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I've gotten a few stamps over the last couple of months and have started to do a little stamping and feel overwhelmed. I've only bought the clear acrylic stamps and am having two main problems. One is that it seems like after a couple times using a stamp, it stops clinging really well to the plastic block. Should I be doing something special to keep it sticking well? I also have a hard time getting a clean image. Should I use different ink or is there some trick I'm missing? Should I have something under what I'm stamping other than the table top for a better image?
As for the problem with the stamps not sticking to the block, they probably just need to be washed in some soapy water to get off any residue that might be on the back preventing them from sticking.
I like to use Brilliance pigment ink for clear stamps as I have had the best luck with that. Sometimes, in order to get a good impression, you need to put down a piece of fun foam, a mouse pad, or even a magazine underneath your paper to give you a cushion to stamp with.
I've found that I get a better stamped image if I stamp on top of an acrylic cutting board. It's nice & sturdy so the images turn out even.
For the ink I've been using Black Stazon to stamp images then clean them off immediately with Stazon cleaner. The Stazon will sometimes stain abit but it doesn't harm any of the images. You can get both at Michaels & Hobby Lobby as well as your local stamp & scrapbook stores.
Don't press too hard with the acrylic!!! It is a different 'feel' than the rubber. I have learned the hard way not to wiggle or rock or press too hard on the acrylics.
And I use the block for your nails (like when they do acrylics) to smooth the image on acrylics and it 'takes' ink better I think.
Do I need to do anything to prep the stamps before they are put on the acrylic block to make them stick better? Wanda had a good tip about keeping the stamps clean to help them stick but the stamps aren't clinging well when they are brand new and they appear to be good quality stamps. They are fiskars brand stamps.
What are the basic difference in ink types? Should I only be using pigment dyes? I bought the cat eye style chalk inks from JoAnn's but should I be using something different?
I've found that I get a better stamped image if I stamp on top of an acrylic cutting board. It's nice & sturdy so the images turn out even.
For the ink I've been using Black Stazon to stamp images then clean them off immediately with Stazon cleaner. The Stazon will sometimes stain abit but it doesn't harm any of the images. You can get both at Michaels & Hobby Lobby as well as your local stamp & scrapbook stores.
Wanda
You shouldn't use Stazon or Stazon cleaner on clear stamps. It can damage them. I would suggest using Ultra Clean to clean clear stamps.
Also, chalk ink should work perfectly fine for clear stamps.
Do I need to do anything to prep the stamps before they are put on the acrylic block to make them stick better? Wanda had a good tip about keeping the stamps clean to help them stick but the stamps aren't clinging well when they are brand new and they appear to be good quality stamps. They are fiskars brand stamps.
What are the basic difference in ink types? Should I only be using pigment dyes? I bought the cat eye style chalk inks from JoAnn's but should I be using something different?
Hmmm. As much as I wish I could say that Fiskars are great quality, they're not really. You probably won't find GREAT quality acrylics in regular big box stores (try some member companies instead).
I buy 'not-so-greats' all the time, usually because I love the image. Best advice is to make sure the block and the stamp are squeaky clean. Then if you're still having trouble try using some double sided tape or Aileene's Tack It Over & Over. Just remember to pull them off soon after using - and gently!
__________________ All inked up... and somewhere to go. My gallery, small but mighty... or maybe just mighty small! Come see my almost new blog... M'ija Stamps!
A couple of suggestions for using clear stamps. You can use double stick tape on your block. That would hold the clear stamps to it. (But you would need to remove the double sided tape from the block when you are done stamping as the longer you leave it on the block, the harder it gets to remove it.)
To get a better image, I use Versafine inks and a mouse pad under any brand of smooth cardstock. I like Georgia pacific brand that I get at Walmart. (The clear stamps will not work well with any kind of cardstock that has a texture to it.)
Another thing I use a lot is a Stamp press I got at Joann's with my 50% off coupon. It has a acrylic block in the middle and sponge feet on the edges. I find that helps get a clearer image since you don't rock the stamp and the whole surface of the stamp gets an even pressure.
Some brands of clear stamps need to be conditioned before they can be used as there is a coating on the stamps from the manufacturing process. When I buy a new stamp, I normally ink the stamp up several times and stamp off on a piece of scrap paper. Then clean really well with soap and water. Let dry then you can use for your project. If you still can't get a good image, then use a white eraser and gently go over the whole front of the stamp. Then clean and let dry.
