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

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Dear Rachel, it ain't difficult. I can offer you 2 suggestions. 1. Either find a blank stamp format from Google (I can send you some if you like) and then add your own image to it. That way you get 'real' perforations; 2. Or, and this is far more satisfying...i) create a stamp-size image, ii) stick it on a bit of white paper, iii) glue the white paper to a coloured piece of paper (I use black), iv) use a pair of sewing/pinking scissors to create perforations on your black/coloured paper. And voilà, you have a stamp! Look at My Page on the IOUMA web-site and you'll see 4 examples of stamps I've created --all featuring me, but never mind. Good luck Regards, Val (Valentine Mark Herman)

[Sandra Skies Ludwig]

Hi, I am new here. Valentine Mark Herman, could you please send me the links from Google?

 

The way I've been making my artiststamps is in the Red Castle Postoid program, but it falls short in some ways. I have been printing from that program onto white sticker paper that I get at Staples. 

 

I have Photoshop Elements and old versions of both Page Maker and Publisher. I can't afford InDesign, so I'm thinking of getting Scribus for free. What I'd like to do is make a grid and be able to cut-and-paste my stamp designs, created in PSE, into each individual cell in the grid. That way I can have a whole sheet of same design stamps, or make different rows, or make them all different.

 

I am open to any and all advice! And really looking forward to "meeting" all of you!

 

Sandra

 

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Dear Rachel, I forgot the third way -- take an existing stamp, and stick your image over it. Dead simple, and why make life too difficult? Regards again, Val (Valentine Mark Herman)

[Carla Cryptic]

I make artistamps lots of different ways. For most purposes, I prefer to make them self-adhesive (like stickers) so that I can use them in my artwork without adding thickness using glues. For those, I purchase self-adhesive 'labels' which are 8 1/2 x 11 inches in either opaque or translucent forms. I create the stamps using any medium - photography, carved eraser stamps, collage, drawing, painting, whatever. Then I scan the artwork into PhotoShop, get rid of any changes in color the scanning process creates, resize and add text (if I want to) using InDesign (I used to use PageMaker). I print them out in sheets of how ever many will fit on the page using a color laser printer and then cut them out using either a paper cutter or hand cutting them with scissors or 'perforating' scissors. I keep them in 3 ring binders using trading card and slide holder pages (clear plastic) so that I have access to them when I'm putting together a collage or want to add them to letters or packages I am sending out.

When I want to make the kind of stamps one must moisten to attach to things, I use pre-gummed papers which aren't perforated. I do the cutting myself as in the above example. I have had to try a lot of different gummed papers to find ones which work for me and end up looking the way I want them to.

When I want to make pre-perforated stamps (I like to give myself the limitation of the size and/or color of the papers), I use all kinds of things. One of my favorites is old office file and address labels. I found a variety of sizes and colors of pre-perforated Oxford brand labels in a campus recycling bin years ago and still have tons left to play with. They are from the 70's and come in 5 or 6 different colors. I find lots of my best supplies in office supply stores, catalogs, and warehouse sales.

Last, but not least, I have used all kinds of tools to perforate stamp sheets at home (not all worked!). I have a paper cutter which has a perforating blade but although it makes the stamps come apart easily by tearing along the perforated line, there is no design like on old postage stamps. I found an antique perforating wheel for sewing which works but is super tedious to use. It has long, extremely sharp, tines and works better than any of the perforating wheels in modern sewing kits or stores.

With the pre-gummed papers and self-adhesive opaque labels, I don't just make stamps using the printer. I use my carved eraser stamps, felt pens, pen and ink, or colored pencils to work directly on the paper also.

[Poison Label Productions]

i perforate my stamps with a medical tool..
the pin wheel & a ruler work tres fab...

you can buy them on e-bay for cheap - but i just go to the Seattle Surgical Supply

[Peter Dowker]

The Olathe Post Company in Olathe Colorado sells pre perforated, pre gummed blank sheets in many different sizes, finishes and colors.

http://theolatheposte.com

or

http://wcp-nm.com

They'll also turn your artwork into artist stamp sheets if you like.

[Plush Possum Studio-Rose McGuinn]

we're new here too, and are ready to be informed! I myself made my first digitally generated artistamp only recently, but am now stumped as to how best to put it into paper form.

BTW, I've yearned to learn this process for about ten years now--ever since I first found out there were such things! So I'm very excited to try it out for the first time!

:)

Rose McG

[Dorin Cojocariu]

If by STAMPS you mean POSTMARKING DEVICES, that can be achieved, either as RUBBER STAMPS for fun, or even as MAILER POSTMARK PERMIT CANCELLERS valid for postage operations (you postmark your own first-class mail).

 

It's easy to create "cinderellas" that look more or less like a postage stamp - you make your own rules, if any.

 

If you want to create PERSONALIZED PHILATELIC STAMPS, valid for postage, then look at my creations.

 

For all of the above matters (except cinderellas - do whatever you want), please explore my websites: http://dorinco.webs.com and http://dorincard.blogspot.com

[Heather Wilkie (paganfrog)]

I just joined this group. I recently bought a set of 2 different die cutters that will cut out mini stamp sheets. Ive just created one mini set of artistamps that I will be scanning to set down multiple layouts on one print out that i will then be able to use my die cutter to cut them out for using and trading.

I look forward to having my artistamps seen by you all (even if they arent as good as many Ive seen)

[Summer Rountree]

Where did you get your die cutter? TIA

[Heather Wilkie (paganfrog)]

Hi Summer. the die cutter i got is a tim holtz die and its called postage dots. its a retired die now but it does sometimes pop up on that auction place which is how i got mine.

also i am aware that amazon.com sells a similar die if you search for - kaisercraft decorative - postage stamp set. you should be able to find it

 

[Summer Rountree]

I wonder if there’s a cut file for a Cricut machine???