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My stamps are not stored in sunlight but some of my stamps by Lawn Fawn are yellowing. I expect the yellowing from some brands, like Hero Arts or ones made in China. But I take care of my stamps, so seeing some of my Lawn Fawn stamps yellow really surprises me. I've had stamps much longer than the Lawn Fawn ones from companies like MFT and PTI and many other brands that are not yellowing at all. I know the yellowing doesn't impact the quality of the stamps, it's just bothersome because I take care of my stamps. Does anyone else find their stamps yellowing, like Lawn Fawn, although they are kept out of the sunlight? Thanks for your input! - Catherine
__________________ "I hate when people accuse me of Lollygagging when I'm quite clearly Dilly-Dallying"
Perhaps unrelated to yellowing, some companies’ stamp backer sheets are acetate, which can eventually cause a chemical reaction. I’ve removed stamps from acetate to switch to Dura-Lar that’s as thick/thicker than acetate so is not flimsy, and others have used laminating sheets.
Maybe Diane/Fionna51 can weigh in whether that can also affect color. I don’t know which type of backer sheet LawnFawn uses, however.
Only some are on acetate. There used to be a list - I’ll look for it though someone quick-like-a-bunny may post it first. I wouldn’t rely on it 100% since companies change their processes and materials, both for better and for worse.
Going Crazy with Clear Stamp Storage by Candida at Splitcoaststampers - but this thread is from 2014. Things may have changed. And photopolymer quality has improved over time, though I’d guess different companies may use different quality photopolymer and I don’t know when it improved.
What I’d love to know is whether the acetate outgasses so even if the stamps don’t touch acetate, if it’s in a pocket with the stamps, whether damage can occur.
I attach the acetate backer sheet to a piece of Dura-Lar. The stamps stick to the Dura-Lar over their picture. No time spent laminating (to make the laminating sheets stronger) or stamping. So far no problems.
Lawn Fawn sets are my most yellowed ones. I have a couple of Avery Elle sets that are starting to yellow also. Despite age none of my other brands are doing this. So far it doesn't seem to be affecting their stamping. These along with some other brands are ones that have not been moved to DuraLar yet. None of the stamps that I moved to Dura Lar have yellowed but I don't know if this is a factor.
I think that the biggest issue with clear stamps changing color is ink. I have stamps that have two different colors on them because I stamped the words in two different colors.
And related to the ink is how fast you get the stamp cleaned. I have a few that I forgot to clean pretty much right away and they are more stained.
Then also, some inks are worse than others. I don't know if you have noticed or not, but Versafine kind of comes off like powder or a film. No staining.
However...
I have stamps that yellowed that were never used. So it's either exposure to some fume that causes a chemical reaction or a little bit of light or something.
What I don't get though is why isolated stamps of mine have turned gummy.
I follow the thoughts in the above threads, and store my stamps as safely as I know how.
I think that the biggest issue with clear stamps changing color is ink. I have stamps that have two different colors on them because I stamped the words in two different colors.
And related to the ink is how fast you get the stamp cleaned. I have a few that I forgot to clean pretty much right away and they are more stained.
Then also, some inks are worse than others. I don't know if you have noticed or not, but Versafine kind of comes off like powder or a film. No staining.
However...
I have stamps that yellowed that were never used. So it's either exposure to some fume that causes a chemical reaction or a little bit of light or something.
What I don't get though is why isolated stamps of mine have turned gummy.
I follow the thoughts in the above threads, and store my stamps as safely as I know how.
Could the gummy stamps be older, before photopolymer quality improved? I figure you don’th have the gummies on acetate.
I don’t care if my stamps stain, but have found my yellow inks stain the most - not the reds. I use Hero Arts cleaner or the Stewart refill, which I’m 99% sure is the same. Hero Arts confirmed in an email their cleaner is from Stewart. When I use the cleaner quickly - now with a microfiber cloth - there is generally no ink left on the stamp. Except sometimes a tinge of yellow.
I think that the biggest issue with clear stamps changing color is ink. I have stamps that have two different colors on them because I stamped the words in two different colors.
And related to the ink is how fast you get the stamp cleaned. I have a few that I forgot to clean pretty much right away and they are more stained.
Then also, some inks are worse than others. I don't know if you have noticed or not, but Versafine kind of comes off like powder or a film. No staining.
However...
I have stamps that yellowed that were never used. So it's either exposure to some fume that causes a chemical reaction or a little bit of light or something.
What I don't get though is why isolated stamps of mine have turned gummy.
I follow the thoughts in the above threads, and store my stamps as safely as I know how.
I’ve had never used stamps yellow also.
I’ve had a few of my clear acrylic type stamps gum. Not sure what they were stored on.
Some of my solid oval and circle stamps I use a lot are just all stained brown even though I clean with HA. I use them to make ink charts. Even if I clean them totally they bleed the old color onto the next stamping. I usually have to stamp them off, clean them and them test them until the old color is gone. Shadow inks are the worst. I agree about the Versafine cleaning up well. I guess it’s just the nature of some inks to be more staining.
