Tips for good stamping

Peeps,

         Thanks for your support and encouragement on my previous posts on Must Knows of Ink pads and Must Knows of stamps.As promised, I am back with tips for good stamping.

I again have a feeling of writing school essay :)These are the things to consider, before you start your stamping.

Inks
       Make sure you select the best inks , based on your stamping needs and inks properties.

• You are free to use any good quality ink with Photopolymer stamps.
• Keep in mind that the Silicon/Acrylic stamps repel water based inks and it is best to use Pigment or Archival ink with them.
• Dye inks fade over long time.That is why they are not recommended for scrapbooking. Archival inks should be your choice for scrapbooking

Paper
    There are different varieties in papers based on thickness, texture, absorbency..etc.

•  Papers with more than 180 gsm is suitable for stamping. And those over 240 gsm- 300 gsm for watercoloring. 
• Always use papers with a little or no texture for stamping
• Most of the papers absorb dye ink.Thats is why they fade.Those papers with less absorbency will keep the color intact.
• Glossy cardstocks have less absorbency and requires heat setting.

I recommend using Fabriano Elle Erre for stamping and Fabriano Brusto for watercoloring.

Blocks
        Sometimes your stamped images looks crooked. There are some tools like stamp-a-magic for this purpose. But if u cannot own them, our hands and eyes are our best tools right?

• Set your stamps straight on the acrylic block, with equal spacing on all 4 sides.
• Acrylic blocks with grid lines help in aligning the stamps easily.
• Hold the acrylic block on all 4 ends firmly while stamping.
• Press the block on paper and take off.Do not shake or move

Stamping Surface
       Stamping surface also matters, to get that perfect impression you need.

•       Always stamp on a flat surface.
•       Some prefer to stamp on the craft table.But it is always good to use a stamping pad below the paper you stamp on.It acts as a cushion and absorbs excess pressure, you apply.
•        If you do not have stamping pad, no problem. You can substitute with thick mouse pad or embossing pad

Pressure

         Finally, Of all things, this is the step , taken most lineantly.

• Different stamps require different pressures. 
• As it is difficult to measure pressure for each stamping, it is to be gained by experience only.That is why, if u get used to one type of stamp, you feel at ease with them, than others.
• Stamp on a scrap paper for 2 or 3 times, before you do your original stamping. This helps in getting used to the right amount of pressure for that stamp.
• Also, it depends on the designs. Solid designs require more pressure and thin designs require much less pressure.

Hope I have covered all the items for getting a good stamped impressions. If you have any doubts, please feel free to ask me.

Thanks for reading my post the past 3 days.Would love to hear from you!

-Priya