Clear stamps or unmounted rubber?
 

Which do you prefer and why?

i just signed up as a TAC demo, although i used to be an SU! demo. i'm all about rubber, hate hate hate acrylic, because ink just beads on them. i love that TAC has unmounted rubber stamps! i'm so excited to have more stamp storage space and i'm thinking about unmounting my SU! stamps!

Conditioning acrylic stamps before using them helps the ink to apply properly. They normally work fine even with dye ink.

If you're interested, Nichole from Papertrey wrote about acrylic stamps and conditioning them so they work just like rubber stamps:
http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capt...stamps-10.html

Sometimes it also depends on the kind of ink (Acrylic Stamps and Ink):
http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capt...c_stamps_.html

I used to prefer rubber alot more than acrylic but once I started using acrylic stamps, I discovered they're nice to use cos you can see exactly where you're stamping and stamp things right where you want it.

I generally prefer rubber but it depends on the quality of the acrylic stamp. Different manufacturers use different 'recipes' for their polymer - I've found some can be a bit too squishy and cause distortion of the image unless you're very careful how much pressure you apply. Others are 'stiffer' (in a good way!) and feel more like stamping with rubber - I've found the Crafty Secrets to be excellent in terms of the imprint you get from them, for example.

I LOVE clear stamps!!! Seeing exact placement is a must!!! Papertrey rocks!!!

rubber, rubber, rubber. I have been buying acrylics lately and I've decided that I'm going to stick with rubber unless I get one heck of a bargin on acrylic.

Some acrylics work well, others do not, some supposedly will last forever, others will not, some work with any ink, others do not. Rubber always works and the only difference is if the rubber impression is deep enough.

I use both and love both!!!! If you have a good quality photopolymer clear stamp then you do not get the beading up issue. :)

I prefer unmounted rubber to clear stamps. The clear stamps, although easy to position, are just too flimsy for me. They are also a lot easier for me to lose in the mess on my stamping desk!
That being said, I will still buy clear if it's an image I 'must' have!

Question, I get beading on PTI, Hero Arts, and others. I expected this to happen on $1 stamps but not the more expensive. What do you recommend as a good quality clear stamp?

BTW - I done the sanding, erasing, etc and some just do not work well with dye inks. So I need to know who are the top brands.

I love mounted rubber the most, then unmounted, and last acrylic. I really like how you can see where you're stamping but acrylic are not well made or need a different type of ink pad so just too much extra to think about. There are some quality acrylic companies, like PaperTrey, MFT and the upcoming H&M stamps. They stamp solid lines I think.

I use both, but do agree that sometimes that the clear don't stamp as well as the rubber. I feel it can be a combination of many things. The quality of the acrylic, the ink....too wet, too dry, the pressure when putting to the paper or even the method used to ink the acrylic stamp.

I have unmounted my rubber stamps and find them easier to use to see exactly for placement. But then again, I have to be very careful about purchasing those too. How deep they are etched makes a big difference to show detail or does it end up in just a mass of ink....how much ink to apply on large stamps that are not as detailed with the etching, pressure to apply when putting them to the paper. All these can be factors. I also feel the kind of rubber used can make a huge difference in the stamping impression. Stampin' Up red rubber work well, but the other colors of their stamps I don't feel ink as well, therefore they impression is not as clear.

These are all just my opinions and other people will differ.

Patti

I prefer clear stamps. If I see an image on rubber that I love, I'll search far and wide looking for a similar image on a clear stamp. If I fail, then I'll buy the rubber.

I prefer the unmounted rubber because I can get more detailed images. I have some acrylics and use them also & I like being able to see exactly where I'm stamping but still prefer the rubber images.

Pam

I buy both. I LOVE PaperTrey clear stamps because they DO NOT bead with dye inks. They are WONDERFUL! I love Kitchen Sink stamps because they DO NOT bead with dye inks.


I have NEVER liked any of the CTMH stamps that I bought when they first switched to My Acrylics because of the beading with dye inks. I don't think I ever went back and conditioned them.....they sit in their pretty little storage box, under my craft station and don't ever get thought of. Maybe one day I'll "forgive" them for their crappy performance! ;)


I bought a clear set from Impression Obsession and love it! (All text) You have to use a completely different "touch" with most clear stamps. I find that PTI is the "most like rubber" as far as pressure applied, etc. LOVE PTI! I wish that SU! would make the same quality @ PTI and convert to clear stamps.


I love the placement you can get with them.....it's amazing! You KNOW exactly where your sentiment is going to be placed (and I was SUPER accurate with wood mounted stamps, not like some people I know....but I STILL like being able to see it exactly!), you can curve sentiments, so many more options with clear stamps.


Since I bashed CTMH up above, I'll redeem them with their AMAZING quality of acrylic blocks. I think I have every size, and multiples of a few. They are THE BEST! Can't be beat for thickness, comfort, etc. I would like to get a gridline one maybe one day just to mess with it.

I love them both!

I use both in my stamping and creating.

PTI and Hero are among the top brands!:)

What dye ink are you using? I have found that SU works great with PTI and Hero Arts clear stamps--consistently and without conditioning. Ancient Page and Memories do not work well for me though. Not sure what the difference is, but they always look sort of blotchy when used even with my high-quality clear stamps.

