Rubber Stamping Jargon

June 24, 2008 Glossaries, Rubber Stamping No Comments
Brayer: a stamping tool which looks like a small rubber rolling pin with a handle or a roller paint brush. Often used with a linoleum block print, stampers use with unblocked stamps, smoothing paper, and large stamps to get an even print.
Brush Markers: Marking pens with long broad base/narrow tip that can be used like a paint brush to color in stamped areas in a design. Water-based. Can also be used directly on a stamp.
Coated Paper: papers with a finish, glossy or matte. Accepts most inks, markers, and colored pencil, but pigment ink must be embossed.
Dye Ink: water-based and washable, but permanent once stamped onto paper. Stamps well, dries quickly, but will fade over time.
Embossing: Technique of using stamp, slow drying ink, embossing powder, and heat source to create a raised surface and stamp design on paper, ribbon, terra cotta, wood, and other stampable surfaces.
Embossing Ink: very wet, slow drying clear or tinted ink/fluid used as the medium that holds the stamped image as embossing powder is applied to surface.
Embossing Powder: a fine grained substance that will melt when heat is applied to it, the powder when melt leaves a raised design.
First Generation Stamping: first impression made with a stamp after inking.
Heat Source: needed to melt embossing powders and must be at least 250 degrees. Stampers use high watt light bulbs, stove top burners, ovens, and heat guns.
Heat gun: also referred to as heat tool; looks much like a blow drier, but much hotter heating element.
Huffing: placing a stamp close to your mouth and breathing on it to re-wet the ink
Juicy Image: using too much ink on stamp and image has too much ink on lines.
Mail Art: Hand designed, stamped postcards and envelopes made as communication or design specifically to be mailed to friends, fellow stampers, and in round robing, and swaps.
Overstamping: To stamp another stamp wholly or in part over another image.
Permanent Ink: either water soluble or solvent soluble inks that will not fade with time or light.. Solvent based inks dry by evaporation rather than absorption.
Pigment Ink: thicker, richer, and highly fade resistant type of ink vs. dye inks. Slow drying so works as a perfect embossing ink.
Rainbow Stamp Pad: usually has three or more colors on the same ink pad, more recently the pads have been made in separate, removable sections.
Second Generation: third generation and so on; succeeding stamped images after the First generation stamped image is completed. Gives unique effects to stamped work.
Sparkle: as in add the sparkle; using glitter, mylars, and other supplies to add “sparkle,” color, and glitz to stamped piece.
Uncoated Paper: papers with a higher absorbency rate that coated papers and easier to use with most inks, markers, watercolors, and colored pencils.
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Types of Inks

June 4, 2008 Rubber Stamping, Techniques and Mediums No Comments

There are lots of options when selecting ink to rubberstamp or scrapbook.
Here are your choices and which inks work best on specific surfaces.

  • Dye Ink: Water-based and solvent-based. Dye ink dries quickly and not to be used with embossing powders. Works well on coated papers and porous surfaces but tends to run or bleed on highly absorbent papers. Dye inks are transparent and will fade over time.
  • Chalk or “Fresco” Ink: A dye ink that appears chalky when dry; must be heat set.
  • Pigment Ink: Water-based and solvent-based. This ink is thicker than most dye inks. Very slow to dry and excellent for embossing. Works best on uncoated paper. Fade resistant and won’t fade if embossed. Pigment inks are opaque.
  • Embossing Ink: Clear or slightly tinted. This ink is used specifically with embossing powders. It has the consistency of pigment ink.
  • Fabric Inks: Designed to help create a permanent image on fabrics. Some fading may be experienced.
  • Disappearing Inks: This ink is tinted with a pink or blue hue. The image is stamped as a guide or pattern, and then can be embellished. The ink will “disappear” when water is used to dampen the fabric or some disappearing inks fade out over time as the ink evaporates. The most common usage is on fabrics.
  • Permanent Inks: Water-soluble or solvent-based. This ink dries by evaporation not by absorption like dye or pigment ink. Stamps must be cleaned immediately with solvent when using solvent-based permanent inks. Once dry this ink will not smear.
  • Archival Quality Ink: Acid free and photo safe. This is the ink to use in memory albums and scrapbooks.
  • Kid’s Inks: Made to be washable and non-toxic for extra safety when stamping with children.
  • Other Inks: There are some other “inks” used in stamping. Acrylic paints formulated for the large foam or sponge stamps and labeled as stamp paint. Paint glazes can also be used for this type of sponge stamp.
Surface Best Type of Ink To Use
Leather Dye ink w/compatible sealer, solvent-based pigment ink w/compatible sealer or fabric ink
Glass Embossed pigment ink, glass paint/glaze, etched glass, permanent ink
Tile Treat like glass
Paper Any dye or pigment that meets the project needs
Coated or Glossy Paper Dye ink or pigment ink (must be embossed to avoid smearing)
Walls or Furniture Water-based fabric ink or stamping paint
Terra Cotta Pigment
Unsealed Wood Pigment
Sealed wood Dye or Pigment
Fabric Fabric ink or fabric paint
Shrink Plastic Dye or permanent
Clays Dye if light colored, pigment on darker color
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More Rubber Stamping Tips

