Conditioning Clear Stamps

[CreativeCritter]

I love clear stamps, but I've historically had a bit of difficulty with the $1 sets taking ink properly. I've read thread after thread about how to condition them with sandpaper or a white eraser and all sorts of other solutions, but none of those ever really worked for me. Today, in a fit of desperation, I went to town on a clear stamp with an emery board. It worked wonderfully!

I know this is similar to the sandpaper idea, but I felt like I could get better control with the emery board (and honestly, I was out of sandpaper). Before rubbing the stamp with the emery board the only inks I could use were chalk and pigment inks (of which I have only a few). The real test came when I used Palette ink and got a perfect impression!

I did put a good amount of pressure on the board and actually "sanded" for a couple of minutes per stamp (I ended up doing a whole set). This method even worked on the stamps in the set that had more solid space. I just wanted to share in case there was anyone else out there that didn't have the best luck with the sandpaper/eraser technique.

[Chiefs crafty chik]

Great tip! I can use this one!! Thanks for sharing!

[Sambini]

It does make a huge difference!

[binx]

Thanks for that. I've tried emery boards, in fact that's all I use when someone suggests using sandpaper in some regard for paper crafting. But maybe I was too gentle for fear of ruining the stamp. I'm going to try your tip about really sanding thoroughly. You're braver than I.

[CreativeCritter]

I figured I had nothing to lose with a $1 stamp set. I'm glad it's working for others too!

[buggainok]

I always wonder when I see these threads about conditioning clear stamps....I have never had to condition any of the clear stamps I have and they all work very well.

I use Versafine Onyx black pigment ink and get clear crisp images with all the clear stamps I have. I have many different kinds, Papertrey, Inkadinkado, and lots of the inexpensive Studio G $1 stamps from Michaels.

Maybe I've just been lucky in the sets I've gotten, but they all seem to stamp very well.

[Phantom]

Me too, Bugga. Always amazed when I see the conditioning talk. I use every kind of ink I have and haven't had a problem. What I will do is stamp a few test images first.

Great idea though for those of you who have struggled with this. I've had many "fits of desperation" myself .

I always keep emery boards handy when stamping. I use them all the time to smooth out a slightly rough cut or sometimes when a pesky punch doesn't make the full effort and there's a tiny piece of paper left sticking out. Another favorite use of it for me is to distress DP especially at an edge. Handy dandy little tool to keep around - and a great tip from the OP!

[jenniewren]

I am a fan of keeping emery boards in my scrap space too. They work wonders! I never have to condition my clear stamps from CTMH, but I find that always have to condition my clear stamps from Inkdinkado, Studio G, etc.

[CreativeCritter]

I only ever have trouble with the $1 stamps and the stamps that Fiskars produces. Pigment inks and chalk inks are fine, but anytime I want to use a dye or hybrid ink I have trouble. I'm just so glad to have found a solution that works for me! I don't know why I didn't try it earlier. I use emery boards for everything else (softening scissor marks, covering chipboard, sharpening blending stumps).

[WickedYup]

One thing I have found that works is:

Ink the brand new stamp heavily, set it aside for ten minutes or so.
Clean it by stamping off the ink onto scratch paper
Reink to stamp your desired image

When the stamps are made tiny inclusions appear in the silicone. All of the conditioning methods discussed, including this one, fill those inclusions for a perfect image.

[sprtchick]

I also have NEVER had to condition a stamp. I use the clear dollar stamps from Michaels a lot and with Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks have a perfect image every time. The ink makes a huge difference.
blessings.

[lmcgraw01]

I have had to condition stamps, esp from Fiscars and Fancy Pants. I esp love the Fancy Pants stamps, but some of them have huge sections that really show if they don't hold the ink well. It seems that the more you abuse them, the better they do.
Leah

[Stampin Busia]

I haven't conditioned my clear stamps BUT the BEST ink pad I have found
(at Wal-Mart) is the STAMPOLOGY ink pad. It only comes in Onyx, but the images are clean looking. THEN I usually get "artsy" w my water color pencils and water brushes.
The ink does NOT run and my results turn out every time.
You might want to try this inexpensive ink pad. Its made SPECIFICALLY for clear stamps. Stampin Busia

[Stampin Busia]

Originally Posted by Stampin Busia

I haven't conditioned my clear stamps BUT the BEST ink pad I have found
(at Wal-Mart) is the STAMPOLOGY ink pad. It only comes in Onyx, but the images are clean looking. THEN I usually get "artsy" w my water color pencils and water brushes.
The ink does NOT run and my results turn out every time.
You might want to try this inexpensive ink pad. Its made SPECIFICALLY for clear stamps. Stampin Busia

ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH. . . THERE IS LESS TO REMEMBER

[nottoocreative]

I found this thread when Googling about the Stampology ink pad (someone gave it to me, and it doesn't say on it whether it is a pigment ink or dye, permanent or not, waterproof or not...grrrr. And nothing about it on their website.)
BUT, I just want to give a caution: if you have very fine line images, be very careful with sanding. I have conditioned quite a few stamps and it is usually great, but one stamp I ruined because it had fine line wording on it, and now they are almost unreadable I guess when you start sanding, you can get down to a wider part of the rubber etching.
So, start lightly and go from there! You can always do more, but you can never undo too much.
Also, make sure you use even pressure across the whole image, or you could make it worse (for example, if you aren't holding it somewhat flat and end up sanding more in one area). Yep, did that, too. I was able to fix it somewhat by resanding, but again, ended up with wider lines than I originally had.

[nottoocreative]

Originally Posted by Stampin Busia

ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH. . . THERE IS LESS TO REMEMBER

Is this spam or what???