Comparing Rubber Stamps Clear Stamps And Foam Stamps
Rubber, clear and foam stamps - what is the distinction between them? Each of these is manufactured from a special material, giving every of them different properties. Knowing and understanding these properties will assist ensure you achieve the very best outcomes to your projects.
The biggest distinction between rubber or foam stamps, and clear stamps (additionally referred to as polymer or photograph polymer) is that the clear, are see-by means of, allowing you to look right by way of the stamp and see EXACTLY where you are stamping. With rubber and foam stamps, with the intention to be able to stamp your image precisely the place you need it, you must use a device called the Stamp-a-ma-jig.
As you get ready to stamp with your varied stamps - you'll discover that the components you need vary. For instance, clear stamps are naturally sticky - all you have to use it is a clear acrylic block - the stamp will naturally cling to it. With rubber you need some kind of a mounting system. For instance, with wood mount rubber stamps, the rubber is held to the wooden block with a self-adhesive foam. For unmounted stamps you need to have some means of holding the rubber image to the acrylic block - this can contain a cling foam, or some other adhesive system. With foam, you also need something to hold the stamp - typically these already come mounted to either a foam block or a transparent acrylic plate.
When it truly involves stamping - of the three types of stamps you will typically discover that rubber stamps are the perfect for fine detail stamping. Now note that I said element stamping. I'm not referring to the stamping of small images - you'll be able to stamp VERY small images with acrylic stamps. The word "element" refers to the fine shading lines you'll be able to see in sure realistic-looking stamp images. Polymer, being a a lot softer materials, while you can get detail, it does not allow for the same kind of fine detail as with rubber stamps. Foam, does not really permit for element at all. In reality, whenever you see foam stamps, for essentially the most part you see strong images. You will additionally discover with foam stamps that images aren't quite as crisp - rather than clearly defined edges, they're going to often look a bit softer.
Another distinction is in the durability of every of the different materials. Rubber is by far essentially the most durable of the materials. Taken care of properly, they will last a lifetime and even longer. With clear stamps there are a few things to be aware of. The primary is that not all acrylic stamps are created equally. There are high and low quality acrylic stamps. Poor quality acrylic stamps will yellow and harden over time, and even lose their cling. With all acrylic stamps - together with high quality acrylic stamps - you do should take a bit more care in handling them as they are often torn or stretched, and also you want to make positive you use them properly for greatest results.
The final difference - which in part relates to durability - is what types of colour mediums you should utilize with your completely different types of stamps. While you can use all of the stamps with the most typical mediums, rubber stamps enable you a few more specialty methods than the opposite two. For instance - stamping with bleach - that is something that can safely be finished with rubber, but not without damaging the opposite two types of stamps. Even the usage of Staz On - a solvent based ink, is queryable when it comes to clear stamps. There has been some debate as as to whether Staz On, or more specifically the specialty cleaner that is used to clean Staz On, can cause long term damage to your clear stamps.
So with all of this discussion about differences - does this mean that one type of stamp is better than one other or that I like to recommend one over the opposite? Definitely not. Every type of stamp has its pros and cons, and every type has it's place in paper crafting. You just want to make sure that you simply understand the differences, and also you understand how to properly use and care for every type.
