Vulcanizing  is today one of the most cost effective methods of making rubber stamps for mass produced stamps. Each batch of stamps is produced using a mould. This method of manufacture is more suited to stamp making where the same moulds are used over and over again. Making custom made stamps with a vulcanizing press requiring ‘once only’ moulds will drive the cost of manufacture up significantly.

Making the mould – before a mould can be made you must have a master plate manufactured from metal or polymer, the master plate has the necessary relief (the artwork is raised) to make an impression in the mould. Having a master plate made each time a mould is required is what drives up the cost of manufacture for vulcanized stamps. Pressing the master plate into a Matrix board creates the mould that will accept the rubber. Heat and pressure is applied to the master plate and matrix board inside a Vulcanizing press. The Matrix follows the shape of the relief provided by the master plate, this then hardens on cooling.

Making Rubber Stamps – Creating stamps is a simple process once the mould is made.  Raw rubber stamp gum is placed on top of the mould and then placed inside the stamp press. Hydraulic pressure is placed upon the rubber and the mould   from within the stamp press causing the rubber to melt into the areas of the mould that contain the images and text, curing and hardening takes about 10 minutes. Once cured the sheet of rubber is pulled away from the mould and cut up into individual stamps to be affixed to mounts.

Cost of a vulcanizing system is approximately $12,000 AUD. Advantages – Low cost of production for mass produced stamps, good ink transfer. Disadvantages – Cost of producing master plates and moulds for custom made stamps.

Laser Engraved Rubber Stamps
The traditional raw rubber used for vulcanizing stamp dies  is quite unacceptable for the production of laser stamp dies, the laser process  requires a very even thickness and blemish free surface to produce an  acceptable printed image from a stamp die. The rubber must also be subjected to a specific curing process before it can be exposed to the elevated temperature of a laser beam.

The depth of the engraving is determined by the laser speed, its wattage and the density of the rubber. For example, a 50 or 100W engraver will engrave the rubber deeper and faster than a 25W machine, which may require a second pass to achieve a similar result. Usually supplied in an A4 size sheet  form, a good quality laser rubber is required for engraving stamp dies and  must also have suitable compression strength and ink transfer properties.

To assist the engraving process, it is necessary to remove the excess dust which is constantly created by the laser cutting action with an efficient exhaust filtration system. As very few, if any, CO2 laser engraving machines were initially purpose built for engraving and cutting rubber, installing and maintaining an effective dust extraction system pays long term dividends.  Mirrors, lenses and any exposed bearing surfaces should be cleaned thoroughly as part of a regular maintenance program.

Any neglect in this area will be detrimental to overall trouble free laser operation, as the build up of dust and residue will affect running efficiency and the quality of the finished stamp die. Lasers are controlled directly from a computer, the software drivers supplied with lasers work with many graphic programs such as CorelDraw.++Approximate cost of a 25 watt Laser suitable for stamp making is $40,000.

Advantages – Production is computer controlled, custom made stamps can be made easily.
Disadvantages – High capital investment, maintenance costs and running will be much higher than vulcanizing or polymer methods of manufacture.

Liquid Polymer Rubber Stamps
Converting rubber stamp polymer from a liquid into a solid to make stamps is quite fascinating. Polymer stamps are manufactured between two sheets of glass using precision controlled UV light which passes through a negative containing the stamp artwork solidifying the polymer. Negative production has been simplified with the introduction of water based negative technology, photographic chemicals for producing negatives are now a thing of the past.

The first step in making polymer rubber stamps is to print your images, clipart or text onto Vellum, an almost transparent paper like film. To produce quality stamp artwork you must use a laser printer, inks from bubble jet printers are translucent allowing UV light to pass where it should not. Water based negatives are easily washed out after being exposed for a few minutes in a UV exposure stamp machine.

Polymer contained in a sachet is now replacing the older cumbersome method of using foam tape to create a dam and pouring of rubber stamp polymers, the sachets have also addressed the age old problem of removing air bubbles from the poured polymer.

The negative of your artwork and polymer sachet is sandwiched between two sheets of glass spaced 2-3mm apart which is then exposed in the machine for a few minutes. Once you have completed the exposure it is a simple process of cutting open the sachet and washing away the excess unexposed polymer before returning the stamp die back to the machine for a 10 minute curing. Once the stamps are cured they can be cut up individually. Polymer sachets are available in a range of sizes up to A4 size.

