All About Special Stamps

While snail mail has definitely been declining since it has been replaced by email, a lot of people still value and cherish old fashioned writing. Ask anyone in this hi-tech world, and most would admit to be excited to see real mail on their old mail box, well, as long as it is not a bill or an advertisement. Among the great joys of traditional mail are the stamps that are also starting to become extinct. Stamps add a nice, nostalgic feel to mailed envelopes, and they can also be collected as a hobby.

Stamps are nice by themselves especially now that their use are becoming more seldom. But there are stamps that have more charm and character than others. These are special stamps, usually released and used for special occasions. Special stamps are certain kinds of postage stamps that are intended to be use on holidays and other occasions that occur regularly. Christmas stamps are among the most common examples of special stamps. During the yuletide season, stamps with holiday designs are released and used, usually to accompany Christmas cards.

Special stamps are usually confused with definitive stamps and commemorative stamps as their characteristics are very similar. Like definitive stamps, special stamps can be used for postage, but special stamps are more elaborate and attractive. Definite stamps are just regular stamps, the ones people see in the mail every day. Like commemorative stamps, special stamps celebrate specific events, but they are issued a few weeks before the occasion rather than on the day of the occasion itself, this allows specials stamps to be available during the season in mind. Unlike commemorative stamps, which are primarily for collecting purposes, special stamps are used by more people as they are released during occasions when people send a lot of mail. The production of special stamps are not as limited as that of the commemorative stamps since special stamps are usually intended to be used for a period of time rather than just a one-day event.

Christmas is not the only occasion when special stamps are released. Some time around Valentine's Day, love-themed stamps are released in the US, since 1973. They are typically used for sending valentine cards and packages. Some love-themed stamps are also used for sending wedding invitations throughout the year. In Japan, where New Year's Day is more celebrated than Christmas, New Year stamps are also released.

Some places issue special stamps for United Nations Day, independence day, or other national holidays, but such stamps are usually used as commemorative stamps since rarely would people send United Nations Day cards as much as they would send Christmas greetings.

Certain special stamps released by the United States and the United Kingdom have failed because they are rather too specialized. Examples of which are birthday stamps and get well soon stamps. Rarely did they appear in the mail because such occasions are too scattered to for people to buy stamps for them by bulk as people would for Valentine's and Christmas.

The more popular special stamps are successful because they can be used whenever the occasion they celebrate comes. This is especially true in the United States, where stamps usually retain their value and validity, making them usable even after several years. Thus this year's special Christmas Stamp can still be used for the next Christmas and several Christmases thereafter.

Some other recently popular special stamps are those that signify a special theme of the year. For instance, places that observe Chinese traditions, like the Chinese zodiac, issue special stamps that celebrate the assigned animal for that year (e.g. Year of the Dog stamps). There are also special stamps that would depict pictures of things and personalities that normally would not appear in stamps, an example of this would be Disney stamps, some of which can be used for postage while still having a decorative purpose.

Receiving traditional, old-fashioned letters is still very much fun today especially when snail mail is become hard to be received. But getting mail with special stamps could definitely add more fun to the joys of getting postage. With special stamps, waiting for the postman can still be enjoyed even by the coming generations.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/collecting-articles/all-about-special-stamps-795579.html

Stamping A Fine Impression

Stamping has undergone a metamorphosis from the the time it was first brought into use. Not really a new phenomenon, the trend dates back to 3000 BC when seals were used for the purpose of communication as humans were yet to devise a proper language. That was the era when stamps and seals were generally made from materials like wood, stone, bone and metals. The rapid development of technology in almost all manufacturing processes has meant several improvements in the final product. The same holds true for stamps too. Thanks to the laser technology being employed by many prestigious stamp manufacturers, customers can now procure their customized stamps in less time and expect an even better result in terms of quality. Modern technology has also ensured that less and less errors take place.

The introduction of lasers in the stamping process has made it possible to engrave materials like wood, plastics and plexiglass. Moreover, no manpower is used when laser technology is employed to make stamps. Stamping has truly developed with the times. From symbols in ancient caves to multi colored stamps, humans have truly learned to leave their distinct 'impression'. In fact, in the present times, multi colored stamps have emerged to be a rage- be it for official, personal or artistic purposes, the demand for multi colored stamps ceases to decline and finds application in newer processes everyday. No wonder, established online companies and experts have been on an all time increase and offer a huge variety of multicolored stamps to suit all needs.

The origin of the popular rubber stamps, seen today, is closely linked with early dentistry as dental specialists used vulcanized rubber that was set in plaster molds in order to make inexpensive denture bases. Most dentists had their own vulcanizers, which would be instrumental in manufacturing the first rubber stamp.

In the year 1886, James C Woodruff, taking the help of a dentist relative created the first rubber stamp. There has been no looking back ever since. Stamps have become an indispensable part of most organizations, government offices, post offices and other bodies. The popular picture stamps were introduced in form of educational stamps and the artistic stamps we use today date back to the year 1919 when German artist Kyrt Schwatting used them in his collages. Today, there are hundreds of companies specializing in manufacturing different kinds of stamps around the country and advanced technology is being employed to devise state of the art stamps.

As the Internet revolution spread, stamping gained a new dimension with online companies offering different kinds of stamps including self-inking stamps, pre-inked stamps, rubber stamps, dater stamps and number stamps. No matter what your requirement is- be it name stamps, address stamp, endorsement stamp, or signature stamp, multicolored stamps, ordering high quality stamps today is just a matter of a few clicks!

Stamps people use

Thanks to the rapid advancement in technology, there are different kinds of stamps available at popular online stores like XpressStamp. Self-inking stamps that don't need a inking pad for functioning have been a blessing for all those who have always wanted to avoid messy stamp pads. These stamps boast of a built-in ink pad that inks the stamp die after each impression. The same allows you to make thousands of impressions without any external inking pad. The best part is that such stamps can easily be re-inked. Several good stores offer these stamps in different shapes and sizes to meet your requirement.

Another category of stamps that are popular around the world and available at good online stores are pre-inked rubber stamps. These stamps hold ink within their rubber die and there is no ink pad. Whenever the stamp is used, ink oozes its way out of the rubber die. The reason they are more popular is that they offer a better image quality as compared to self-inking stamps and larger sizes are available. The quality of the stamp die is also better than the one used in traditional and self inking stamps

Despite innovations in stamping, the popularity of traditional rubber stamp cannot be refuted. Suitable for making large impressions, these stamps still find many takers- from crafters to business houses, traditional rubber stamps still retain their popularity on major online stamping stores. Of course, you need an ink pad with these stamps.

Dater stamps allow you to stamps dates fast and more conveniently. In fact, you can also order a customized text above and below the date.

Get your stamp- today!

As business houses and individuals around the world insist on deliveries at a break-neck speed, it has become paramount for stamp making concerns to adopt state of the art technology that enables them to deliver stamps really quickly.

Today companies use high end technology in their manufacturing and delivery processes in order to fulfill commitments in the stipulated time period. They can, in fact, deliver customized stamps within 48 hours, and other stamps in close to 78 hours. Over a period of time, it has been seen that it is not just the prices of articles that matter. In fact, more and more customers have started paying attention to quality of service being offered. The same has resulted in a wash-out of several online companies that aimed to woo customers by merely offering discounts and seldom concentrating on quality service.

