "heavy" and 2) I wanted to be able to adjust where the ink was applied so I could make a nice, even impression.

Now it's just a matter of picking out an ink pad. For me, I needed something that was portable - something that would not take up a lot of room in my toolbox but could also be reused for many projects (ideally, different projects). I also wanted the ink to be truly permanent so that it was not going to be smudged by any errant hand or left up to the whim of the elements. After a little searching, I found a stamp pad that fit my needs - a Hammers Waterproof Ink Pad (#110).

Click on the video below for a quick demo of how I use this stamp:

Above is a short video showing how I use this stamp block. Click on it for a better quality version that you can watch in HD at YouTube . It's quite simple to use but it does require some preparation.

First, I had to get a piece of paper and experiment with where I wanted my impressions to be placed. This is very important because it will determine how the stamp will look when you use it.

Once I decided how and where I wanted the impressions, it occurred to me that I needed a way to protect that area from the ink while still allowing me to create an impression there.

I took a piece of tape and cut out a small square. Then, using some creative thinking, I folded it over so it worked like a little hinge (see below).

Next, I put the tape hinge on the paper and put the stamp block on top. This guaranteed that my impressions would be protected from the ink by those two pieces of tape.

I then got some of the waterproof ink and stamped a few other designs around my sample before flipping it over, walking away and letting it dry. Once it had set, I removed the tape hinge and saw that my design had been protected as planned.

The key to using this stamp is getting your alignment right - I've tried this a few times before with only limited success but now I have really gotten a feel for using this stamp effectively (the key is to get your alignment right on the first try). All you need to do is try to get the impressions as close to your original design as possible. You will need to spend a few minutes practicing before moving on, but this is really worth the effort!

This stamping technique is not for everyone - for example, it does not work well if you are looking for something that is easy & quick (although there are ways around that). However, if you want flexible control over where & how your impression is made then this method can save a lot of time and frustration.

If you have any questions about this technique or the stamp, feel free to ask in the comments or e-mail me!

How do you get started with stamping? Do you prefer to make your own stamps or do you find a specific style of stamps that work well for your needs? Leave a comment and let me know!

Check out some of my other tutorials:

The Basics - How to Make an Ink Pad Clone - Tutorials - Link How To Make an Ink Pad Clone - Link Basic Stamping Tutorial - Link The Prepress Process - How I Prep My Files For Printing - Part 1 - Link The Prepress Process - How I Prep My Files For Printing - Part 2: Color Separations & Halftones Link Sim.

Conclusion To Learn More About Stamp Pads - Link Or Simply Click On The Image Below:

If you'd like to learn more about stamp pads, click here to look at the pads I use. Alternatively, click on the image below to go directly to their online store:

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out my other tutorials!

-Sandy Dyer

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