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Do you have a preference between Rubber, Acrylic or Digital stamps?
I think my preference is for Rubber. Nice to be able to grab and go.
But they can get costly. And I can mess up the inking process.
I jumped on the acrylic bandwagon with CTMH a few years ago. Their stamps are really nice, but I've noticed that acrylic tends to stain. I store the CTMH in their original envelopes, which works very well. But storing other acrylics are a problem. They stuck to my CD cases. I've since transferred them to an EZ Mount album, but not sure if I like that either. Unless stained, it's hard to see the design on the page.
I like the low cost of digital and the crisp image I get from my printer. But it also limits how the stamp is used. I have to plan ahead to print it directly on a card or I have to cut out the printed piece and attach it.
I have all three formats and I guess it depends on what I want to do. Digital images are great for copicing, pencil crayons etc...basically "dry" techniques. I have a laser printer and that makes a big difference for me. I have tried printing on water color paper to use a digital stamp with my water colors but it never works for me...toner flakes off.
For "wet" techniques use rubber or acrylic stamps.
Cathy
__________________ I stand alone without beliefs...the only truth I know is you
I haven't jumped on the digital bandwagon yet but don't have a preference between rubber or clear. I have a combination of storage methods that seem to work for me so far--cd cases, dvd cases, and the Little Monkeys storage system -which I think is no longer in business but you can see an example here: Bits and Pieces: Little Monkeys Storage
I'm probably going to migrate over from cd cases to the dvd cases since I like how they line up on my bookshelves.
__________________ Kathy
Proud Mama to Mason 4/3/99, Miles 5/25/02, and Maya 8/26/04
Rubber first, then photo-polymer. Until we ever get a laser printer digital is just more trouble than I want to go to except on very rare occasions when it's worth the effort. I don't have Copics, my colouring media are all water-based.
I only use rubber. I have tried the clear acrylics and just don't get a good image when I stamp those. I do like SU's cling mount rubber stamps too, but if I had the space, I would have all rubber wood mounted.
I don't do digital, and rubber is my least favorite. I have some rubber stamps I still use once in a while that I got when I first started cardmaking.
I haven't bought any rubber stamps in a year or so, except for a few of the $1 wood mount rubber stamps they have at Michaels from time to time. They had some cute sentiments recently, and I got quite a few of them.
I much, much prefer the clear acrylic, both for how easy they are to store and also how easy it is to line them up and stamp exactly where you want to. I use Versafine Onyx ink and always get a crisp clear image with my clear stamps.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
I don't do digital, and rubber is my least favorite. I have some rubber stamps I still use once in a while that I got when I first started cardmaking.
I haven't bought any rubber stamps in a year or so, except for a few of the $1 wood mount rubber stamps they have at Michaels from time to time. They had some cute sentiments recently, and I got quite a few of them.
I much, much prefer the clear acrylic, both for how easy they are to store and also how easy it is to line them up and stamp exactly where you want to. I use Versafine Onyx ink and always get a crisp clear image with my clear stamps.
Do yours stamp okay? The clear acrylics I have bought never give a good image. Maybe I'm just not buying the right ones or is there a secret to using them?
Do yours stamp okay? The clear acrylics I have bought never give a good image. Maybe I'm just not buying the right ones or is there a secret to using them?
Muscrat, I get really nice images with my clear stamps. I have a lot of clear stamps from Papertrey, and recently some other companies - There She Goes, and My Cute Stamps. I have quite a few Hero Arts clear stamps, too.
Here is a link to a recent card in my gallery with a clear stamp so you can judge for yourself. I think they stamp great:
I use Versafine Onyx pigment ink, and don't press down too hard with the stamp, or the edges will get kind of blurry. I think the ink makes the most difference when using clear stamps, and using a lighter touch than with rubber.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
I use them all and I love them all! These days I'm using more digis than anything else, just because they are cheaper and way easier to store. I would have to say that unless I absolutely love the image and can't get it in either bare rubber, clear, or digital, then I'll buy a wood mounted stamp. But it comes off the wood as soon as I can get it done. I just don't like using wood blocks at all anymore.
I use Versafine Onyx pigment ink, and don't press down too hard with the stamp, or the edges will get kind of blurry. I think the ink makes the most difference when using clear stamps, and using a lighter touch than with rubber.
I think I need to try the VersaFine ink. And you are right about the lighter touch ... but I never think about it until I've stamped hard and smooshed the stamp.
Like muscrat, my preference is for wood mount rubber ... but unmounted rubber comes in second so long as it's clingy.
Oh, and I never even consider the digital / wet problem. I have an inkjet and was told to let dry overnight or use a heat gun before using my Copics. I never thought about what would happen if I used something waterbased.
Rubber first, then photo-polymer. Until we ever get a laser printer digital is just more trouble than I want to go to except on very rare occasions when it's worth the effort. I don't have Copics, my colouring media are all water-based.
Why do you need a laser printer for digi stamps? I use my HP deskjet all the time. I just give the image a quick shot of cheap hairspray before I color it in. No smearing at all!
Muscrat, I get really nice images with my clear stamps. I have a lot of clear stamps from Papertrey, and recently some other companies - There She Goes, and My Cute Stamps. I have quite a few Hero Arts clear stamps, too.
Here is a link to a recent card in my gallery with a clear stamp so you can judge for yourself. I think they stamp great:
I use Versafine Onyx pigment ink, and don't press down too hard with the stamp, or the edges will get kind of blurry. I think the ink makes the most difference when using clear stamps, and using a lighter touch than with rubber.
