Rubber, clear and foam stamps - what is the difference between them? Each of these is manufactured from a different material, giving each of them different properties. Knowing and understanding these properties will help ensure you achieve the best possible results for your projects.
The biggest difference between rubber or foam stamps, and clear stamps (also referred to as polymer or photo polymer) is that the clear, are see-through, allowing you to look right through the stamp and see EXACTLY where you are stamping. With rubber and foam stamps, in order to be able to stamp your image exactly where you want it, you need to use a tool called the stamp-a-ma-jig.
As you get ready to stamp with your various stamps - you'll notice that the components you need vary. For example, clear stamps are naturally sticky - all you need 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 example, 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 involve a cling foam, or some other adhesive system. With foam, you also need something to hold the stamp - generally these already come mounted to either a foam block or a clear acrylic plate.
When it actually comes to stamping - of the three types of stamps you will typically find that rubber stamps are the best for fine detail stamping. Now note that I said detail stamping. I am not referring to the stamping of small images - you can stamp VERY small images with acrylic stamps. The word "detail" refers to the fine shading lines you can see in certain realistic-looking stamp images. Polymer, being a much softer material, while you can get detail, it doesn't allow for the same kind of fine detail as with fubber stamps. Foam, doesn't really allow for detail at all. In fact, when you see foam stamps, for the most part you see solid images. You'll also notice with foam stamps that images aren't quite as crisp - rather than clearly defined edges, they'll often look a bit softer.
Another difference is in the durability of each of the different materials. rubber is by far the most durable of the materials. Taken care of properly, they will last a lifetime and even longer. With clear stamps there are a couple of things to be aware of. The first 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 - including high quality acrylic stamps - you do have to take a bit more care in handling them as they can be torn or stretched, and you want to make sure you use them properly for best results.
The final difference - which in part relates to durability - is what types of color mediums you can use with your different types of stamps. While you can use all the stamps with the most common mediums, rubber stamps allow you a few more specialty techniques than the other two. For example - stamping with bleach - that is something that can safely be done with rubber, but not without damaging the other two types of stamps. Even the use of Staz On - a solvent based ink, is questionable when it comes to clear stamps. There has been some debate 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 another or that I recommend one over the other? Definitely not. Each type of stamp has its pros and cons, and each type has it's place in paper crafting. You just want to make sure that you understand the differences, and you understand how to properly use and care for each type.
The biggest difference between rubber or foam stamps, and clear stamps (also referred to as polymer or photo polymer) is that the clear, are see-through, allowing you to look right through the stamp and see EXACTLY where you are stamping. With rubber and foam stamps, in order to be able to stamp your image exactly where you want it, you need to use a tool called the stamp-a-ma-jig.
As you get ready to stamp with your various stamps - you'll notice that the components you need vary. For example, clear stamps are naturally sticky - all you need 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 example, 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 involve a cling foam, or some other adhesive system. With foam, you also need something to hold the stamp - generally these already come mounted to either a foam block or a clear acrylic plate.
When it actually comes to stamping - of the three types of stamps you will typically find that rubber stamps are the best for fine detail stamping. Now note that I said detail stamping. I am not referring to the stamping of small images - you can stamp VERY small images with acrylic stamps. The word "detail" refers to the fine shading lines you can see in certain realistic-looking stamp images. Polymer, being a much softer material, while you can get detail, it doesn't allow for the same kind of fine detail as with fubber stamps. Foam, doesn't really allow for detail at all. In fact, when you see foam stamps, for the most part you see solid images. You'll also notice with foam stamps that images aren't quite as crisp - rather than clearly defined edges, they'll often look a bit softer.
Another difference is in the durability of each of the different materials. rubber is by far the most durable of the materials. Taken care of properly, they will last a lifetime and even longer. With clear stamps there are a couple of things to be aware of. The first 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 - including high quality acrylic stamps - you do have to take a bit more care in handling them as they can be torn or stretched, and you want to make sure you use them properly for best results.
The final difference - which in part relates to durability - is what types of color mediums you can use with your different types of stamps. While you can use all the stamps with the most common mediums, rubber stamps allow you a few more specialty techniques than the other two. For example - stamping with bleach - that is something that can safely be done with rubber, but not without damaging the other two types of stamps. Even the use of Staz On - a solvent based ink, is questionable when it comes to clear stamps. There has been some debate 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 another or that I recommend one over the other? Definitely not. Each type of stamp has its pros and cons, and each type has it's place in paper crafting. You just want to make sure that you understand the differences, and you understand how to properly use and care for each type.
