Here are some tips for getting a clear impression from your rubber stamp.
Clean your stamp
The small areas on your stamp (such as the center of the o’s) will collect fiber from the paper it is stamped on. These fibers will build up over time making your stamp not as clear as it was when it was new.
Use an old soft toothbrush to clean your stamp. Do not wet the brush. A few gentle flicks with the brush will remove the dirt and your stamp will be as good as new.
Check your ink pad
Does your pad have a flat top? If you have been using a small stamp on your ink pad, then purchase a new larger stamp, you may find that the larger stamp doesn’t ink properly resulting in an uneven impression.
The illustration on the right shows why this happens – the stamp doesn’t touch the ink pad in the indentation made by the smaller stamp. We recommend using seperate ink pads for your different size stamps.
Another option is to move the stamp around as it is picking up ink from the pad (see the video below). If the indentation isn’t too large, you may be able to get an even coating of ink on your stamp by avoiding the idented area.
Is it time to add ink?
When the image starts to fade, resist the temptation to use force by slamming the stamp onto the pad in an attempt to get a darker impression.
Add a few drops of ink and let the pad sit for an hour or so to allow the ink to evenly distribute throughout the pad. It’s easier to add ink to your pad than it is to remove it, so don’t add too much ink when re-inking your pad.
Make an impression
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. – that’s the proper technique for inking your stamp. Multiple, gentle taps will ensure an even layer of ink on your stamp. Pressing too hard on the pad may cause the stamp to pick up too much ink, resulting in a fuzzy image or ink in unwanted areas.
This video shows the tap, tap, tap technique. Also take note that the stamp is moved around on the pad, and not repeatedly tapped onto the same spot.
Questions?
If you have any questions about stamps, please send us a message.
