Clear Stamps?! Rubber Stamps!? How do I choose?!

Many of you have asked us what the differences are between standard rubber stamps and clear acrylic block stamps. Here we have printed three different stamps, one as a clear stamp and one as a rubber stamp, to compare how each prints! 

Wedding Favor Stamp

We took one of our newest designs for wedding favors, and stamped on card stock using our Versafine Black ink. 

Our findings:

• The clear stamp was much easier to line up straight onto the card stock. The rubber stamp can be a little more difficult to align.
• The clear stamp left a bolder, darker print than the rubber stamp.
• The rubber stamp makes a slightly clearer imprint than the clear stamp.
• Clean up was the same for both stamps. But, the ink stained the clear stamp very easily. The ink stained the wood block on the rubber stamp, but not the rubber itself. 

Here is a close-up of the prints from both the clear stamp and the rubber stamp, side by side! Which do you like better?

Clear Stamp                                                                                  Rubber Stamp

Oversized Thank You Stamp

We conducted the same experiment on this Oversized Thank You stamp, as with the Wedding Favor Stamp.

Our Findings:

• The clear stamp was much easier to line up straight onto the card stock. The rubber stamp can be more difficult to align.
• The clear stamp left a bolder print, a dark black without any flecks of paper showing through. 
• Clean up was the same for both stamps. The ink stained the clear stamp very easily. And, the ink stained the wood block on the rubber stamp, but not the rubber itself.
• We used a lot less ink on the clear stamp, but it left a stronger print. 

Which close-up looks like a better stamp print to you? 

Clear Stamp                                                                               Rubber Stamp

Wedding Invitation Stamp

Lastly, we wanted to see if the clear stamp and rubber stamp looked different with a wedding invitation! We thought this process would be a little different on a much larger stamp. We performed the same experiment as with the other smaller stamps. 

Our Findings:

• The clear stamp was incredibly easy to line up straight onto the card stock. The rubber stamp can be a little more difficult to align.
• Clean up was the same for both stamps. But, the ink stained the clear stamp very easily. The ink stained the wood block on the rubber stamp, but not the rubber itself.
• The difference is so noticeable! The clear stamp makes a much thicker print, giving it a bolder look.  The rubber imprint still has more clarity.
• We think you could use either the clear or rubber stamp! Both are perfect for wedding invites, it completely depends on the look you're going for! 

We're loving the clear stamp print in these photos, how about you?

Clear Stamp                                                                                                                Rubber Stamp

Some general notes to keep in mind on clear stamps versus rubber stamps:

• Clear stamps will deteriorate more quickly over time.  
• Clear stamps must be stored a little more carefully as exposure to light and extreme temperatures will cause them to become brittle.  
• You'll want to take care with some inks - Stazon solvent inks will stain your clear stamps fairly badly and ColorBox Chalk Inks can make your clear stamps cloudy.  
• Large rubber stamps with large wood mounts can be susceptible to humidity.  In extreme cases, they can even warp.  
• Cleaning clear stamps can be a bit easier, as you can separate the stamp from the mount and an acrylic mount will never get water logged.  If your clear stamps lose their stickiness, you can wash them with a mild detergent and they should be ready to cling to their acrylic mounts again!
• Combining elements can be easier with clear stamps as you can position several clear stamps on one mount and stamp them together.

We hope that this experiment has helped you decide which type of stamp to purchase for your upcoming projects! We love having fun with stamps, trying new ways to stamp, and experimenting for you! 

Show us your experiments on Instagram with #papersushi, or on our Facebook. 

- Emily