Order online

Today, the Internet gives you the option to buy virtually anything without going out at all. The same holds true when it comes to buying stamps. There are several dependable online stores that offer you a wide array of stamps at unbelievable prices. Besides, your orders are shipped in the minimum possible time. Last but not the least, most good stamping sites offer a good price for what are fairly high quality stamps. So, if you are looking for good quality stamps at a decent price, all you need to do is find a reliable online vendor who understands your particular expectations in terms of quality and timely delivery. If you can find a recommended vendor, the rest should be easy to get!

Tags: Rubber Stamps, Address Stamp,Self-inking Stamps

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/stamping-a-fine-impression-33483.html

Making Rubber Stamps: Learn How To Make Your Own Art Craft Rubber Stamps For Stamping Up Paper Craft

Making stamps at home does not mean producing amateur stamps suitable just for kids' stamping. With a little information and the right rubber stamp making supply, manufacturing rubber stamps is fun and easy!

Classifying Rubber Stamps

For starters, rubber stamps are classified into two categories: business rubber stamps and art rubber stamps or craft stamps.

Business stamps are hand stamps, self inking stamps (pre inked) or dating stamps; the text of which makes them personalized rubber stamps. When using a hand stamp you must stamp it up and down on a stamp pad to load the stamp with ink before making your impression.

Art and craft rubber stamps are a lot more interesting as graphics such as hand drawn artwork, craft clipart along with alphabets and photographs can be used. Used in creating scrapbooks and greeting cards these custom stamps can also be used with embossing powder or ink for embossed rubber stamping. If you have ever tried to locate a Chinese character rubber stamp, you will know they are hard to find, so why not make your own? Stamp art has no limits - all your stamp ideas can be realized once you start making stamps at home so start gathering your rubber stamping ideas!

You will never again need to buy from a Rubber Stamp Manufacturer!

The fantastic thing about making your own stamps is that you will save money and do away with buying stamps from a rubber stamp maker or rubber stamp company. You can get all your rubber stamp making supplies or a rubber stamp kit and make your own personalized stamps, photo stamps, signature stamps and craft stamps within the comfort of your home.

Different Methods of Rubber Stamp Manufacturing

Does it sound impossible? Well it isn't. In fact making rubber stamps can become addictive once you grasp the basics. You must have an understanding of how different methods of rubber stamp manufacturing is carried out, then you can start searching for the relevant rubber stamp supply to start creating your rubber stamping ideas!

• Hand carved - Creating a carved stamp is still practiced in some countries. A simple example of a carved hand stamp is carving on erasers but this is beyond the skill level of most of us and is very time consuming.
• Vulcanizing - You may be familiar with magenta rubber stamps that utilize self cling foam similar to EZMount for sticking to acrylic blocks. These are vulcanized rubber stamps like the ones you buy from Stampin Up. Vulcanized stamps require a matrix mold to be produced for each new design making it an expensive process for small quantities of a single design. The vulcanizing heat press is also quite an expensive stamping machine for home use.
• Laser - Sounds hi-tech and so will your bills be! You can also make your own rubber stamps using a laser engraving machine, however, expenditure is high including its maintenance and operating costs, which are much higher than the vulcanizing process. Lasers are usually used for business style stamps where a custom rubber stamp is required.
• Flash technology - This relatively new stamping technology is not too expensive but the finished stamp has only a single colour, similar to the self inking stamp. This means it's unsuitable for your creative craft stamps. Flash Stamp technology employs a technique where ink flows through a membrane after exposure to a light source. The sections of the membrane containing the artwork remain open from which the ink flows.
• Polymer stamp making - Using a liquid polymer, artwork and a UV light source polymer is the clear choice for making custom rubber stamps at home with its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. You will only need a computer, laser printer and a UV exposure unit and of course the correct polymer for stamp making.

Stamping up with Polymer Rubber

Among the various ways for manufacturing rubber stamps, the polymer stamp making technique is the winner of all available stamp making methods for rubber stamp makers at home. Manufacturing polymer stamps will allow you to get professional quality custom rubber stamps at the lowest price possible!

It might surprise you that polymer stamp making is now the most common method of manufacturing stamps commercially today. The majority of business ink stamps, self inking personalized stamps and increasingly so craft stamps are now more often polymer stamps. Polymer stamps are also known as acrylic polymer, clear stamps, clear rubber stamps and rubber plastic stamps. Interestingly, polymer stamps contain no rubber at all and are still called rubber stamps!

Stamp Making Rules

Before you launch into making your own polymer rubber stamps, you must keep in mind three important factors about polymers. Pay attention to these and you can be assured of a high quality rubber stamp.

• Platemaking Polymers - Used extensively in the printing industry not all photopolymer plates will produce rubber stamps. To make a stamping die a polymer with the durometer reading of 40 is ideal; this is the hardness scale of the cured polymer. InstaPlate is just such a kind of polymer designed to make rubber stamp dies and best suited for home use. It is available as a photopolymer gel in a sachet (commonly known as ‘polymer in a bag'). With InstaPlate, you can be assured of a good quality polymer so request it when you investigate your stamp making supply.

• Polymer Solidification - Some stamp making kits employ other types of polymers that solidify under natural light or a single light bulb. This is not recommended as polymers that solidify under a specific UVA light range are always better. All professional stamp makers use polymers like InstaPlate as it allows control of the UVA light at a specific wavelength to make stamps. So invest in a quality UV exposure unit along with a commercial grade polymer such as InstaPlate to create stamps like the professionals do, this is especially important if you are interested in producing wholesale rubber stamps at home for resale.

• Strength of your Rubber Stamp - We often come across polymer stamps with no structural backing allowing the stamp to naturally stick to a mounting block. While these seem great, they are susceptible to tearing, dirtying and distortion. A strong permanent backing avoids these problems and is becoming very popular now that we have products such as EZMount and InstaGrip. InstaGrip is a new method of affixing rubber stamps to acrylic blocks and is a repositionable mounting system designed for mounting stamps onto acrylic. InstaGrip is basically a clear thin silicone repositional mat that sticks both to the stamp backing and the acrylic block. Since it's transparent, it will allow you to see through the stamp and the block to place your impression, making your stamping process easier than ever before.

The Light Source

You don't need to spend a fortune on a light source for making stamps at home. Commercial stamp machines have built in timers that control the exposure of the polymer and are quite expensive. A better alternative for home stamp making is a smaller craft stamp maker that utilizes an external portable countdown timer. The UVA light output from one of these units will produce the same quality stamp as the larger commercial stamp making systems.

Robert de Rooy has been involved with the stamp making industry for over 12 years and provides technical assistance to stamp makers. He operates two websites about stamp making, one for craft stamp making at home http://www.makingstamps.com.au and another for commercial stamp making http://www.instastamp.com.au

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_De_Rooy

Learn About Making Your Very Own Stamp Album

Collecting and bringing stuff together is fun and it can be rewarding too when your collection gets noticed by other people who may even want to buy your collection. People collect dolls, cars, toys, and almost anything that can be accumulated. For some, there is nothing like collecting stamps.

Before you decide on starting a stamp collection you must first determine what kind or type of stamps you are going to collect. You can collect any kind of stamp but it would be more valuable if you collect a certain kind of stamp. You can choose to collect stamps according to their types, formats, purpose, or condition.

