Years ago there was only one option for rubber stamps and crafts. Typical wood-mount rubber stamp. Many old rubber stamps also came with handles like today’s business stamps, while others had simple pegs. Thanks to the growth of this hobby, you can now purchase many different types of stamps ranging from mounted, unmounted, clear acrylic, foam, individually, or on the plate. Just a quick check online will show you many companies selling stamps in all of the above types. You may be wondering what is the best type of stamp to buy. While it would be nice to be able to give an answer in black and white, each type has applications that it does better than the others. We’d like to remove the mystery of what type of stamp to use, when and how to use it.

When most people think of foam stamps, they think of cheap, low-quality stamps found in department stores, meant to be used by children. While this may have been true for many years, new advances in mold technology have actually created higher quality foam seals. They have a great deal of detail and are our great choice, when you want to stamp on canvas or walls, because they are lightweight and inexpensive. They can often be thrown away when you are done using them. Furthermore, they have a very deep profile that is perfect for stamping on uneven surfaces. If you are looking to stamp fabric, denim, walls, plaster or tin, foam stamps may be your best choice.

Twenty years ago, if you told someone you had an entire closet full of rubber stamps, they would have thought you were a crazy fanatic. These days it is not at all uncommon to have stamps filling safes and cupboards, a fact that has created a huge demand for stamp storage units. Because riveted, wood-mounted rubber seals are bulky and take up a lot of space, some craftsmen like the idea of ​​purchasing unmounted rubber seals. Most of the time, you can buy them in a whole sheet at a time and save a bundle, or you may want to buy them individually. Unmounted stamps can be backed with anything from magnets to static cling foam, and can be affixed to your preferred medium. Some prefer to use traditional rubber seals that are cut close to the design and then applied to a firm adhesive foam that can be easily attached to the acrylic blocks. While the cost of the stamps is usually the biggest concern, another immediate advantage of unmounted stamps is inexpensive shipping, because you don’t pay for wood carrier shipping. Beware of buying “bargain bags” or “pounds of loose stamps” as these are usually of very low quality and the designs are very poor.

Acrylic rubber stamps are the newest “stamps on the block”. Either someone loves them or they hate them. Clear Stamps has a fanatic the next day and every one hates her the next. When you spend a lot of time on a scrapbook page and want to do some finishing touches with a stamp, the last thing you want to do is ruin all the work you did by smudging or putting something in the wrong place. As the clear stamps are placed on a clear acrylic block, you can see that you are getting good ink coverage of your stamp and precise placement. You can even double-stamp by placing stamped images on top of each other. Keep in mind when looking for clear acrylic stamps that not all are created equal. If you’ve ever bought cheap clear stamps, you’ll probably be very disappointed. Cheap and inexpensive acrylic stamps usually show themselves by attracting a lot of dirt, and they usually tear easily. The finest quality clear acrylic stamps made in the USA are manufactured by Stewart Superior. The photopolymer used by this company has optimal adhesion and is extremely durable. Sometimes, when setting clear acrylic stamps in the sun, they smear the color, but it does not in any way affect the stamped image.

A favorite of almost everyone, the typical wooden rubber stamp needs no introduction. After all, these stamps have been around for literally decades, and the first stamps that were used were years ago. While the selection used to be limited to your local craft and hobby store, the growth of this hobby and the advent of the Internet has given way to hundreds of unique and proven rubber stamps. Rubber has the sharpest and most detailed image of all stamps. One problem with clear stamps is the smudged image. You won’t get this with a regular rubber stamp because the rubber absorbs the ink in small craters that clear acrylic doesn’t.

So what is best? Foam, non-textured, clear, or composite, we’ll have to leave the choice up to you. The truth is that they all have their place in certain projects. If your next project is going to be on canvas, or you want to stamp the kids’ room walls, we recommend that you find some high quality foam stamps. Buy a few of each design and if one gets damaged you can quickly move on to another. Are you working on a long scrapbook album that took hours of work? Want to put some finishing touches with stamps? I highly encourage you to purchase some clear acrylic stamps. There are some great designs that you can use. By using clear acrylic stamps, you can be sure that you won’t spoil the hours and hours of work you’ve already put into the project. Do you make cards, scrapbook pages, gift boxes, or embossed paper? Wood-mounted or unmounted rubber stamps, affixed depending on your preference, are still your best bet in the end. It’s not about what kind of stamp you have, but what kind of application you’ll use with it. Hopefully after reading this information, you now know exactly what you need to get started on your next project. Go ahead, start stamping today!