Rubber stamps can be a fairly easy way to decorate any craft project, mark class/office materials, add branding to packaging, or speed up tedious tasks like signing documents or addressing letters, but how do you make sure you’re doing it right? Stamping with rubber stamps is just as easy, but it could be tricky to get the hang of. In this blog, we will go over all you need to know about our stamps, from a brief history to the difference between clear and silicone stamps, to different sorts of ink as well as a walkthrough of how to properly use each stamp to obtain a perfect impression whenever!

A rubber stamp is a hand-held device that runs on the kind of ink to leave behind an impression of a design or message on a surface. Rubber stamps get their name from the engraved plastic on underneath of the stamp that reproduces your particular design or subject matter. Today, rubber stamps come in various shapes and sizes and can be used on many materials. Many people utilize them for a variety of purposes such as office administrative work, tools in the classroom, creative craft, and DIY projects as well as an inexpensive alternative for branding their smaller businesses.

Rubber stamping is a means of using rubber stamps with inks or dyes to transfer the image to another surface. Stamping is an excellent way to set-up patterns quickly over large areas, as the stamps can be re-inked and re-used often. You could stamp onto a number of materials, however the most popular are paper, card and fabric.

Stamps for crafting come in several main types:

  • Cling stamps: Use with an acrylic block. They are either transparent and made from photopolymer or acrylic, or non-clear and created from rubber, typically red, white or grey.
  • Wood mounted stamps: These come pre-mounted on a wooden block.
  • Grey stamps: Detailed stamps that come in sheets which you break up yourself.

You can also use found items, or make your own from a variety of materials, and we’ll talk you through the most popular methods below.

Top tricks for rubber stamping

  • Apply the ink evenly in the stamp, making sure all parts are covered before stamping.
  • Apply firm, even pressure onto the stamp to get a straight print.
  • Use a stamping platform to help get a straight print each and every time.
  • Different inks can stamp onto different surfaces. For basic stamping, dye-based inks like Archival give a sharp image on both matt and gloss papers. If you’re working with a glossier material such as acetate, use StazOn, which won’t smudge once it is dried. Inks are used for heat embossing and Distress Inks are suitable for vintage-style, or manipulating with water.
  • Create multicoloured prints by applying different colour inks to your rubber stamp. Do that by utilizing the inkpad directly to the stamp, or by using cotton swabs to transfer the ink from the pad to the stamp.
  • If you’re creating a repeat image using a tessellating stamp over a big area, lightly mark out a grid first in pencil to ensure precise positioning.
  • Use a damp cloth to completely clean your stamp after each use. Scroll down for more tips how to care for your stamps.
  • For a darker stamped image, place the paper on a sheet of foam before stamping onto the newspaper. This will allow stamp sink in slightly for better coverage. Lay the stamp face up and dab with the ink pad until you have good coverage.
  • It sometimes helps to stamp the image onto scrap card first and then re-ink and stamp the image in its final place.
  • Always replace the lids on your ink pads when you’ve finished with them to stop them drying out.
  • Transfer inks onto an acrylic block and blend them together to set-up your own unique shades.
  • You can also extend the life of your ink pads with an ink refresher. This spray rehydrates and conditions dye and pigment water-based ink pads without the need for re-inking.