That one was very good and clear! I am thinking it has to be the ink. I use all SU and I love it for my SU stuff, but it just doesn't do well with acrylic. Also, good point about not pressing down so hard...I'm a heavy stamper and need to remember that. I have an acrylic somewhere around here and am going to try it with a lighter touch....I will also try one of my pigment inks and see if this changes my shopping habits! Thanks for the feedback.
I've always preferred anything unmounted because it takes up less space and recently I realized that I'm so used to clear stamps that I don't like it when I can't see through my stamps to what I'm stamping
Long story short - clear stamps take the first place and then cling rubber.
Wood mounted rubber. i have a few (VERY few) clear stamps, but don't ever use them. I'm not even sure where they are, to be honest. I haven't ever used digital art for cardmaking. I like the act of stamping.
__________________ Diana
*******
Save your drama for your llama.
I use them all and I love them all! These days I'm using more digis than anything else, just because they are cheaper and way easier to store. I would have to say that unless I absolutely love the image and can't get it in either bare rubber, clear, or digital, then I'll buy a wood mounted stamp. But it comes off the wood as soon as I can get it done. I just don't like using wood blocks at all anymore.
I just tried one of the few acrylics I have and it came out very well! I used a pigment ink and didn't press as hard. I may like this!
Hooray! I'm glad it worked for you. If you want to branch out and get some nice quality acrylic stamps and not break the budget, you might look at Hero Arts. They have all kinds, images, sentiments, etc. They stamp great and they're reasonably priced (compared to some of the what I call "designer stamps", lol.)
To enable you, here is a link to a great all purpose sentiment set that's on sale today at Overstock. I have this set and find lots of uses for it:
Why do you need a laser printer for digi stamps? I use my HP deskjet all the time. I just give the image a quick shot of cheap hairspray before I color it in. No smearing at all!
I have tried this, but with watercolours you just don't get the same effect. I have watercolour paper thin enough to go through the printer, but if you coat it with spray, you can't blend your colours the same way because of the coating on the paper.
Why do you need a laser printer for digi stamps? I use my HP deskjet all the time. I just give the image a quick shot of cheap hairspray before I color it in. No smearing at all!
So, Gram, what are you coloring with? I only have an inkjet. Once I tried spraying a printout with acrylic sealer to see if I could color it with water-based markers. I put on several coats to make sure it was really good and sealed, and the markers still made the printer ink bleed. Tried with Bics and Sharpies (didn't have any Copics at the time) and it made the marker ink gum up, it wouldn't color smoothly. Nasty. (They work just fine on regular un-sprayed printouts, though, and don't bleed the ink.) Then I tried my Prismacolor pencils on the sprayed printout, both with and without OMS, and my goodness they went down so smooth and creamy! It was a dream to color.
And to answer the original question: to me, my first consideration is the image. If I like it, I don't care whether the format is rubber or clear or digi. But I too have grown to hate wood mounts and all of my rubber gets stripped down as well, to bare nekkid! :-D
I prefer good old fashioned red rubber. I find that the acrylics often don't give a crisp impression and some of them have problems, tearing or getting sticky. I am NOT a fan of digital stamps, in my book it is not stamping.
__________________ Mary Anne
sparkly-train.blogspot.com
Hooray! I'm glad it worked for you. If you want to branch out and get some nice quality acrylic stamps and not break the budget, you might look at Hero Arts. They have all kinds, images, sentiments, etc. They stamp great and they're reasonably priced (compared to some of the what I call "designer stamps", lol.)
To enable you, here is a link to a great all purpose sentiment set that's on sale today at Overstock. I have this set and find lots of uses for it:
I will have to check on some of those when I go out. I am thinking I saw some Hero Arts at either Michaels or ACMoore last time I was out. I could use more sentiments.
Two sets of Hero clear sentiment stamps live in the drawer under my PC monitor so I can grab them any time - they're great! I'm glad you've cracked the technique for stamping with clear stamps.
Love your little kitty running through the grass .
I prefer rubber. I think it's more traditional stamping. I also like Polymer but I always think of it as a different kind of stamping technique if that makes sense. Then third would be digital. I started off with digital before it was popular and then went to rubber when digital became popular. I was a newbie. I always think of digital stamps as PaintShop Pro Brushes, lol. I was a big PSP girl back then.
Two sets of Hero clear sentiment stamps live in the drawer under my PC monitor so I can grab them any time - they're great! I'm glad you've cracked the technique for stamping with clear stamps.
Love your little kitty running through the grass .
Thanks....he's not really my kitty. I found him when I was looking for avatars for another website. He's sooo cute.
I didn't think about that but you're right. Although not as artistic as today's digitals.
My overflowing hard drive screams in protest. I collected so many beautiful pieces of clip art several years ago. I think a lot of things back before "hybrid" came in was prettier. I can't even remember the last collection I bought. I think it was the Gorjuss line a couple of years ago.
I was making digital scrapbooking layouts before it was popular. I couldn't bare making a big old book to set around and nobody would look at it. That's what would happen in our home. I did teach my son to traditional scrapbook.
I understand what you mean. It seemed only at one time the "clip art" that was on the market was Microsoft Office look. You really had to dig for quality pieces or design your own. There were a few companies that had good quality art for crafting. PcCrafter was the biggest one.
For Black & White "digital stamps" those were really hard to find. I call digital stamps line art. I used to teach pixeling back when that was popular and a lot of us who taught pixeling used line art and designed it. I can't get my head around the term digital stamping, lol.
Rubber, Acrylic or Digital?