Palette, Brilliance, Versamagic, and ColorBox all work great with clear stamps--even the cheap ones. They are hybrid or pigment or chalk inks and will give consistently good results.

HTH

Oh, and to answer your question, I really, really prefer clear to UM rubber, but mounted rubber is my favorite.

I prefer mounted rubber for detailed lined images.

I prefer photopolymer for anything where placement is key.

Good photopolymer stamps, such as Impression Obsession, Stampendous and Papertreyink stamp as well as good rubber, such as Stampin Up.

I definitely prefer rubber and given the choice, prefer it wood-mounted. I have a ton of clear stamps that go mostly unused -- the difference in quality in the different brands is amazing. I've stopped buying clear stamps because I just don't use them and I'm concerned about their longevity. I have 20+ year old rubber stamps that look as good as the day I bought them and still stamp beautifully -- wish I could say that about my clear stamps.

Truth be told - in a perfect world I prefer rubber mounted. But it's not a perfect world (and that is okay) I like unmounted rubber next. Clear stamps last. I don't have trouble inking my acrylic at all. I just don't like that they are a bit flimsy. Pulling them off the acrylic block I am always afraid I am going to rip them. I use them all. Rubber mounted on wood takes up a lot of space and that is the only downfall for me with them.

For quality of impression, I think rubber can't be beat. I've used all types and quality of clear stamps and none really are are crisp and clear as rubber ones. But I *do* prefer clear alphabet stamps. It's the only way I can get a good word with individual letters.

FWIW, clear stamps are NOT acrylic. The usual mounts for them are. It would be like calling your mounted SU stamps "woods." :)

Thats correct - they clear stamps made of a type of polymer and the block acrylic!

I don't have any real preference really... I buy whatever stamps (clear, UM or wood mounted) make my heart happy!

I do like, however, being able to see through the clear stamps to help with placement... but I wouldn't not buy a stamp because it wasn't clear

I moved from mounted rubber to unmounted rubber to almost totally clear. When you buy high quality clear you get such a price savings, storage savings, and great cutting edge stamps. Papertrey is amazing, simply amazing. I also love Kitchen Sink clear stamps. I have quit buying rubber almost completely. IMO, clear is superior in every way and the companies like Crafty Secrets, Memory Box, and others have such cutting edge designs currently. I can buy 4-5 times the number of stamps at the same price.

testing

I too prefer rubber. It just lays down ink better. I've had nothing but trouble with dye ink & the new Inkadinkado clear stamps, and I've tried EVERYTHING to condition them (including sanding for the first time *nervous shudder*). I know that pigment ink works well, but I don't like the idea that I can only use half my inks & still get a consistantly good impression. As for seeing through them for placement... sure it's easier to get a pretty good placement, but I could never overstamp reliably - especially if the image has any detail. I'd rather stick to my Stamp A Majig!
Having said that, I still buy clears if I *need* that image! :)

I just love to stamp and I like both rubber or polymer.
Have had some inking problems with each of them too, so I figure it's just a matter of quality, not the particular material. You can end up with a poor batch of rubber or a poor batch of polymer.

I'm a purist. ;) I prefer rubber.

BUT, I like unmounted rubber with an acrylic block. That way, I can see where I am stamping.

Also, storage is a huge issue. There is no way I could store my 2,000 stamps if they all had wood attached. ;)

I love red rubber...sharper images.

Wow! Glad I asked the question.

What a variety of answers so far! I like unmounted rubber because it stamps consistently well from all makers that I have found and etching is deeper. Prices of rubber are often close to clear when purchased in sets like clear stamps.

lol, i used to complain to my upline about stampin up!'s different color stamps all the time! i know i'm in for trouble if that stamp isn't red!

Unfortunately......I love ALL stamps...and you can tell it when you are in my Stamp room...lol. Way too many stamps and they still keep showing up.

Budget concerns is what sent me to clear. The quality and design with companies like PTI sold me and the money savings keeps me coming back more often.

I used to buy SU, but I feel their prices are out of my budget now. I really like TAC unmounted rubber. It is a very good quality with great images (I am a TAC consultant) :>). I have been in the process of unmounting my SU stamps just because of storage space. I like CTMH arcrylic as you can see through them for placement and if you make a mistake you can stamp over your image. At this point, it is really hard for me to use the mounted stamps because I am so used to seeing where I'm stamping.

I started out as a wood mounted rubber stamper and as the popularity of unmounted and acrylics has grown, I've switched over. I do have some wood mounted stamps but have unmounted all my SU stamps and have a nice collection of clear stamps as well. I'm not going to the trouble of unmounting any wood mounted rubber stamps that I bought that way but for me, unmounting my SU stamps was super easy. Plus, the storage on unmounted stamps is great!!!!! I can have so many more stamps in a smaller area than I did with wood mounted rubber.

BOTH! :)

I love this! You are so right in the relation here, but it sounds so funny, I might just have to cal mine woods now!

I like both, but I agree with some posters that the rubber seems to give a finer image without any extra hassle - though when buying stamps, I go by image not medium ;)

Maybe get one of the new Memento dye ink dew drops to try? I have been playing with them and so far I'm very happy with how they ink.

I love both also. Im a TAC demo, so unmounted rubber is what I started out with. I have bought some CTMH sets and other clear sets. I find that CTMH ink works great with clear stamps.