Processing time is about 30 minutes for a batch of polymer stamps.
Cost of polymer stamp making machines range from $3,500 AUD for an Australian made unit designed specifically for stamp making up to high end imported units with computer controlled washout for $15,000 AUD.

Advantages – Lower capital investment, polymers make almost clear stamps making them ideal for scrapbooking and card making. Stamp relief can be easily controlled during exposure.
Disadvantages – Early polymers did not accept inks as well as polymers available today, this along with being new technology caused initial resistance to polymer stamps.

Summary
Most large stamp manufacturers have a mix of the above equipment.  The unmounted rubber stamp dies produced with any of these manufacturing methods can be cut up and affixed to simple hand stamps, dater stamps or self inking stamps. Craft stamps are usually affixed to wooden blocks or in the case of polymer stamps affixed to clear acrylic blocks with adhesives or InstaGrip mounting mat. Various manufactures produces stamp mounts. Astron Industries in Australia manufacturer the clear hand stamp ‘Vuestamp’ and also distribute the Ideal range of self inking mounts. Other brands of self inking mounts are Trodat, Colop and Shiny.

The first gold treasure map was created round 1320 B.C., in the time of Seti. The Turin Museum now holds elements of the papyrus known as “Carte des mines d’or”. In this papyrus there are illustrated roads resulting in gold mines and gold-bearing mountains. After all, everyone is curious where the road to the gold leads. However as most treasure maps, the explications are a bit vague. Modern opinions say that the glittering metal is situated within the Wadi Fawakhir region, where the El Sid gold mine is located. Even so, no one can be sure that the treasure shouldn’t be sitting somewhere, waiting to be found.

Many of probably the most collected Roman coin are those which have been struck before, throughout, or simply after the loss of life of Jesus Christ. People can correlate the cash again to the Bible such as the Widows Mite which was mentioned within the Bible. Some people collect various coins which depicted their favorite Emperors or coinage from completely different regions of the Roman Republic. The Romans made their cash out of gold, silver and bronze and some folks acquire them primarily based on the kind of steel used.

In addition to being used for his or her financial system, Roman cash have been used to rejoice varied concepts or to convey a meaning. Some depicted images to have fun the gods of the time such because the Sun God and River God. Other coins have faces or photos of the Rulers and Emperors of the day. Symbols, flowers, snakes, Pegasus, and Medusa were also put on coins. These historical cash show the views, beliefs and leaders of those times.

Some of probably the most collectible Roman cash are those which had been made out of treasured metals; Gold (aureus) and Silver (denarius). Many of the Roman Gold Coins had the head of Caesar or one other Emperor on it and most have been minted or struck on the Constantinople Mint. The Silver Denarius cash had been quite common and over time the silver content material diversified and have become debased – very like our fashionable coinage.

Collecting Roman coins might be began on a restricted budget and slowly constructed into a helpful assortment which might then be bought or traded. Some hobbyists purchase an assortment of unclean coins and enjoy cleansing and researching them, hoping to find a uncommon gem. Whether you choose to collect certain rulers, numerous metals or regional cash, make sure to pick roman cash in good condition. Not solely is accumulating and buying and selling roman coins a profitable hobby, it’s also thrilling to know that the coin in your hand may have last been used by a Roman Gladiator.

At Valueincoins.com you’ll find info on find ancient coins, ancient french coin,and ancient byzantine coin.

Photo albums and scrapbooks look great when you add a theme with decorative rubber stamps. People use them on flyers, cards and even to decorate a child’s bedroom. They look great on posters and presents. You can really make a statement when you go to a birthday party, a bridal shower or a baby shower by decorating the guest of honor’s gift with their colors and a design.

The possibilities really are endless when it comes to the types of decorative rubber stamps that you could use. There are animals and insects, Disney, flowers and nature, patriotic and military, seasons, sports, love and vintage to name just a few. You can get a decorative rubber stamp with your return address on it and a symbol, and use it at special times of the year or at holidays. For example, the stamp could have your address on it and a snowflake. You can use it over the winter and get different colors of ink to use with it.

