Creating Impressions With Rubber Stamps

Rubber stamps are one way to create an impression of who you are. They can be used for business or for play. Executives and kids can find them useful. Some of the popular stamping impressions the world over are Paid’ Approved’. Stamps are basically for communicating brief detailed information. They are mostly used on paper, but they can also be used on fabrics and surfaces.

Types Of Stamps

Some time back, the only option of stamps that people had were wooden mounted stamps. Nowadays, there are a variety of stamps that are available in the market. These stamps can be bought online or in local stores.

• You can get an already made stamp that appeals to you
• Custom made rubbers stamps are tailor made to suit your needs. They contain the name of your company, logo, and address.
• Standard stamps are usually made with a wooden bases and rubber heads. You can have one custom made for you with the relevant information that you want. You will use dyes made of photo polymer with standard rubber stamps.
• Pre-inked stamps have inks that are on the surface of the inkpad. This means that one does not need a separate ink pad. The usually have an ink tank and can be refilled when the ink runs out. These stamps are best used when you have a lot of repetitive stamping to do. For instance, when you are sending out mass mailings.
• Self-inking stamps do not need to be inked every time you want to make an impression. They have built in rubber dyes that automatically ink themselves. They are not messy to use and can e used severally before the ink runs out. These stamps are best used for recurring stamping.
• Foam stamps are available in high quality standards nowadays. They are used to stamp on walls or fabrics. This is primary because their images are deep, which makes it ideal for stamping on rough surfaces. They are not costly.
• Acrylic stamps usually make clear impressions. They do not smudge everywhere and provide defined stamping. Do not buy cheap acrylic stamps as they usually attract a lot of dust and wear out pretty fast. If acrylic stamps are left in the sun for too long, they lose colour. However, this does not make them ineffective. Stewart Superior is one of the companies that make the best rubber stamps in the US.
• Mounted and unmounted rubber stamps- Mounted stamps tend to be unwieldy and that is why most people tend to use unmounted stamps. You can buy unmounted stamps at a go or individually. They are made from magnets or cling foam. They can be mounted on various mediums. However, unmounted stamps are expensive. Do not be too happy when you get a cheap option as these are most likely made from low quality material.
• Stamps made out of rubber are usually the best since they do not live smudges. The rubber usually soaks in most of the ink. They also provide clear, crisp images.

Inks

You will need to get an ink pad together with your decorative rubber stamps. Ink forms an important component in the art of stamping. There are different varieties and colours of ink pads available. The main categories of inks are dyes, permanent solvent based and pigment.

Uses Of Stamps

• For business purposes
• Mass mailings of letters are repetitive hence stamping makes it easier
• Address stamps in postal companies
• Official purposes
• For fun-as a hobby or for play by children

Cleaning Your Stamp

It is important to clean your stamp if you want it to last longer. The first thing to do is to rubber stamp the paper of pieces of paper to wipe out all of the excessive ink on the stamp. The second step in cleaning a rubber stamp is by stamping it on a wet piece of cloth. This will keep your stamp wet and moist to make it easier to clean. You can then proceed to use baby wipes which are alcohol free to clean the stamps. Window cleaners are also a good option as long as they do not contain ammonia. Alternatively, you can use a toothbrush to scrub the stamp. This will ensure the grooves get clean.

You should not use a solvent for cleaning since this will spoil the rubber. Again, do not deep your stamp in water as this will cause it to fall apart eventually.

You do not need to clean your stamp if you are going too be sing the same type of ink. Remember that you may not be able to get off all the ink from the stamp pad, so do not get obsessed and end up scrubbing out all the imprints on your stamp pad.

How To Know Which Stamp To Buy

Your choice of stamp will depend on how much you want to spend.

You will also be guided by what you want to do with the rubber stamp. Acrylics are best for fabrics while for repetitive stamping use self-inking stamps.