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Mount: The base the die and cushion are placed onto.

· This type of stamp is sold as the die only or the rubber only, with no cushion or mount. It is usually purchased as a sheet of several images, although you can purchase single images.

· Unmounted (Un-mounted) rubber is often referred to as UM, UMs or Ums in text, design instructions, and magazine articles. Serious rubberstampers like to invest in this form of stamps because they are less expensive, take less storage space, and helps broaden the stamper’s image inventory.

· Most unmounted images are made of rubber. Rubber allows for long life and excellent detail. Rubber images can be large in size and highly lined and shaded. When stamping with larger images, stand and press down evenly across the entire image without rocking or moving the stamp.

· Mounts can be made of almost anything from wood to PVC to a domino; anything that will firmly hold up while the image is stamped. Mounts can be purchased or handmade.

· Since unmounted rubber images are often sold by the sheet, you will have to trim the images. Trim as close as you can with very sharp scissors or a sharp blade. Take your time and you’ll end up with a nicely trimmed image.

· You have to mount the rubber image to use it. You need a cushion, a mount, and temporary adhesive. You mount the die or rubber to the cushion with a temporary or permanent adhesive, and then mount the cushion to the mount with a temporary adhesive. When done, you’ll remove the die/cushion, clean the die and store the die/cushion until its next use. If the mount gets inked, clean it also to prevent unwanted transfer of ink to your next project.

· The cushion is an important aspect of the unmounted stamp. To get a clean, crisp image you need a cushion between the rubber die and the hard mount. Although you can stamp without a cushion, the image is much more difficult to achieve and often is smudge rather than crisp.

· Unmounted rubber images need to be stored dry, flat, and out of any sunlight or extreme heat or cold. The temporary adhesive on the back of the cushion will hold the image onto a sheet of clear plastic or a page protector.