I’ve had old acrylic stamps - not photopolymer - weld themselves to their backing sheet. Some were quite yellow, but some had been used before sent to me in a kind of round-table swap thing so I couldn’t tell if it was ink or yellowing.
I wonder when photopolymer’s quality improved. None of my stamps from the last few years have any yellowing - except from yellow ink.
I know I have newer Avery Elle stamps that haven’t yellowed. I’m assuming Lawn Fawn has also changed. I just don’t have any newer LF to compare. The yellowing doesn’t seem to affect the performance.
Right, I don’t think anyone has posted - ever? - that just yellowing affects performance, just that it bothers some people. Different than getting overly attached to backer sheets or gummy, obviously.
BTW, my comment was to anyone re when photopolymer improved. Or has it? I keep reading that, but maybe the big improvement was companies switching from acrylic stamps to photopolymer.
And how many problematic stamps that people assume are photopolymer are actually acrylic? Just cogitating...
I contacted Lawn Fawn and learned the most interesting thing! They said to put the yellowing stamps into direct sunlight and check them every 30 minutes and they will sun-bleach themselves back to their original color!!!!
__________________ "I hate when people accuse me of Lollygagging when I'm quite clearly Dilly-Dallying"
I contacted Lawn Fawn and learned the most interesting thing! They said to put the yellowing stamps into direct sunlight and check them every 30 minutes and they will sun-bleach themselves back to their original color!!!!
I contacted Lawn Fawn and learned the most interesting thing! They said to put the yellowing stamps into direct sunlight and check them every 30 minutes and they will sun-bleach themselves back to their original color!!!!
Oh great, now I have to cut down trees or move, since we don't have much direct sun for very long on this wooded and treed lot. :rolleyes:
But seriously, how interesting! Do you have another yellowed stamp from a different manufacturer to try the same thing with? Or anyone else?
I contacted Lawn Fawn and learned the most interesting thing! They said to put the yellowing stamps into direct sunlight and check them every 30 minutes and they will sun-bleach themselves back to their original color!!!!
Very interesting! I can’t wait to try this out. Of course, I would read this on a rainy day
I contacted Lawn Fawn and learned the most interesting thing! They said to put the yellowing stamps into direct sunlight and check them every 30 minutes and they will sun-bleach themselves back to their original color!!!!
:shock: I want to try this!
I do have a few that have yellowed, many brands, and I do believe that in some instances the yellowing related to the ink being used .. especially the black. Palette Noir seemed to yellow a stamp after the first use, plus Sta-Zon & Ranger Archival Black can do the same. I've never worried, since the stamps continue to stamp as they did prior to yellowing.
It just occurred to me that the original post was concerned with yellowing and pointed out that they’re not exposed to sunlight. Because we have been told that can damage some. Aaaaand then the cure for some is to PUT THEM IN THE SUN.
If I could I would insert the laughing emoji here...
That is odd. I'm going to try the sunlight cure though because I really don't care much about one of these sets so it's no loss. My stamps are yellow through and through and many of them have not ever been inked. Still working fine though.
It could be that LF stamps are made a little differently than some others, or it sun can help with staining, or... the rep could even be wrong. :shock:
One time I contacted Ranger with a question, and the rep’s answer included info that was related but that I hadn’t asked about, and it that was so clearly wrong, all I could think of was all the stampers who wouldn’t know it was incorrect and pass it on to others.
I’m not saying that’s the case here. I can’t wait for the sunshine experiment results.
I think we need to hear from a chemist.
I can't imagine that sunlight would positively affect man-made material. We know it will bleach cotton and linen (as in vintage items you want to return to original color).
I bought a white nylon bath mat on sale and didn't notice until I put it on the floor that it had a yellowed stripe. I looked online and found that I'm supposed to pour lemon juice on it and have water immediately available to rinse it off. Haven't tried it yet....I've been making Christmas cards!
I am definitely going to try it out - with a few brands. I'm just in Chicago and although it's not a white Christmas... we haven't had much sunshine since I posted this. And I do agree how funny it is - I'm the one who created this thread, asking why my Lawn Fawn stamps would yellow when I've kept them out of the sunlight, only to be told to put them in the sunlight!
__________________ "I hate when people accuse me of Lollygagging when I'm quite clearly Dilly-Dallying"
Same w my Lawn Fawn ..... ONLY my Lawn Fawn yellow on a regular basis. It's making me sad because I enjoy the company. I've had Hero Arts, MFT, MamaElephant, Stampin Up to name a few and they have never yellowed so I was highly offended when Lawn Fawn's response was "it's a natural process. ." Sorry ... but no .... not when it's ONLY Lawn Fawn.
Lawn Fawn Stamps yellowing but not in sunlight