If your child loves baseball, football, fishing or cheerleading you can have a decorative rubber stamp made with the sport they enjoy and their name on it so they will not lose any of their books, or hats or book bags. They will know what is theirs by the stamp.

If you are thinking of becoming a collector of decorative rubber stamps, you will be able to create unique and elaborate projects. You will be able to add other art supplies like markers or paints to create very elaborate images. Be certain to purchase ink pads that are waterproof so none of your work will be smudged. Always work on a flat surface to ensure that the stamp will be pressed evenly.

If you enjoy scrapbooking, decorative rubber stamps will make your hobby even more fun. Using stamps will also save you a lot of time and they can look very professional and add a lot of flair to your scrapbook pages. You will be able to find many stamps that will suit your personal style and taste, as there are so many to choose from. These stamps will help your scrapbook to look like an amazing work of art.

For winter pictures that you are adding to your scrapbook, you may want to use stamps like pine trees covered with snow, polar bears, ice skaters and sleds. For summer pictures, you may want to use stamps like budding flowers, the beach and children playing outdoors. Your choices are unlimited and you will have so much fun adding decorative rubber stamps to your very special project. You can find a wide array of these stamps online where you can take your time and peruse your choices until you find the stamps that will fit all your needs.

The Things You Need To Know About Rubber Stamps

Rubber stamps are popular worldwide. You can have words or images put on custom rubber stamps.

How to Make Custom Rubber Stamps

How to Make Custom Rubber Stamps. May 1, 2010 ·

rubber stamp custom gig uk

The production is mixed and involved into a portuguese term, ring of fire facts. Space seat life took commonly 2 factors before of the stamp squash.

Bored with the Old Stamp?

Bored with the Old Stamp? Custom Made Stamp is the Answer, There are lots of manufacture seal which provides a full range of stamp template.

Document Management Essentials For Microsoft

In the past and to some degree, the present, documents that require complex or multi-line legends often require ordering custom rubber stamps.

The traditional red rubber stamp that everybody is familiar with will have been manufactured in a vulcanizing press. The first rubber stamp vulcanizing press was patented in 1890 by Charles Schultze in New Orleans USA. Vulcanizing is today one of the most cost effective methods of making rubber stamps for mass produced stamps. Each batch of stamps is produced using a mould. This method of manufacture is more suited to stamp making where the same moulds are used over and over again. Making custom made stamps with a vulcanizing press requiring ‘once only’ moulds will drive the cost of manufacture up significantly.

Making the mould – before a mould can be made you must have a master plate manufactured from metal or polymer, the master plate has the necessary relief (the artwork is raised) to make an impression in the mould. Having a master plate made each time a mould is required is what drives up the cost of manufacture for vulcanized stamps. Pressing the master plate into a Matrix board creates the mould that will accept the rubber. Heat and pressure is applied to the master plate and matrix board inside a Vulcanizing press. The Matrix follows the shape of the relief provided by the master plate, this then hardens on cooling.

Making Rubber Stamps – Creating stamps is a simple process once the mould is made. Raw rubber stamp gum is placed on top of the mould and then placed inside the stamp press. Hydraulic pressure is placed upon the rubber and the mould from within the stamp press causing the rubber to melt into the areas of the mould that contain the images and text, curing and hardening takes about 10 minutes. Once cured the sheet of rubber is pulled away from the mould and cut up into individual stamps to be affixed to mounts.

Cost of a vulcanizing system is approximately $12,000 AUD

Advantages – Low cost of production for mass produced stamps, good ink transfer.

Disadvantages – Cost of producing master plates and moulds for custom made stamps.

Laser Engraved Rubber Stamps

The traditional raw rubber used for vulcanizing stamp dies is quite unacceptable for the production of laser stamp dies, the laser process requires a very even thickness and blemish free surface to produce an acceptable printed image from a stamp die. The rubber must also be subjected to a specific curing process before it can be exposed to the elevated temperature of a laser beam.

The depth of the engraving is determined by the laser speed, its wattage and the density of the rubber. For example, a 50 or 100W engraver will engrave the rubber deeper and faster than a 25W machine, which may require a second pass to achieve a similar result. Usually supplied in an A4 size sheet form, a good quality laser rubber is required for engraving stamp dies and must also have suitable compression strength and ink transfer properties.