A total of ten thousand postage stamps are being issued every year throughout the world and it would be very expensive and perhaps almost impossible to aspire for a worldwide collection all at once. You can however start with a realistic and doable stamp collection by collecting stamps issued in a specific country.

The easiest stamps to collect are those issued in the country where you live because it is more accessible. However, you can also choose to collect stamps from countries which have special meanings to you. The kind of stamps you will collect will also depend on your financial resources because there are stamps that are way too expensive.

You can also collect stamps by topic such as stamps depicting birds, ships, planes, flowers or any other object. There are people who collect Disney or cartoon stamps but you must develop a very network for this collection starting from friend sin all areas of the world. Another option is to collect used or new stamps. You can also opt for a color-scheme stamp collection where you will only collect blue or red stamps.

You can already start collecting stamps even if you do not have the money to spend on it. Start with used stamps because you can have them for free. Start by asking your housemates for stamps that come with their postcards and letters. You can also expand your network by asking friends, relatives and acquaintances for used stamps. Some people write to as many pen friends from different countries so they can exchange stamps.

While you may be excited enough to tear off stamps from envelopes, the best way is to cut the stamps from the envelopes and remove them later using a special process used by stamp collectors.

If you have extra money then you can look for new stamps from stamp dealers in your area. Also join clubs for stamp collectors because this can be an opportunity for you to exchange stamps with other collectors.

To start off your stamp collection, make sure you are equipped with the very basic stamp collecting tools like a stamp album, tongs, hinges, a perforation gauge, a magnifying glass and a watermark sensing device. When you have collected enough stamps, it is better to place them in a stamp album. Most stamp albums already have hinges with which you can mount the stamps safely.

Never munt your stamps using adhesive tapes or glues because it can damage your stamps. If your album doe snot have those little plastic dividers then it is best to buy mounts or hinges to separae your stamps accordingly.

Be careful when handling stamps because you do no want to ruin them; better use tongs to keep sweaty and dirty hands away from the stamps. No matter how you wash your hands, there will alwyas be sweat and grime which could affect the quality of the stamps you ar ehandling. Also but a good magnifying glass as it will help you inspect your stamps closely. Stamps may appear the same when viewed with the naked eye but who knows what you will discover when you use a magnifying glass.

There are a variety of choices when starting your stamp collection but do not be so caught up with the technicalities because stamp collection is basically a hobby and you do it for enjoyment. You can start a stamp collecting hobby for pleasure but when you haev already mastered this hobby then you can turn it into a money making venture. But first, take the time to enjoy your tamps.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/collecting-articles/learn-about-making-your-very-own-stamp-album-795588.html

Cling Mounted Stamps - The Good, the Bad, and the Choices

Rubber stamps have been around for generations without much innovation or alteration in their design. Until now that is. The world of rubber stamping has finally been updated with a 21st century spin, the cling mount stamp. Cling mount stamps are used in the same manner as traditional rubber stamps except they do not come permanently pre-mounted on a wooden block. Cling mount stamps have two sides; one side has the raised image that holds the ink for stamping and the other side is coated with a repositionable cling surface which holds or mounts to a piece of acrylic which replaces the wooded block.

Cling mount stamps have a lot of benefits over traditional wood mounted rubber stamps. One of the best bonuses is the lower cost of cling mounted stamps with stamp sets selling for a reduced price compared to traditional stamps with more stamps in the set too! They are more compact for storage often being packaged in a thin plastic bag or DVD case which makes owning and organizing multiple stamp sets a breeze; unlike the days of trying to find suitable storage for bulky and various sized wooden blocks. With the cling mount stamps positioning the stamps exactly where you want them is a dream because you can see the stamp through the clear acrylic block so there is no more guess work about the exact position of the image under a wooden block; I know most of you have experienced a stamp that was not mounted quite right so the stamped image was slightly off where you wanted it to be. The cling mount stamps clean up the same way as your traditional stamps so you can continue using your cleaner of choice. Finally, you can make collages of images or use a block the size of your card and positional the stamps at once and only have to stamp once making sure that each card has the images in the exact same position.

The new and innovative world of cling mount stamps is not without its flaws. The stamps do not come with a mounting base like traditional stamps where it is all one complete unit which means that you will need to purchase acrylic blocks for your stamps. The blocks can seen costly at first but it is important to remember that you do not need to have a block for every individual stamps since you remove the stamps after using them; ideally you should have a couple acrylic blocks in sizes you use a lot so that you can stamp with multiple images without having to remove them in between depending on the project you are working on. Some cling mount stamps do not hold the ink as well as others with the ink pooling and pulling off parts of the image producing a spotty or streaked stamped image. Also, if you are short on time this type of stamps might not suit your needs because you will need to take the time to mount each stamp, remove each stamp, and then put the stamp and block away separately.

There are a couple choices when it comes to choosing the type of material the stamp is made from, plastic or rubber. The material the stamp is made from impacts image quality. I have used both the clear plastic and rubber cling mount stamps. The winner in my book is the rubber cling mount stamps, like those by Stampin' Up, because they produce the same quality stamped image that we are all accustomed to with our traditional stamps. Some of the plastic cling mount stamps look great and promise wonderful stamped images but do not deliver, including the sets by The Stamps of Life, the ink does not hold as well resulting in a streaked image.
Overall I believe cling mount stamps are a wonderful addition to the world of stamping and paper crafts just consider your needs and the quality of the stamp material. Shop around, have fun, and get stamping!

Tag : stamps,rubber stamps,photo stamps,stamps collection

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Frank

How Many Rubber Stamps Do You Have in the Big World of Art Stamps?

For me it all started with these rubber stamps. That's right this cute little butterfly art stamp and this set of alphabet stamps.

I can remember my first rubber stamps. My brother gave them to me for my birthday. It was a butterfly art stamp, and an alphabet stamp set, that was 15 years ago. I can remember thinking to myself "what am I going to do with these rubber stamps"? Boy did I find out what to do with them. I made cute little butterfly note cards and I remember coloring them with a colored pencil (since that is all that I had back then or crayons), then with the alphabet stamps I stamped my family and friends name and of course finished it with a butterfly. Holy crow, he is the one that created my obsession with art stamps, and I am so happy that he did, thanks Mike.

What can I say; I Love Rubber Art Stamps and all the rubber stamping supplies that go along with them. Take a look at just some of the art stamps that I have. I have labeled each drawer and bin so I kind of know what is inside. I also have a few scattered around my craft studio on shelves. I told you that I Love Art Stamps. Now do you believe me?

Rubber stamps have come a long way. There are a ton of manufacturers for Art Stamps, depending on what you are looking for. A long time ago the only kind of art stamp that was available was the red rubber stamp mounted on a wood block. Now, those stamps are still available but there are also clear un-mounted art stamps that you take off of a cling sheet and adhere to an acrylic block. When you are done you just clean the stamp and take off the acrylic block and out back on the plastic sheet or in a clear plastic CD case.

The great thing about these art stamps is that you can see exactly where your image will be stamped on your card stock. This gives you less room for error (even though there is never an error in art, it just makes a different masterpiece then you expected).

What I love about the acrylic block rubber stamps is when you are working with alphabet stamps. The reason is you can have the correct spacing between each letter and word. When I have used alphabet stamps that were wood mounted, I usually had crooked words and phrases on my card or scrapbook page.