Fiskars are not very good quality so you may have to fuss around a bit with them to get them to stamp. The ones with a solid surface tend to be a hassle to get a clean image with even when you do all the above steps.
I don't have any problem with any of my clear stamps - and that's all I use is clear stamps (I need to see where I'm goin'! - ha); whether they are the Studio G $1 stamps or the Papertrey $24 stamps, I treat them all the same and they work fine. When I get them, I go over each one with a craft eraser - it's white and comes in kind of a pen tub - and I rub that over the image area.....and then before I go to use the stamp for the first time, I ink it and then push it down really hard and kind of rub it a lot, dirty it up, get anything extra off it, so that my final image is a nice, clean, dark image. The only inks I have ever had a problem with are the lighter inks from Papertrey which I understand they are working on. But every other ink works just fine. I wouldn't waste your money on stamp cleaner - - get some baby wipes (the non-scented plain kind, but a good quality like Pampers) and clean your stamps when you're done....front and back ;)
I've gotten a few stamps over the last couple of months and have started to do a little stamping and feel overwhelmed. I've only bought the clear acrylic stamps and am having two main problems. One is that it seems like after a couple times using a stamp, it stops clinging really well to the plastic block. Should I be doing something special to keep it sticking well? I also have a hard time getting a clean image. Should I use different ink or is there some trick I'm missing? Should I have something under what I'm stamping other than the table top for a better image?
Any tips/advice would be great!
If you are that new to stamping, there is one very basic thing you can do to help yourself get a "clean image". When I first started stamping, I picked up my stamp in my right hand, held my paper with my left, and stamped down. That was how I had used any rubber stamp (daters, Paid stamps, Copy stamps, etc.) My good pal, and experienced stamper, told me to use both hands on the stamp. Hold it with thumbs and index fingers (or with a larger stamp it may take a couple more fingers to have a secure hold) and if you want to brace the paper, lower your pinkies onto the paper. That too will help you guard against any jerking or shaking as you bring the stamp down. This also makes you lower your stamp more slowly than coming down with one hand to your paper. You can hold your stamp down there for a few seconds if you want, to make sure that all available ink has been transferred to the paper. This may take care of any urge to press down too hard. And make sure that you lift your stamp straight up. This is where those pinkies can also help keep your paper from trying to lift up or shift with your stamp.
This is very very very basic. I would not mention it except that you are that new at stamping. Sometimes when we get experience under our belts, we take for granted that everyone knows all of those very very basic things. The person who mentioned the stamp press was addressing the same issue, and depending on how much something like that costs, you might want to look into it. But first, make sure you are doing everything you can on your own to bring that stamp straight down with as little shake or wobble as possible. And lift that stamp straight up as cleanly as you brought it down.
You may be well past the point where anyone needs to tell you this. I just thought I would mention it in case no one had.
__________________ Carmellia "There is more to life than increasing its speed."
Gandhi
Just to agree with the not using StazOn for clear stamps (although I read on another thread just this week that there is a StazOn Clear cleaner specially formulated for use with clear stamps, but I haven't seen it yet myself) and to agree with the baby-wipes. But check the labelling to choose one with no alcohol in it.
Some inks will stain the stamps no matter what cleaner you use, it's not worth worrying about. I notice that with chalk inks, some colours stain more than others.
I agree - a good cleaning will get you clear stamps to stick again.
I use a nail file to sand the stamp image a bit clean off the dust and ink it up. I find that works well for me.
Clear stamps IMO dont stamp as clean and crisp. And that is very true (IMO) for the solid clear stamps the ink seems to pool and I get an uneven but fine result compared with rubber I get a very solid image (no pooling of ink). Reguarding outlined clear stamps if you press to hard the image does not come out very clear. I also agree with posters about cleaning with baby wipes (the good ones) and not using stazon ink and cleaner. I do condition my clear rubber with an eraser or rub it briskly on my stampin room chair it has a thick, rough fabric and that works good. I dont like putting the double sided tape on my clear blocks it just junks them up and it can be hard to get off. All of the clear stamps that I have stick just fine when they are clean, if one seems not to stick I wash it with soap and water and it sticks again. I have not tried fiskars stamp but they sound not so great:( happy stampin!
I have a weird question, but here goes... Should you remove the paper insert inside a new VersaFine ink pad? Or is it there to help retain the ink's freshness? Thanks!
I have a weird question, but here goes... Should you remove the paper insert inside a new VersaFine ink pad? Or is it there to help retain the ink's freshness? Thanks!
I was just on their site and they say to keep it in.
New to stamping - need some help/advice