To assist the engraving process, it is necessary to remove the excess dust which is constantly created by the laser cutting action with an efficient exhaust filtration system. As very few, if any, CO2 laser engraving machines were initially purpose built for engraving and cutting rubber, installing and maintaining an effective dust extraction system pays long term dividends. Mirrors, lenses and any exposed bearing surfaces should be cleaned thoroughly as part of a regular maintenance program. Any neglect in this area will be detrimental to overall trouble free laser operation, as the build up of dust and residue will affect running efficiency and the quality of the finished stamp die. Lasers are controlled directly from a computer, the software drivers supplied with lasers work with many graphic programs such as CorelDraw.

Approximate cost of a 25 watt Laser suitable for stamp making is $40,000

Advantages – Production is computer controlled, custom made stamps can be made easily

Disadvantages – High capital investment, maintenance costs and running will be much higher than vulcanizing or polymer methods of manufacture.

Liquid Polymer Rubber Stamps

Converting rubber stamp polymer from a liquid into a solid to make stamps is quite fascinating. Polymer stamps are manufactured between two sheets of glass using precision controlled UV light which passes through a negative containing the stamp artwork solidifying the polymer. Negative production has been simplified with the introduction of water based negative technology, photographic chemicals for producing negatives are now a thing of the past.

The first step in making polymer rubber stamps is to print your images, clipart or text onto Vellum, an almost transparent paper like film.
To produce quality stamp artwork you must use a laser printer, inks from bubble jet printers are translucent allowing UV light to pass where it should not. Water based negatives are easily washed out after being exposed for a few minutes in a UV exposure stamp machine.

Polymer contained in a sachet is now replacing the older cumbersome method of using foam tape to create a dam and pouring of rubber stamp polymers, the sachets have also addressed the age old problem of removing air bubbles from the poured polymer.

The negative of your artwork and polymer sachet is sandwiched between two sheets of glass spaced 2-3mm apart which is then exposed in the machine for a few minutes. Once you have completed the exposure it is a simple process of cutting open the sachet and washing away the excess unexposed polymer before returning the stamp die back to the machine for a 10 minute curing. Once the stamps are cured they can be cut up individually. Polymer sachets are available in a range of sizes up to A4 size.

Processing time is about 30 minutes for a batch of polymer stamps.

Cost of polymer stamp making machines range from $3,500 AUD for an Australian made unit designed specifically for stamp making up to high end imported units with computer controlled washout for $15,000 AUD.

Advantages – Lower capital investment, polymers make almost clear stamps making them ideal for scrapbooking and card making. Stamp relief can be easily controlled during exposure.

Disadvantages – Early polymers did not accept inks as well as polymers available today, this along with being new technology caused initial resistance to polymer stamps.

Summary

Most large stamp manufacturers have a mix of the above equipment. The unmounted rubber stamp dies produced with any of these manufacturing methods can be cut up and affixed to simple hand stamps, dater stamps or self inking stamps. Craft stamps are usually affixed to wooden blocks or in the case of polymer stamps affixed to clear acrylic blocks with adhesives or InstaGrip mounting mat. Various manufactures produces stamp mounts. Astron Industries in Australia manufacturer the clear hand stamp ‘Vuestamp’ and also distribute the Ideal range of self inking mounts. Other brands of self inking mounts are Trodat, Colop and Shiny.

Cleaning your art stamps doesn’t have to be hard. In this how-to, you’ll learn tricks to clean your rubber rubber art stamps without costing a fortune…or breaking the stamp!

If you have been experimenting with stamps for awhile, you can remember when you forgot to clean a rubber stamp, the one you just used with a dark black ink, and began inking it up on a nice yellow stamp pad…It’s ruined! It only takes a mistake to ruin a pale stamp pad, and the only way to stop it is to clean your stamps thoroughly. But…what is the proper way to clean your rubber stamps?

Art stamps don’t need to be cleaned between your stamping if you plan on using the same inks with that art stamp again before switching. Don’t get so bogged down with cleaning the stamps that you don’t love using them. You can always place a stamp face down on a damp towel to keep the ink, dye, or paint moist until you can clean the stamp when you are finished. Don’t forget that some inks will permanently seep into the rubber texture and will not come out…no matter what kind of cleaner is used! Before reusing your craft stamp make sure you use a test paper to test stamp and ensure that the ink has dried out. Many a papercrafter has believed the stamp was simply stained only to find out that some ink or cleaner remained and inadvertently ended up ruining another ink pad.