Another cool thing about these clear un-mounted rubber stamps is that they do not take up so much room as the original wood block art stamps. So if you do not have a lot of space to store your rubber stamps then this is the ideal way to go. I have two ways that I store my clear un-mounted rubber stamps. One is in a 3 ring binder, and the other in my Crop in Style Stamp Store tote. The stamp store can hold hundreds in the drawers.

There are also red rubber un-mounted stamps that you can purchase. They are cheaper than mounted rubber stamps. You can then mount them any way that you want; either on a wood block or use the ez-mount foam system (I will explain that in a near future article)

The last kind of rubber stamps that I can think of is the pre-inked art stamps. I have some art stamps that are pre-inked wheels. They are great for backgrounds or borders. All you do is insert the small cartridge of ink into the handle of the rubber stamps wheel, insert the wheel and away you go.

Well, as you can see I have a lot of rubber stamps. And with all these art stamps I do not have any duplicates and I can honestly say that I use or have used each and every one.

Tag : stamps,rubber stamps,art,Big World

Places To Get Stamps For A Stamp Collection

So, you want to start your own stamp collection, don't you? You may have heard at how satisfying and fulfilling a stamp collection has proven to be for countless people around the globe. The great thing about stamps is that you not only get the satisfaction of browsing through the cultures and the history of the origins of these stamps, but you also stand to gain financially as the value of these stamps increase along with age.

Aside from being just postal implements, stamps have attained the status of being important memorabilia. Stamps typically increase in value when they are rare or are of age. Some people collect stamps as an investment, hoping that the increased value these stamps accrue with age will pay off dividends when sold in the future. Others collect stamps purely for fun.

Whichever collector you belong to, you will always need a good, steady supply of stamps to fill your albums. But where do you get these stamps? And how do you procure them?

There are two ways to get stamps - the free way or the paid way. The free way is fun, since you get to work like a detective sorting, soaking, mounting and processing these stamps on your own. If you wish to collect stamps the quick way, the paid method works pretty fine - especially when you seek bulk amounts of stamps. Paying for stamps is also a great way to acquire rare stamps. However, paying for stamps is not advisable to beginners unless they go for bulk stamps to beef up their collection.

Free
Yes, the oldest and cheapest means of getting stamps is the mail that gets to your mailbox. And while the amount of mail you are receiving may be affected by the advent of the internet and email, mailboxes are still a great way to get stamps. However, you will have to take great care in handling such stamps as you have to learn how to properly soak and mount these stamps for you collection.

Let your friends and neighbors in on your hobby and they'll only be too eager to share in your efforts. You may have to instruct them to give you the envelope as it is so that you can properly process the stamps out. Or you may have them cut out the stamp from the envelope - while, of course, leaving a lot of leeway around the stamp.

You may also want to trade duplicate stamps with other stamp collecting enthusiasts. This way, both of you get to acquire unique stamps. It's also a great way to browse and admire each other's collection while learning more of the hobby itself.

Paid
As time goes on, modern ways of collecting and buying stamps have evolved. In the past you had to go to specialty shops or other collectors to purchase stamps - not to mention dropping by your local post office to snag unique ones. Today, the internet helps stamp collectors communicate with each other. You might want to browse the internet for sites that help stamp collectors band together.

There are also over 1,200 stamp stores in the United States, so it really shouldn't be too hard to find one around your locality.

Some will sell bulk orders of assorted stamps. This is a great way to beef up your collection, especially if you are starting out.

Knowledge is Power
This phrase cannot be stressed enough. It is really possible that you come across a really valuable stamp and discard it as useless all because you do not know enough about your hobby. Try to know as much as you can about stamps, rarities, current values and useful trivia that will help you gauge the value of stamps in your collection. It is really possible that some glitch or error in a stamp has made it valuable. Without information about such stamps you would probably just let it sit around not knowing that it has great value.

Try subscribing to stamp collecting magazines and sign up for organizations or clubs that cater to collectors just like you. There's no better way to know more about your hobby than to engage in study and discussion with fellow stamp collectors.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/collecting-articles/places-to-get-stamps-for-a-stamp-collection-795583.html

Collecting Pakistani Postage Stamps

Pakistan Postal Stamp Collection

It is not so obvious which stamp is the first issue of Pakistan. In 1854 East India Company issued the first modern postal system in South Asia. Before this issue, a local postage stamp was issued in 1852, known as "Scinde Dak". Scinde Dak is the oldest stamp in Asia and was used in Karachi City and remaining Sind regions. Since Karachi and Sind are part of Pakistan today, it is possible to claim that Scinde Dak is the first stamp of Pakistan.

The East Indian issues of 1854 were used throughout the regions currently in Pakistan. However, since the notion of PAKISTAN did not exist at that period, it is theoretically difficult to call them (or Scinde Dak) the first stamp of Pakistan. The name PAKISTAN was invented around the 1930s to symbolize Muslim nations of the Indian Subcontinent: "P" from Punjab, "A" from Afghans (the majority of NWFP people), "K" from Kashmir, "S" from "Sind", and "TAN" from Baluchistan.

Therefore, the first stamp of Pakistan, according to the orthodox classification among philatelists, is a set of British Indian stamps overprinted "PAKISTAN". Because of the turmoil due to the Partition of British India, the new state of Pakistan could not afford a commemorative stamp. One and a half months later, on 1 October 1947, new stamps of Pakistan were issued, which were British Indian stamps overprinted "PAKISTAN" by India's Printing Authority at Nasik. Pakistani people had to wait until July 1948 to have a set of new stamps printed for Pakistan. The photo on the right shows an 1 Re stamp from this set. This stamps is beautifully engraved with Urdu inscription reading "Long Live Pakistan." I would like to give to this issue the title of the first stamp of Pakistan.

British Indian stamps overprinted "PAKISTAN" on Water Mark Single Star and Multiple Stars on King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI and Victory 1946, Brief Political & Geographical History, Chronological order of events, Local Machine Overprints, How to distinguish the different 'Overprints'? Nasik Print, Peshawar Print, Hybrid Print, Karachi Print, Battered Print, Worn out Print, Relative scarcity of ordinary stamps, Pre-Nasik hand stamps overprints from 15th August to October 1947, Machine overprints after Independence, Hand stamps on ordinary stamps, Typewritten overprints on ordinary stamps, Manuscripts on ordinary stamps, Used abroad ordinary stamps from Dubai, Muscat, Guadur and Bombay Foreign Paquebot, Pakistan Internal postal rates in 1947. The First Postmark "Pakistan Zindabad", King George VI high values sheet format, Karachi Print in Blue, King George VI Peshawar Print, Squat Print, Peshawar Print King George V and opts. on margin, Peshawar Print King George VI, The Indian Independence Act 1947, Pakistan Official postage stamps, Pre-Nasik overprints on Service stamps, Hand stamps overprints on KG VI Service stamps, Typewritten overprints on Service stamps, Manuscript overprints on Service stamps, Relative Scarcity of Service stamps, Nasik Print, Karachi Print, Peshawar Print, With 'N' narrow, heavy grotesque bold, King G VI overprinted in red, King G V overprinted in black, Opt. on margin, King G VI, Lahore Print Type I With 'N' broad is known in black on King G V & King G VI, Lahore Print Type II, Bahawalpur State Print opts. 'PAKISTAN', Hyderabad Sind Print, The Baluch Regiment 'Print', SERVICE Type 2- 6 and many more. 1947 to 31st Dec. 2003 with full details of Size, Designer, Pinter,Process, Format, Gum, Perforation, Imprint, Plate Number, Quantity, FDC, Leaflet, Colour, Errors and many more details of the stamps, 228 Printed Pages on art paper 90 Gms, Size 180mm x 240mm (7.5 x 9.5 Inch) Covering Pakistan & Service and Bahawalpur & Service, at Rs. 700.00 within Pakistan & registered postage will be free and US$ 40.00 for all overseas countries. Recent stamps that are regularly available at post offices depict the father of the nation Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Low denominations have Islamic designs. High denominations are often commemorative stamps.