June 4, 2008 Rubber Stamping, Techniques and Mediums No Comments
  • Pigment inks stay “wet” longer than dye inks. Pigment inks do not work well on glossy papers unless you are going to emboss the image.
  • Dye inks dry very quickly, but colors will fade over time. Dye inks are transparent or translucent.
  • If rubberstamping for a scrapbooking page, try to use acid free or archival inks and inkpads.
  • Different papers will give different results. Don’t limit yourself to just plain old’ white copier paper, but have fun with the variety available to you. Try stamping on transparency sheets, tissue paper, Shrink-it, vellum and laminating sheets.
  • Water-soluble markers can be used directly onto the rubber stamps for colorful stamped images. Do not use permanent markers; they will damage the rubber stamp. Use markers to color stamp image and then breathe onto stamp to re-wet the ink.
  • Rubber stamps should be cleaned after use. Use a commercial stamp cleaner or a mild detergent. If the stamp is mounted on wood, do not allow wood to soak in water. Clean only the image. Allow stamp to dry thoroughly before storing.
  • Store rubber stamps rubber side down in any type of container. One fun way to store the stamps is in a shadow box or printer’s tray and then hang on the wall for display. Avoid exposing rubber stamp to excessive sunlight.
  • To make your own embossing ink/fluid just mix 1 part glycerin to one part water. Brush mixture onto a dry inkpad and stamp away.
  • Explore the possibilities of embossing powders. You can mix your own unique blends by measuring out small amounts of different colors. For example when creating fall leaves combine: 1 part gold, 1 part red, 1 part orange and 1 part green. Store as you would any embossing powder.
  • Practice makes perfect in stamping. If you are new to rubberstamping, practice stamping images with dye and pigment inks. Practice coloring the rubberstamp with markers and stamping the image. Practice applying paint and glazes. Practice on different weights and types of papers. If you have any odd ceramic tiles, glass panes, wood boards, fabric and other fun surfaces, take a few minutes to practice on these surfaces before starting a project that uses that specific surface. The more you rubberstamp the more skill you’ll have.
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Rubber Stamping

June 4, 2008 Rubber Stamping No Comments

There are two simple and straightforward ways to create a clean,
sharp image using a stamp. The first uses a rubberstamp and an inkpad
while the second replaces an inkpad with water-based color markers.

Supplies Needed

Rubberstamp
Ink Pad
Surface to Stamp

Step-by-Step

Stamp and Ink Pad

  • Your ink can be dye or pigment ink.
  • Tap the rubberstamp to the surface of the inkpad several times. Check stamp to make sure the entire image is evenly inked. Lightly tap to the inkpad because using a heavy hand will cause damage to the pad over time and over-ink your image.
  • You can also tap the inkpad to your rubberstamp to ink it. Try both ways and see, which you prefer.
  • Place paper (or other surface to stamp) on a hard even surface like a desk or countertop. Gently press inked stamp to paper. Do not rock or wiggle the stamp. Lift stamp straight up.

Stamp and Water-based Markers

  • Never use permanent markers. Permanent ink will damage the rubberstamp.
  • Set rubberstamp on your worktable or work with the rubberstamp in your hand with the image or rubber side up. Using water-based markers color directly to the rubber image. This technique allows you the greatest variety of coloring the image before it is stamped. When done coloring the stamp you will need to breath or huff on the image to make sure all the marker colors are still wet enough to stamp an image. The colors should have a light sheen signaling you that the marker ink is wet.
  • Place paper (or other surface to stamp) on a hard even surface like a desk or countertop. Gently press inked stamp to paper. Do not rock or wiggle the stamp. Lift stamp straight up.
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