| Years ago there was only one option for rubber | | | | spent a long amount of time on a scrapbook page and |
| stamps and the crafter. The typical wood mounted | | | | you want to make some final touches with a stamp, |
| rubber stamp. Many of the old rubber stamps also | | | | the last thing you want to do is ruin all the work you've |
| came with handles like business stamps today, while | | | | done by having a smudge or putting something in the |
| others had simple pegs. Thanks to the growth of this | | | | wrong place. Because clear stamps are placed on a |
| hobby, you can now buy many different types of | | | | clear acrylic block, you can see that you get good ink |
| stamps ranging from mounted, unmounted, clear | | | | coverage of your stamp and precise placement. You |
| acrylic, foam, individually, or by the sheet. Just a quick | | | | can even double stamp by placing stamped images on |
| check online will show many companies who sell | | | | top of each other. Keep in mind when looking for clear |
| stamps in all of the above types. You might wonder | | | | acrylic stamps that not all are created equal. If you've |
| what the best type of stamp to buy is. While it would | | | | ever bought cheap clear stamps, you were probably |
| be wonderful to be able to give a black and white | | | | extremely disappointed. Inexpensive, cheap acrylic |
| answer, each type has applications that they perform | | | | stamps usually show themselves by attracting lots of |
| better than the others. We'd like to take the mystery | | | | dirt, and they usually tear easily. The best clear acrylic |
| out of what type of stamp to use, when, and how to | | | | stamps made in the U.S.A. are manufactured by |
| use it. | | | | Stewart Superior. The proprietary photopolymer this |
| When most people think of foam stamps, they think of | | | | company uses has the perfect amount of stickiness |
| inexpensive, low-quality stamps found in department | | | | and is very durable. Sometimes when clear acrylic |
| stores, and are intended to be used by children. While | | | | stamps are placed in the sun, they do discolor, but it |
| that may have been true many years ago, new | | | | does not affect in any way the stamped image. |
| advancements in mold technology have created foam | | | | Almost everyone's favorite, the typical wooded |
| stamps that are actually of very high-quality. They | | | | mounted rubber stamp doesn't need any introduction. |
| have a significant amount of detail and our fantastic | | | | After all, these stamps have been around for literally |
| choice, when you're going to be stamping on fabric or | | | | decades, and they were the first stamps that were |
| walls, because they are lightweight and inexpensive. | | | | used years ago. While the selection used to be limited |
| They can often be disposed of when you are finished | | | | to your local craft and hobby store, the growth of this |
| using them. Beyond that, they have a very deep image | | | | hobby and the advent of the Internet have made way |
| that is perfect for stamping on uneven surfaces. If | | | | for hundreds of unique, mounted rubber stamps. |
| you're looking to stamp fabric, denim, walls, plaster, or | | | | Rubber has the crispest and most detailed image of all |
| tin, foam stamps may be your best choice. | | | | the stamps. One of the issues with clear stamps is a |
| Twenty years ago, if you told someone that you had | | | | smudged image. You will not get this with a regular |
| an entire closet filled with rubber stamps, they would've | | | | rubber stamp because the rubber soaks up ink in tiny |
| thought you were a crazy fanatic. These days, it is not | | | | pits that the clear acrylic does not have. |
| uncommon at all to have stamps filling up cabinets and | | | | So which is best? Foam, unmounted, clear, or mounted, |
| closets, a fact that has created a huge demand for | | | | we will have to leave the choice up to you. The truth |
| stamp storage units. Because mounted rubber stamps, | | | | is, they all have their place for certain projects. If your |
| with a wood mount, are bulky and take up a lot of | | | | next project is going to be on fabric, or you want to |
| space, some crafters like the idea of buying | | | | stamp baby room walls, we'd recommend you find |
| unmounted rubber stamps. Most of the time, you can | | | | some high-quality, foam stamps. Buy a few of each |
| buy them in a full sheet at a time and save a bundle, or | | | | design and if one gets damaged, you can just quickly |
| you may want to buy them individually. Unmounted | | | | go to another one. Are you working on a long |
| stamps can be backed with anything from magnets to | | | | scrapbook album that's taken hours of work? Want to |
| static cling foam, and can be mounted on the medium | | | | put some final touches with stamps? I strongly |
| of choice. Some prefer using traditional rubber stamps | | | | encourage you to buy some clear acrylic stamps. |
| that have been trimmed close to the design and then | | | | There are some fantastic designs out there that you |
| placed on static cling foam that can be mounted easily | | | | can use. By using clear acrylic stamps, you can be |
| on acrylic blocks. While cost per stamp is usually the | | | | assured that you won't mess up the hours and hours |
| biggest concern, another immediate advantage of | | | | of work you already put into the project. Are you |
| unmounted stamps is the inexpensive shipping, | | | | making cards, scrapbook pages, gift boxes, or |
| because you're not paying to ship the wood mount. | | | | patterned paper? Wood mounted rubber stamps or |
| Beware of buying "bargain bags" or "pounds of | | | | unmounted stamps, mounted your preference, are still |
| unmounted stamps" since these are usually of very | | | | your best bet in the end. It's not so much what kind of |
| low quality and the designs are very poor. | | | | stamp you have, but what kind of application you're |
| Acrylic rubber stamps are the newest "stamps on the | | | | going to be using it with. We hope that after reading |
| block". Either someone loves them or they hate them. | | | | this information, you now know exactly what you need |
| Clear stamps have a fanatical following one day and | | | | to get started on your next project. Go ahead, get |
| every one dislikes them the next day. When you've | | | | started stamping today! |