The first charm of Pakistani stamps is its variety of themes found on commemorative stamps. In large post office in Pakistan, it is worthwhile to search a philatelic bureau window. You can buy various commemorative stamps at face values. You can find Himalayan mountains, endangered wildlife, cricket heroes, historic buildings, folk costumes, and so on. The Pakistan Post Office has a sound policy of limiting the motives of stamps to those with relevance to Pakistan.

According to the Scott postage catalogue, about 750 stamps were issued between 1947 and 1990. Except for the high values of 1947 overprinted issues, no stamp has a big premium so that it is feasible to have a complete collection of postage stamps of Pakistan. If you buy Pakistan stamps in bulk, you will find a number of stamps inscribed "SERVICE". They are called official stamps and issued for the postal payment by government agencies.

For serious collectors of Pakistan stamps, becoming a member of Pakistan Postal stamp Collection Website. This website is designed for Pakistan postal stamp promotion in world.

Old US Postage Stamps

Collecting old postage stamps is one of the most rewarding hobbies you can enjoy, and it's a wonderful hobby to share with a child or grandchild. You can get started very easily, and the initial startup costs aren't high at all, so collecting old postage stamps might be the perfect hobby to keep you entertained as the cost of entertainment keeps skyrocketing.

Getting Started

To get started collecting stamps you'll need a stamp album to keep your stamps in, and a collection of stamps to start with. You can find bags or packets of stamps to start with at hobby shops or stamp shows, or online at auction and retail sites. Most of these stamps will be common, but as you continue to collect stamps, you may start to look for those stamps that have become rarer and harder to find. Make sure you buy a stamp album that allows you to add pages as your collection grows and new stamps become available.

Join a Stamp Club

You can also joint a stamp swap or local stamp club to buy, sell, and trade stamps for your collection. Once you begin collecting, you may discover that you want to specialize in a certain type of stamps, such as historic American stamps, duck stamps, railroad or aviation stamps, or stamps from other countries. When you shop, you should be able to find packets of stamps that meet your specialty, and if you don't see your favorite type of stamps, ask the vendor, they may be able to put a packet together just for you.

Mounting Your Stamps

Many collectors collect old postage stamps for profit, and they do not mount their stamps with stamp hinges, they mount them in album pages that will not damage the stamp. These collectors often collect non-cancelled stamps, as well, although many collectors prefer cancelled stamps. If you're just going to display your stamps for your own enjoyment, you can mount them on stamp hinges, and then mount them in your stamp album on the appropriate page.

Stamp Identification

If you're collecting stamps from around the world, it may be difficult to identify some of the stamps and where they come from. Many collectors invest in a stamp identification guide so you can identify stamps that are not printed in English. Great Britain, for example, does not print the name of their country on their stamps; instead they always include the head of the current monarch somewhere on the stamp. There are also some websites that specialize in stamp identification that can help you find out just what type of stamp you have discovered.

Collecting postage stamps is a hobby that is easy to start, and can continue throughout your entire life. Countries will always issue postage stamps, and they will always create beautiful new designs. Collecting these little works of art can be enjoyable, but it can be profitable too, if you decide to become a stamp dealer. You never know if the world's rarest stamp is waiting in that next collection, and that's one reason stamp collecting can become such an addictive but rewarding lifelong hobby.

Lucy Bushman is an accomplished niche website developer and author.
To learn more about postage stamps, please visit US Stamp Collecting Online for current articles and discussions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucy_Bushman

How Many Rubber Stamps Do You Have in the Big World of Art Stamps?

For me it all started with these rubber stamps. That's right this cute little butterfly art stamp and this set of alphabet stamps.

I can remember my first rubber stamps. My brother gave them to me for my birthday. It was a butterfly art stamp, and an alphabet stamp set, that was 15 years ago. I can remember thinking to myself "what am I going to do with these rubber stamps"? Boy did I find out what to do with them. I made cute little butterfly note cards and I remember coloring them with a colored pencil (since that is all that I had back then or crayons), then with the alphabet stamps I stamped my family and friends name and of course finished it with a butterfly. Holy crow, he is the one that created my obsession with art stamps, and I am so happy that he did, thanks Mike.

What can I say; I Love Rubber Art Stamps and all the rubber stamping supplies that go along with them. Take a look at just some of the art stamps that I have. I have labeled each drawer and bin so I kind of know what is inside. I also have a few scattered around my craft studio on shelves. I told you that I Love Art Stamps. Now do you believe me?

Rubber stamps have come a long way. There are a ton of manufacturers for Art Stamps, depending on what you are looking for. A long time ago the only kind of art stamp that was available was the red rubber stamp mounted on a wood block. Now, those stamps are still available but there are also clear un-mounted art stamps that you take off of a cling sheet and adhere to an acrylic block. When you are done you just clean the stamp and take off the acrylic block and out back on the plastic sheet or in a clear plastic CD case.

The great thing about these art stamps is that you can see exactly where your image will be stamped on your card stock. This gives you less room for error (even though there is never an error in art, it just makes a different masterpiece then you expected).

What I love about the acrylic block rubber stamps is when you are working with alphabet stamps. The reason is you can have the correct spacing between each letter and word. When I have used alphabet stamps that were wood mounted, I usually had crooked words and phrases on my card or scrapbook page.

Another cool thing about these clear un-mounted rubber stamps is that they do not take up so much room as the original wood block art stamps. So if you do not have a lot of space to store your rubber stamps then this is the ideal way to go. I have two ways that I store my clear un-mounted rubber stamps. One is in a 3 ring binder, and the other in my Crop in Style Stamp Store tote. The stamp store can hold hundreds in the drawers.

There are also red rubber un-mounted stamps that you can purchase. They are cheaper than mounted rubber stamps. You can then mount them any way that you want; either on a wood block or use the ez-mount foam system (I will explain that in a near future article)

The last kind of rubber stamps that I can think of is the pre-inked art stamps. I have some art stamps that are pre-inked wheels. They are great for backgrounds or borders. All you do is insert the small cartridge of ink into the handle of the rubber stamps wheel, insert the wheel and away you go.

Well, as you can see I have a lot of rubber stamps. And with all these art stamps I do not have any duplicates and I can honestly say that I use or have used each and every one.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joan_Koeppel

How to Choose the Right Rubber Stamps

Years ago there was only one option for rubber stamps and the crafter. The typical wood mounted rubber stamp. Many of the old rubber stamps also came with handles like business stamps today, while others had simple pegs. Thanks to the growth of this hobby, you can now buy many different types of stamps ranging from mounted, unmounted, clear acrylic, foam, individually, or by the sheet. Just a quick check online will show many companies who sell stamps in all of the above types. You might wonder what the best type of stamp to buy is. While it would be wonderful to be able to give a black and white answer, each type has applications that they perform better than the others. We'd like to take the mystery out of what type of stamp to use, when, and how to use it.

