Clear Stamps: Photopolymer vs. Acrylic Stamp Companies

[canada goose]

Great post, lots of good info. Personally I use Versafine ink ( pad at least 8 years old). I use it on all types of stamps without any staining, but I like to stamp off and keep my stamps clean even tho I understand staining does no harm.

To date the only time I was greatly disappointed was with a stamp from SU, one if their first clear stamps. I posted here and got lots of advice but they were all things I had already tried. In the end I think it just came down to a set that somehow missed quality control .
I could not understand how a dollar stamp was stamping better than this one lol

I have no problem with what you refer to as "squishy". Could this be a result of pressing too hard and would the same stamp give same results using Misti?

Incidentally I had the good fortune of visiting the factory of a brand name company in the U.S and was shown how many very well known companies they make stamps for. The whole process was extremely enlightening, and gave a whole new perspective of what it takes to make a good stamp or die.thanks for the post.

[ljopeters62]

Sunsational Stamps is made in the USA and is the highest quality of photopolymer.

[bjeans]

This may have been said, but the clear sheet covering SU stamps is acrylic. That's not unusual - many companies now use very high quality photopolymer for stamps but put acrylic on top of them. Can it hurt them, especially if left in the sun or overly warm area? Beats me; some say yes, some no.

When I'm suspicious or know it's acrylic, if feeling energetic, I switch to Duralar, which is acid free and archival. It comes in pads and single sheets like this: https://www.amazon.com/Grafix-Dura-L...ywords=duralar

[shazsilverwolf]

Just saw this thread again, and realised that when I posted my list of reputable companies, I totally forgot the original- Clarity stamp. Barbara Gray actually developed clear art stamps.
One more way to tell photopolymer from the cheaper versions- Gina K said in one of her videos that the best quality clear stamps stain much more easily than the acrylic/silicone versions.