Help for How to Create Stamps

[Rachel Fasig]

Hi everyone,

I just joined this group and love the creativity I see!

I have not made any stamps myself and was wondering if there are "how-to" resources here or if anyone can recommend some good websites for me?

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions!  Rachel

[Carla Cryptic]

Yes, there is a thread about making stamps (if you mean to print with) here:

http://iuoma-network.ning.com/group/rubberstamps/forum/topics/techniques-1

Also, there are numerous pages online in various places devoted to this - just google "carving erasers", "making rubber stamps", or "softblock carving". You can also get a lot of techniques from "linoleum carving" sites, like Speedball (they make the carving tools).

If you mean, artistamps (that are like postage stamps), that's a whole other question!

There is a yahoo group called the artistamp mailing list where you can find tons of information on making artistamps! :)

Carla

[Rachel Fasig]

Just to clarify: I'm looking for information on how to make postage stamps. Sorry I didn't make that clear!

Rachel

[Oscar Yeats]

HAHAH I didnt see that this thread is a crusty 12 years old.

Good luck!

The first step is to make a page of very small pictures in a grid. Collage, rubber stamps, photoshop. This part is harder to explain but kind of feel it out or ask a specific thing and I'll try to answer. I look for a color laser printer to make sure my ink dosent run if left in a wet mail bag or from an errant lick.

The second step is to make them into stamps.

1. STICKY PAPER Having sticky paper is fun but not necessary. Gluestick is perfect for paper stamps. Sticker paper works too but is best for stamps cut by scissors. There are some resources for "dry gummed paper" that I can dig up if you want your stamps lick-able.
2. PERFORATED EDGE There are some pinking shears style scissors that make an OK decorative "stamp" edge. One cool way to perforate is to run a sheet through a sewing machine without thread to poke a row of holes in it. The fanciest way is to perforate the sheet with a perforator. These are fairly rare but some folks have them still. Is there a printing museum where you live? or a person who makes letterpress? these are good resources for finding them. If artistamp contacts you mail with have one they will likely be willing to perforate stamps for you. It's kind of a painstaking process but not too bad.

Did that help explain? formost: mail art is for experimentation and expression! Make a mess! Send mail!

[Carla Cryptic]

IUOMA/Ning Rubber Stampmaking Techniques pages

(forgot to make it a clickable link)

[Larry Vienneau]

I don't know of any real "how to" out there. if you are interested in older styles look at "100 Greatest American Stamps" by Klug and Sundman. If you are a printmaker there is the traditional relief and intaglio techniques. If you used digital mediums illustrator and photoshop are widely used. Just have fun, think of fun images and have a great time, there are many great people from all over the world in this group willing to help!

[Maria Fedorchuk]

im going to print out some post stampt on my own and the only thing that hold back everything is paper. i havent found yet perfect sort of paper to print my stamps on. it should be self adhesive (not always essential thou), perforated or well wavy edged. if you a sort of paper like that - please let me know what company produces it/where one can buy it.

[Rachel Fasig]

Maria: I think that IUOMA member Bill Porter has a company that sells the type of paper you are looking for. You can google Olathe Poste or contact Bill on the IUOMA (this) site. Hope that helps! Rachel

[Sean Woodward]

Since the UK started issuing self-adhesive postage stamps (I think the US has had them for many years?) I don't feel so bad about printing my artistamps on computer label paper ! I found a pair of craft scissors that have a stamp edge cut which are really useful but would be interested to know IF AND HOW people perforate their artistamp sheets ... I know John Held Jnr used to do it with a real perforating machine !

[Maria Fedorchuk]

stamp edge scissors idea is a perfect suggestion for home made crafty stamps i should think so - at least for me as a start =)))) some shopping is ahead)

[TangleCrafts]

Do you have a sewing machine? Apparently, you can perforate paper with an unthreaded sewing machine (but I don't know how to use mine, & therefore ended up with a crazy paving effect, when I tried it...). I once painstakingly hand-stabbed rows of perforations with a push pin, which certainly worked, but was incredibly tedious, not to mention quite painful!

Along the lines of the stamp edge scissors, you can also buy a postage stamp craft punch (works like a giant hole punch, but punches a stamp-shaped hole).

What I usually do is make a faux perforation grid of dots in my PC's drawing program, then perforate using the perforating blade of my paper trimmer. I don't really like the slit-style perforations, but the dots mask them, so it's a reasonable solution. Hope that helps! :-)

[Rachel Fasig]

I hadn't thought of using my sewing machine. I know there's alot you can do with paper and a sewing machine...I just feel so leary with it all because I have a sewing/embroidery combo machine with computer, etc. I'll try your suggestion of the grid of dots in Photoshop Elements. Thanks! Rachel

[sharon kennick]

yesterday at office max i found self adhesive perforated paper developed specifically for printing (legitimate) usps postage on your computer. it is not prohibitively expensive, 8 sheets for about $23, printing 24 stamps per sheet. since it is pre-perforated, your stamp size will be set in stone. developed for printing legal postage, its use is not necessarily limited to that purpose. i will try it at some point but, for now, am continuing to print stamps on 34 lb. glossy presentation paper, cutting them out with stamp deckling scissors, and affixing them with a xyron adhesive tool.