Not that long ago, foam stamps were intended to be used by children. While that may have been true many years ago, high quality foam stamps can be purchased these days. Foam stamps are a fantastic choice when you're going to be stamping on fabric or walls. Beyond being inexpensive, they have a very deep image that is perfect for stamping on rough surfaces. Will you be stamping fabric, denim, walls, plaster, or tin? Foam stamps are probably your best option.

Twenty years ago, if you told someone that you had an entire closet filled with rubber stamps, they would've thought you were a crazy fanatic. These days, it is not uncommon at all to have stamps filling up cabinets and closets, a fact that has created a huge demand for stamp storage units. Because mounted rubber stamps, with a wood mount, are bulky and take up a lot of space, some crafters like the idea of buying unmounted rubber stamps. Most of the time, you can buy them in a full sheet at a time and save a bundle, or you may want to buy them individually. Unmounted stamps can be backed with anything from magnets to static cling foam, and can be mounted on the medium of choice. Some prefer using traditional rubber stamps that have been trimmed close to the design and then placed on a static cling foam that can be mounted easily on acrylic blocks. While cost per stamp is usually the biggest concern, another immediate advantage of unmounted stamps is the inexpensive shipping, because you're not paying to ship the wood mount. Beware of buying bargain bags since these are usually of very low quality and the designs are very poor.

Acrylic rubber stamps are the newest stamps on the block. Either someone loves them or they hate them. Clear stamps have a fanatical following one day and every one dislikes them the next day. When you've spent a long amount of time on a scrapbook page and you want to make some final touches with a stamp, the last thing you want to do is ruin all the work you've done by having a smudge or putting something in the wrong place. Because clear stamps are placed on a clear acrylic block, you can see that you get good ink coverage of your stamp and precise placement. You can even double stamp by placing stamped images on top of each other. Keep in mind when looking for clear acrylic stamps that not all are created equal. If you've ever bought cheap clear stamps, you were probably extremely disappointed. Inexpensive, cheap acrylic stamps usually show themselves by attracting lots of dirt, and they usually tear easily. The best clear acrylic stamps made in the U.S.A. are manufactured by Stewart Superior. The proprietary photopolymer this company uses has the perfect amount of stickiness and is very durable. Sometimes when clear acrylic stamps are placed in the sun, they do discolor, but it does not affect in any way the stamped image.

The classic wooded mounted rubber stamp doesn't need any introduction. While the selection available used to be limited to your local craft and hobby store, hundreds stores now sell unique mounted rubber stamps online. Natural rubber creates the clearest, most detailed image of all the stamp types. You should not get a smudged image (common with clear acrylic stamps) with a natural rubber stamp because the rubber pores soak up ink better than the clear polymer.

So which is best? Foam, unmounted, clear, or mounted, we will have to leave the choice up to you. The truth is, they all have their place for certain projects. If your next project is going to be on fabric, or you want to stamp baby room walls, we'd recommend you find some high-quality, foam stamps. Buy a few of each design and if one gets damaged, you can just quickly go to another one. Are you working on a long scrapbook album that's taken hours of work? Want to put some final touches with stamps? I strongly encourage you to buy some clear acrylic stamps. There are some fantastic designs out there that you can use. By using clear acrylic stamps, you can be assured that you won't mess up the hours and hours of work you already put into the project. Are you making cards, scrapbook pages, gift boxes, or patterned paper? Wood mounted rubber stamps or unmounted stamps, mounted your preference, are still your best bet in the end. It's not so much what kind of stamp you have, but what kind of application you're going to be using it with. We hope that after reading this information, you now know exactly what you need to get started on your next project. Go ahead, get started stamping today!

Article Tags: rubber stamping scrapbooking scrapbooks

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/how-to-choose-the-right-rubber-stamps-97967.html

Stamp Collecting 101

Stamp collecting refers to the act of collecting postage stamps and postage stamp related objects, including envelops or packages that have stamps on them, which are known as covers. Stamp collecting is one of the most popular hobbies in the world, with more than 20 million people in the United States alone collecting stamps as a serious hobby. In some countries, stamp collecting is an important revenue source because there are a variety of different elaborate stamps which are run specifically for stamp collections. The stamps that these countries produce exceed the countries' postal needs, making it easy, if not relatively expensive, for collectors to find the stamps that they want for their collections.

Some stamp collectors have even taken to philatelic investment, which involves studying rare stamps based on the rising prices of these stamps. Rare stamps are popular as tangible and portable investments, mainly because they are so easy to come by, and even easier to store properly.

Collecting stamps does not actually require any equipment, but many stamp collectors invest in a small number of truly essential items so that they may better preserve, store, inspect and display their stamps. Some of the most common stamp collecting pieces of equipment includes glassine envelopes and humidity, light and heat free boxes which are an easy and cheap way to store stamps. Stamp albums are also popular for storing stamps as they allow collectors to easily display their entire collection in a storable and portable format. Stamps can be displayed nearly any way that the collector wishes, in a variety of different organizational styles including by size, topic or country. The visual appeal of the stamp collection is purely up to the discretion of the stamp collector.

- Archival stock books make good choices for displaying stamps as they have clear plastic pockets that hold stamps well. This is one of the safest available means of storing and displaying entire stamp collections.

- Stamps can be hinge mounted, but stamps can become damaged this way so it is not recommended for rare and otherwise difficult to find stamps. Expensive stamps that are irreplaceable are not ideal for hinge mounting.

- Magnifying glasses are an excellent tool to have for handling stamps, especially when admiring or displaying intricately decorated stamps. Stamp tongs are another important piece of equipment as their rounded tips prevent damage from occurring on the stamps, especially by skin oils and other rough handling.

- Stamp collecting does not require any tools, but having the tools mentioned above can be extremely helpful. Having adequate storage possibilities and tools for safe and easy handling is an important if not vital part of collecting stamps the right way. If you want your stamp collection to outlive the collector, properly handling, storing and displaying your stamps is absolutely essential.

Stamps can be acquired virtually anywhere, including from friends and family on their incoming mail. This is a great place to start, though you may also ask elderly relatives, major businesses and international acquaintances about their stamps, which will allow you to quickly and easily broaden your stamp collecting horizons.

Jay Villaverde is the owner of http://www.CollectorStamps.us A site dedicated to finding great deals on old, and rare, US stamps for the collector. Whether you're a new or veteran collector, you'll be amazed at the inventory of stamps at Collector Stamps. If you like stamp collecting, this is a must see site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Villaverde

Postmodern Design Rubber Stamps - Unique Stamping

Rubber stamps are a great way to add to many craft projects. Scrapbooks, cards, paper design, and other projects can all benefit from the color and design that rubber stamps can bring. One unique stamp company that offers great stamps in a creative and unique way is PostModern Design rubber stamps. They offer a wide selection of stamps and stamping supplies in unique and creative formats that any stamp lover will want to add to their collection.


PostModern design rubber stamps are stamps that offer a unique and creative spin in stamps. The company offers high quality stamps and they have a great reputation in the stamping arena. Their products are high quality materials and impeccably designed and produced. When you purchase PostModern design rubber stamps, you know you are getting the best quality stamps available.


