by Claire_Wolfe

Created on: August 02, 2011

Have you ever found that the lines are missing on your rubber stamp image or they aren’t as clear as you would have liked? Then here are some tips on how to create the perfect rubber stamped image.

First of all you need to choose the right stamp. This could be quite hard especially as clear stamps are normally in packets. Some brands may put images on the back of the packets which show you what the stamp will look like when it’s been stamped. Cheap stamps are quite tempting because of the price but they aren’t always the best quality so try and choose a slightly more expensive stamp. You will find that it stamps better and you will be more pleased with the result.

The next tip is to do with ink. Again, don’t always go for cheap ink pads as they are likely to be quite clumpy and won’t always give even coverage to your stamps. When inking up your stamp it is best to apply the ink to the stamp rather than the other way around. Lie the stamp flat on the work surface and take the ink pad and press it firmly over the image. Make sure that all areas are inked up and that not too much ink is applied. Normally one application of the ink pad is sufficient to cover the stamp.

The main trick to stamping is to be confident and don’t hesitate when applying the stamp to the card. If you hesitate then it’s likely to come out as quite a wavey line or even a double image, where you have stamped it twice. Once you have inked up your stamp, grab it with both hands. If you are using an acrylic block then place your fingers at the top and the thumbs at the bottom. This gives you a firm hold on the block and allows you to apply enough pressure to achieve a clear image.

Decide on the area you are going to stamp on to before stamping. If you have a clear sheet of card then deciding to stamp in the right or left corner first will give you somewhere to aim your stamp for. Then stamp the image, pressing down firmly. Don’t rock the stamp as this will distort the image. Once you have applied the pressure, lift the stamp off the page and place to one side. Make sure you have put all lids back on your ink pads as well so you don’t get your arm in it and spread ink all over your image!

When stamping with smaller stamps such as sentiments, then don’t apply too much pressure as this may squash the stamp and again, distort the image. With smaller stamps you may also need to apply the image to the ink pad when inking the stamp.

Practise is the key to achieving a perfect rubber stamped image. Try experimenting with different stamps on a spare piece of card so that you know how much pressure you need to apply each time. If you go wrong then you can just stamp the image again and there is nothing lost.

One last tip is to invest in a fineliner pen. These are typically sold in black but are available in other colours too. If you have stamped an image and only a small section of the image is missing, then you can fill in the missing detail with a fine pen. If you have a steady hand and the image has been coloured in then most people won’t pick up on the fact that it’s been drawn by hand.

Learn more about this author, Claire_Wolfe.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.