The first step to cleaning any art stamp is to dab off the excess ink on the stamp on a scrap piece of card stock. This will keep your supplies from getting more inked up than they need to be.

Another way to clean rubber stamps, and one of the simplest, is to use baby wipes. Alcohol free baby wipes work great because they are disposable and just damp enough to clean off the ink. Some stampers like to use a toothbrush to get the deep groove of the stamp die clean. Be careful if using a brush because you don’t want to spatter ink all over your clothes!Make sure the brush bristles are very flexible since you don’t want to scrape your craft stamp while cleaning it.

Whatever method of cleaning you decide to use, make sure you don’t use solvents to clean your art stamps since they can ruin the rubber. Do not submerge your stamps in water…this will cause the labels, adhesive, and rubber to come apart eventually. If you decide to use a commercial window cleaner, make sure you don’t use one that contains ammonia as that can be harmful.

Cleaning rubber stamps

Rubber stamps will last you years if you take a little care with them.
The Care and Cleaning of Rubber Stamps …

Try to clean rubber stamps as soon after using them as possible. If you clean your stamps quickly, water is often all that’s necessary.

Stamps, Paper, Scissors and Donkey Smiles: A Spoon Full of LOVE!

My card today used three of the newer Alota Rubber Stamps images. “Girlfriend Sharon”, “Chocolate Candy Box” and the sentiment from the “Valentine Cuties Set”.

Rubber Stamping Fun
Online rubber stamping store and more!

By following a few simple guidelines you can save money by creating rubber stamp artwork that a stamp manufacturer can download without any design input, stamp manufacturers love it when artwork arrives that is ‘ready’ for production.
You may currently be paying $12.00 for an unmounted, mass produced stamp in the shops, buying the same size stamp direct from a rubber stamp manufacturer will be about $9.00 and be custom made for you!
The following design guidelines assume that you have scanned a drawing into your computer or have located a piece of artwork and imported the image.

Design Guidelines

The easiest stamp to make from a manufacturing point of view is one where the artwork has a line thickness that does not fall below the minimum required. The minimum line thickness that is recommended is 0.2mm (0.00787 inch or 0.57 point), if it does fall below this, the ‘wall strength’ of that part of the stamp is compromised and may become distorted. Having said this, you can convert an image with fine lines to one suitable for stamp making.

Computer programs work with image data in a number of different ways, for example programs like CorelDraw work with both Vector images (lines) and Bitmap images (pixels), CorelDraw is also the preferred program for making rubber stamps from images.
When scanning a drawing into your computer it will always load as a bitmap image, (a bit like a photograph in a newspaper). This can be sent directly to a stamp manufacturer as long as it is a black and white scan and the line thicknesses do not fall below the minimum. If the lines are too thin you can convert the bitmap image into vector data by applying a trace to the image. Programs that have tracing ability place a vector line around the lines or can be set to follow the lines, these lines can then have a thickness applied to make them suitable for rubber stamp making.

Complex drawing and illustrations can also be made into rubber stamps, these may not contain many lines and look more like photographs. It is best to send a few different options of these to your stamp manufacturer, one option would be to increase the brightness of the image then convert the bitmap to a simple black and white image. Here it is best to select a rubber stamp manufacturer that is familiar with these types of images, see below recommendations.
File Formats

All images that enter your computer have an extension relating to what format they are in. You may have an image from a scan, a clipart disk or downloaded from a clipart service. Some are .eps and .wmf files (Vector line format more common for logos or line drawings) and others jpeg an .gif (Bitmap pixel photos and illustrations)
Both image formats can produce excellent stamps, however simple images are always best in .eps and .wmf format to allow you to easily manipulate line thickness in the event the lines are too thin.