It is very easy to find PostModern design rubber stamps. A great place to start is on the Internet. If you do a quick search through any search engine, you will find a number of great places that sell these stamps. You can get them directly through the company or use any one of their online retailers. You can also check online auction sites for a wide range of stamps that people are selling. You can also look in stamp catalogs. These catalogs can be found in several areas such as libraries and bookstores. Also, check with local craft and stamp stores for these stamps. If they don't carry them in stock, they may be able to special order it for you.


The PostModern design stamps offer a unique twist on several traditional stamps. A common design that is unique to PostModern design is the slab design of stamps. The slab design offers up to four individual stamps on one block. These blocks often have a spindle hole so that the stamps can be easily stacked and stored. With unique stamp designs and easy storage, PostModern designs offer great stamps which are high quality and great design.


There are great numbers of projects you can do with rubber stamps. For example, you can create cards, design paper, and decorate scrapbooks. For great craft projects, there are several places that can give you great ideas. Start with the Internet to locate great craft projects. You can see samples and designs that other people have created along with tips and tricks for how to make them look great. You can also check with places you buy your stamps such as local crafts stores and specialty stores that sell stamps and stamp supplies. They can offer you great samples and designs that can get your creative juices flowing and help you figure out to be design your project.


Rubber stamp craft projects are great projects that anyone can do. With great designs that you can get with PostModern design rubber stamps, you know that your projects will be top notch in quality and design. With easy to find stamps and great quality, check out PostModern design for great stamps.


About The Author:
Moises has been working for stamping industry for last 7 years. He created a website that has tips and advises about various rubber stamps. Come to http://www.bestrubberstamps.com to learn more about rubber stamps.

Understanding Rare Stamp Collecting Classifications

Stamps are classified into four separate types. They are Stamp Types, Purpose, Formats and Condition.

Stamp Types generally means the difference between a definitive stamp and a commemorative stamp. A definitive stamp most always showed a portrait of some famous person at present time or in history, although recently these have expanded to include the U.S. flag or the White House. Typically these stamps are relatively small and ordinary looking. They can be purchased at different denominations to pay for the different types of postal mail. These usually get printed in large numbers and remain in effect until the postal rates changes.

Commemorative stamps are larger than the definitive's and are printed in much smaller numbers. They're usually sold for the standard first class postage rate. The pictures usually show images of historical events. Once these stamps run out, they usually are not printed again. In recent years there has been another stamp type called the Special. A good example of these stamps would be the Christmas stamps that are printed out for the holidays. These are larger, decorative stamps that are sold at the standard postal rate for a certain time period until the supply runs out.

Purpose shows what the stamp is for. Most stamps are classified as regular stamps because they are used on your every day basic mail. However, immediately after the postage stamp was distributed came along other stamps showing different purposes. Some show postage due for the mail that had insufficient monies applied to the postage. Other stamps were created to show classified mail, airmail and a variety of other special services.

Stamps are issued in a variety of ways. Format is another classification term used to show how these stamps were originally issued. Whether it was as a sheet, booklet, coil or panes.

Condition of a stamp is very important to many collectors. Mint condition is one that has never been used and is still in the same condition as when it was issued. If one has been in a collection held in an album with a hinge then it is considered an unused one. The reason for the difference is that the one that was in an album has had its "gum" disturbed. One that has been sent through the postal system and been stamped is considered used.

Other classification types are whether they are perforated, what kind of printing is used and whether a watermark was used.

By understanding the different classifications, one can begin their collection based on certain criteria. Many collectors have a certain theme to their collections. There have been billions of stamps that have been issued over the years that it would be literally impossible to have a complete collection. Many people choose a certain topical theme or perhaps stamps from a certain country only. Whatever you decide to create your theme around, it'll be interesting and fun for you to study.

STAMP COLLECTING TIPS

Now that you've decided what type of stamps you want to collect, here are some tips on the best way to keep these stamps in good condition. You may end up with one that is worth a lot of money someday and you'll want it to be in the best possible condition.

• When looking for a stamp album, look for one that has blank, acid-free pages. Don't go for anything that has flimsy pages for these will not be sturdy enough to house your stamps safely. Make sure you have stamp hinges or mounts that are designed for housing stamps. Using glue or tape will damage your stamps.
  

• Do not try to tear or peel a stamp off of an envelope. Cut them carefully from the envelope without touching the perforated edges, this damages the stamp. Once the stamp has been cut off, float it in a small bowl filled with cool water. This dissolves the glue to a point where the paper from the envelope will come off easily. (Be careful with those stamps that have been heavily inked with cancellation stamps or strange looking ink that could potentially damage other stamps.) Rinse the remaining glue with fresh water and spread out to dry. If necessary place them in a book after drying to straighten them out. Always handle them with tongs.
• Think about your collection theme and sort the stamps according to your theme. Whether it's by a topical or country theme or stamp types, it's good to have some kind of order to them. Remove any damaged stamps as the value is most likely not that great. The only time you want to hang on to something that's damaged would be if you had something that was extremely rare or valuable. If you have duplicates then display the best one you have of the set and use the other for trading with other stamp collectors. Sorting is an ongoing process as you pick up more and more stamps.
• Another extremely important thing to think about is having tongs. Seems like such a simple thing, doesn't it. People think they can handle just as well with their fingers but they don't think about how much oil we have on our skin. These oils transfer to the stamps and can damage them in the long run. Tongs are the best way to handle stamps. One may need to practice handling tongs before attempting to pick up stamps with them as some of them, if not handled correctly, could tear or poke holes through the stamps.
  

Once you've made the decision to collect stamps and you've obtained all the essential tools for collecting, you'll probably find getting more and more curious about the history behind some of these stamps. There are thousands of books, literature and papers written on the subject. Many of them explain how and why some of these stamps became so valuable or interesting over the years. Most stamp collectors become so for a lifetime. There are so many different types of stamp collections that one could collect for years and never find themselves getting bored.

Darren Williger is an over-caffeinated, low carbohydrate eating, winemaking enthusiast who writes for WindPurifier.com, RareStamp.com, and BeeYourself.Com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_Williger

Comparing Rubber Stamps, Clear Stamps And Foam Stamps

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.

Clear Stamps And Scrapbooking: Clearly A Winning Combination

The unique qualities of clear acrylic stamps make them a perfect choice for scrapbooking. Stamping on scrapbook pages has always been a challenge. Placing the stamp and avoiding excess ink are a few of the concerns that keep most scrapbookers from trying stamping techniques on their page layouts, but now with the availability of clear acrylic stamps, anyone can get fantastic results from stamps on their scrapbooking pages.

Clear acrylic stamps, also called polymer stamps, are different from traditional wood block or foam-backed rubber stamps. They are more economical because they are not pre-mounted. Clear stamps are naturally tacky and stick to an acrylic block. They are easily removed allowing you to reuse the block again and again. You simply purchase unmounted clear stamps from any manufacturer, and these work with any clear acrylic mount. Buy a larger mount first that can be used with both small and large stamps. These stamps are also much easier to store, and because they are acrylic, they are lightweight and easy to transport to scrapbooking crops or classes.

Using clear stamps with scrapbooking couldn't be easier. Choose from words, designs and image clear stamps, and peel and stick them to an acrylic block. Now you're ready to start stamping. Because the block and stamp are transparent, you can see exactly where you want to place the imprint. No more misaligned prints! You will have precise placement every time and no more guesswork or stamping mistakes.

Another unique feature of clear acrylic stamps is the ability to mix and match them. With wood and rubber stamps you have to realign your stamps to use more than one stamp together. It takes at least 2 stamping imprints to achieve the same results with one acrylic block. While you can use your clear art stamps individually, the ability to peel and stick to a large acrylic block makes it easy to stamp entire phrases or scenes with one stamp. Just choose your stamps and arrange them all on one clear mount. They can even be from different stamp manufacturers. It's even possible to cut portions of one stamp apart and arrange them in a different pattern for stamping or use only a part of the stamp. Clear art stamps offer much more versatility and functionality than rubber stamps.

Because new stamps tend to resist ink, many scrapbookers recommend conditioning your clear stamps before you use them the first time. Some use a fine grit sandpaper and others prefer a pink eraser. Simply, scuff
the surface of a brand new stamp. This will help it to hold ink more effectively. After stamping with ink, clean it with mild soap and water or rubbing alcohol. Avoid oil-based cleaners, acetone and bleach because these can damage and break down your stamp. Some scrapbookers have difficulty getting a crisp image from clear polymer stamps. To improve the quality of the ink impression, try using a cushioned-surface under your scrapbooking paper. A soft mouse pad works well for this purpose. Using this cushioning effect may take a bit of practice, but the results will be worth it.

Be sure to store your clear stamps in a dark place away from sunlight or indoor lighting. Light can discolor and harden them prematurely. Some inks can stain them, but this won't affect their use. Because they are polymer based, one downside is that they do not last as long as rubber stamps will, but with proper care and storage, you will get years of scrapbooking with quality images from your clear stamps.

Article Tags: Clear Stamps Scrapbooking, Clear Stamps

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/clear-stamps-and-scrapbooking-clearly-a-winning-combination-421647.html

A Variety of Stamps For the Avid Collector

Collectors have a wide variety of stamps to choose from since almost every country in the world issues stamps in number of different types and formats. Collectors may choose to create their collection to reflect their personal interests so that it shows their own unique identity.

Some individuals collect commemorative stamps that are issued to remember a special event or individual, which are only available for a limited time. The first commemorative stamp issued in the United States celebrated the landing of Columbus in the New World, which was issued in 1869. Another type of stamp is the Se-tenant, which are two or more un-separated stamps that have different designs or values. These types of stamps are usually part of a commemorative set of stamps, such as the 1987 issue of Flora and Fauna.

Airmail stamps is type of stamps that were issued from by the United States from 1918 until 1993 for any item that was delivered by air. In this type are the extremely popular 1930 Zeppelin stamps, which were withdrawn from the market after only forty-one days. This is the reason these are the most sought after airmail stamps available with the exception of the twenty-four cent Inverted Jenny error airmail stamp of 1918.

Stamps that have been surcharged, overprinted, or inscribed with an extra charge with the addition to the postage fee with the intention of obtaining funds for a variety of charities are known as semi-postal stamps. The United States has issued only two types of these stamps, which include the Heroes of 2001 that raised funds for the victims of the 9-11 attack and the 1996 Breast Cancer Awareness stamp.

Coil stamps are long coiled strips of stamps that are used in affixing machines or are sold in vending machines, which have straight edges on two opposite sides and perforations on the other two. A coil line pair of stamps is a pair of stamps from a rotary coil that show a colored line that causes a gap where the printing plate was joined. A small book that contains stamps is known as booklet stamps, which are extremely convenient are are often sold through vending machines. Booklet panes are panes of stamps that are cut and printed to be sold only in these booklets. Booklets stamps usually contain at least two of these panes.

Stamped envelopes are a special type of envelope where the postage stamp has been either embossed or preprinted onto the envelope. Collectors will collect these as either entires or as cut squares where the stamp is cut out of the envelope where a square has been shaped from the margin. A postal card is stationary that has been issued by the post office and is similar to a postal envelope that has a stamp that has been preprinted or embossed onto the card.

In 1934 Congress authorized Federal Duck stamps to license hunters as a type of revenue to help maintain waterfowl life within the United States. Sales of these stamps were offered to collectors in 1935, who prefer them in mint condition. These stamps are attached to hunting licenses and issued by each state individually. Federal Duck Stamps are one of the most popular collectible stamp with collectors.

Revenue or tax stamps are attached to any documents, stock certificates, playing cards, tobacco, etc. that shows a required government tax has been paid. Definitive stamp are regular stamps that are used for regular postage and used for a number of years.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about rare coins, stamp collections, and rare collectibles. Follow these links to find the best marketplace for: collections, stamp types.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victor_Epand

Photo Postage Stamps - Great Innovations in Stamps

Photo postage stamps aren't such a new idea; its been around for years! The USPS (United States Postal Service) briefly suspended the use of such a stamp due to security concerns. There are certainly a number of reasons that the USPS would want to abolish all photo stamps, for example in the height of the anthrax scares a stamp with a scull and cross bones plus the word Anthrax caused a sorting office to shut down for several hours. Although custom photo stamps are legitimate, perhaps getting rid of them would put people off trying to get away with counterfeit postage stamps!

The USPS decided that it would allow another phase of a pilot program allowing companies to sell their customers photo postage stamps. The first stage of the trial was a huge success; however the USPS wants to make sure that these custom postage stamps aren't just a fad.

What is a photo postage stamp?

Photo postage stamps allow people to put a photo of pretty much whatever they want to on their stamp. There are however exceptions, you cannot for example put pornographic or disturbing images onto your photo stamp.

Photo stamps are useful for:

-Weddings

-Births

-Anniversaries

-Business Logos

-Any Special Occasion

Internet pranksters - screening photo stamps for validity

Being able to put an image of anything you want onto your stamps is very exciting for most people; however some internet pranksters just take things too far. Some people have tried to order stamps with people like Slobodan Milosevic on them, as these could cause public outrage its important for the organizations that are permitted to produce photo postal stamps to have proper screening processes in place.

Along with controversial figures, the other things that must not be allowed on postage stamps are pornographic images, and also certain religious symbols. Copyright is a tricky subject; technically you should only use material on a stamp that you own the rights to, or have permission to use. Other than this and advertising, the images can be of pretty much anything.

The company that supplies the postage stamps are personally responsible for screening, this is nothing to do with the USPS. The vendors themselves should reject the images that break the strict rules set down by the USPS. The USPS is able to find out which company generated the stamp by looking at the information encoded in the stamps barcode, therefore any company not screening images properly could find themselves losing the rights to print postage.

Where can I get my photo postage stamps?

There are three main custom stamp vendors in America , Stamps.com, which has been a key contender ever since the postal services first trial. Endica are also permitted to produce stamps. Pitney Bowes the popular franking machine manufacturer has realized that photo stamps trespass into their industry, and so they are grabbing hold of this opportunity with both hands and refusing to let go!

Photo stamps are a worldwide phenomenon!

Photo postal stamps arent just popular in America , theyre popular worldwide! England has one of the oldest postal services in the world, but even so the Royal Mail is adopting online photo postage stamps. Currently in England you can only buy the stamps directly from the Royal Mail (the equivalent of the USPS), but only time will tell as to when they will adopt the same personalization.

Visit Discount Online Stamps to view the latest articles and cash back rebates on all photo stampsonline postage stamps and

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Hinkley