Online Clipart Services

There are many online clipart services that provide excellent clipart for rubber stamping, the best images are from services that are subscription based that charge a yearly or per image fee. If this does not suit and you really want to save money you should find out which service your rubber stamp manufacturer belongs to, it costs nothing to search through the clipart service that he belongs to as he will be the person downloading the images. This bit of lateral thinking and finding the right manufacturer will save you lots of money because you will never have to pay for the clipart. Clipart.com is one of the best services that some manufacturers subscribe to, I estimate that over 3 million images at Clipart.com are suitable for stamp production and they are fine with manufacturers using the images for rubber stamps.
The craft stamp industry is very large indeed and most people are still buying stamps that are mass produced because they don’t know how to get a ‘custom made’ stamp manufactured. So if you are into card making or scrapbooking and want to find that ‘special stamp’ you should find yourself a manufacturer, it doesn’t matter where they are in the world as unmounted stamps are thin and lightweight and can be posted easily.
A network of stamp manufacturers that offer stamps made from online clipart services can be found online, stampsearch.com.au have various manufacturers that will make unmounted stamps from clipart or from your own artwork and send the finished stamps anywhere in the world.

Paper, Ink, Scissors, & Stamps:
I think; Polka Dot Arrow Stamp: FontWerks; Ink: “Black Soot” Distress Ink by Ranger Industries; Paint:

There are several different methods of producing rubber stamps. The most cost effective method of making rubber stamps is vulcanizing.

This process involves the creation of a rubber mould into which is poured the raw rubber stamp gum.
The gum is placed on top of the mould and the stamp is then formed with a press.

This is a relatively cheap method of stamp creation as many stamps can be produced quickly with the one mould.

The only major expense in this process is the cost of making the plates for the mould. Once this is done the raw materials are relatively inexpensive.

Unfortunately this is not quite as cost effective when one-off custom rubber stamps are required.

When a higher quality stamp is required for specific purposes laser engraving is the process of choice.

Laser engraving produces uniform thickness and surfaces that are free from blemishes and this is essential when the stamps are required for printed images.

Rubber stamp making, while once only used for businesses, has become a hobby where many people are creating their own rubber stamps for craft projects.

To do this they generally use a process where liquid polymers are crafted into stamps that are then affixed to wooden handles.

There is quite a lot of information available now for the hobbyist explaining the techniques required to create good rubber stamps using the liquid polymer method.

It can be a little involved for a beginner but once mastered excellent quality rubber stamps can be custom made for a relatively low cost.

There are also books available that have ideas for decorative or art stamps that seems to be gaining in popularity with crafts people.

Rubber stamp making has progressed considerably with the modern processes and raw materials that are available now and this has been partially responsible for the increase in the popularity of rubber stamp making.

Rubber Stamps

Different methods of producing rubber stamps exists. The most cost effective method of making rubber stamps is vulcanizing.

How to Make Rubber Stamps
The traditional raw rubber used for vulcanizing stamp dies is quite unacceptable for the production of laser stamp dies, the laser process requires a very even thickness and blemish free surface to produce an acceptable printed image .

January 22, 2009 Was This The Big “Event”?

Without so much as wink or a nod from the corporate controlled media, HR 645 IH has been introduced and is awaiting the corporate rubber stamp approval of Congress.

Rubber Stamps

Different methods of producing rubber stamps exists. The most cost effective method of making rubber stamps is vulcanizing.

By: Graeme Ramsey -

To pursue this line of reasoning just a bit further, let us look at collecting rubber stamps of planets, and adding rubber stamps from around the world. This is a superlative method of teaching geography and map skills. It is also a very interesting way of learning world history and cultures. Now you have not only collected some wonderful rubber stamps, but you have also learned a great deal about astronomy, the planets in the solar system, and the geography and history of many different countries around the world. Just by collecting rubber stamps of planets and countries, you have incorporated approximately two thirds of a typical public school curriculum.

It is virtually impossible to be a collector of  anything and not learn a great deal of the background and history of the particular object that you are collecting – for example, rubber stamps of planets creates a desire to know more of astronomy and why the planets are named as they are. From there it is a small step to knowing the learning all you can about the origin of matter and anything else that may come along with matters astronomical.

Of course, as residents of this charming planet, we have a rich and varied history among the countries and continents of the world. Collecting rubber stamps of planets and countries of the world can give us a unique perspective on history and how it has progressed over the ages. Just as a small example, let us look at a rubber stamp depicting tulips and windmills. This tells is that the stamp is about Holland, or the Low Countries as it is also known. We learn from this about the tulip as a vital component of Holland’s economy, both past and present! There are millions of other examples of matters historical, cultural and astronomical – so get started today collecting rubber stamps of planets and countries!