How to make a Custom Image Stamp & Turn a Drawing into a Stamp

I'm just doing this quick screen share video, because there are a few new Guild Members, that have been having problems making Custom Image Stamps and personalised name stamps, for the Artwork Jewellery and Handprint Jewellery,  so I am trying to share my screen to provide you with a few tips on how to make a stamp at home easy!

So, If you are finding this part of the Artwork Jewelllery Training and Handprint Jewellery Training problematic, I hope that this rubber stamp making tutorial wiill be helpful to you in perfecting how to make detailed stamps and turn drawings into stamps.

Ok, let's get started on how to make clear, detailed custom stamps with your DIY Rubber Stamp Kit. 

During this video, we will be focusing on Stamp preparation and the most common problems that people experience when trying to make detailed stamps for printing, to create  Artwork Jewellery, Handprint Jewellery and Paw Print Jewellery. 

First of all, as a Craft Ecademy Course Student and member of The Keepsake Guild, I just want to direct you to some valuable Training Resources, which you'll find in your Craft Ecademy Training Account, alongside your Silver Clay Jewellery e-courses.  Log into your Craft Ecademy Account and you'll see, under the course material section, all of the course specific files, and e-courses that you've purchased.   You will see all of your general files in here, with your Business Start-up Manuals and Marketing Guides etc and all of your Course specific files, relating to the e-courses that you've purchased.

If you have purchased the Online Artwork Jewellery Course and Handprint Jewellery Course, you'll see all of your Course resources located here.   But, the first resource that I'd like to direct you to, is this one called Stamp Maker Instructions. If, you are having difficulties making detailed stamps, print out this document and follow the instructions to the letter. The reason for this, is because when I originally filmed the Artwork Jewellery and Handprint Jewellery Course, the Polymer Stamp Maker Kit, was brand new, previously we had made stamps using the old Imagepac Daylight /Justrite System, so I filmed the Artwork Jewellery and Handprint Jewellery ecoures,  following the new Photo Polymer Stamp Maker Kit's original manufacturers original instructions and timings.  However, as the Stamp Maker Kit was not designed specifically for making stamps for Jewellery Making, but more for printing and card making, I discovered that I got better results, using my own revised timings.  

Over the years, I have revised the timings to make detailed, custom image stamps for producing Artwork Jewellery and Handprint Jewellery. The steps, process and timings that I have outlined within my Training Courses and accompanying Training Documents, illustrate the exact times and process that I now follow to make extremely detailed custom image stamps. So, please be sure to log into your Craft Ecademy Training Portal, to print off the documents that I refer to in this video and follow this exact process and timings to the letter.

How to make Clear Detailed Custom Image Stamps

If you are having difficulty making your Custom Image Stamps and Personalised Name Stams, the most common problem is that your Artwork Negatives are not black enough, or they are letting light through. Depending upon the size of the Photo Polymer Gel Sachet that you are using (the Polymer Stamp Maker Kit, includes a couple of different sizes,)  it is possible that light may be showing through, which will affect the quality of your Custom Image Stamp. So, it's really important that you use the little black template that comes within the Polymer Smap Maker Kit, to stop light showing through at the Stamp Making Stage. If you lose the black template, you can create your own one by cutting out the appropriate sized template, using a piece of black card.  The purpose of this this is to lay the template over the smaller Photo Polymer Gel Sachet, to prevent light coming through the outside.  This is really important, because if, even the tiniest amount of light comes through, you will not be able to make clear detailed stamps, necessary for making Handprint Jewellery and Artwork Jewellery.

So, the first thing that I need to say to you, is make sure no light is coming through and make sure that you use the black template, provided in the Polymer Stamp Maker Kit If you're using the smaller Photo Polymer Gel Sachets. Then, once you have laid your Artwork Negative, reading side up (black side up) and you've used the little template, to block out excess light (if you're using the smaller Photo Polymer Gel Sachet) you then need to place your Photo Polymer Gel Sachet on top of your negative.  Make sure that you lay it with the writing side up, also. Then place the magnetic clamp on top, and smooth out the Photo Polymer Gel Sachet from the centre, to desperse the gel evenly within the magnetic clamp.

Next, Slide the Magnetic Clamp into the UV light Box, (with the Gel Sachet on top) for three seconds only (and no more) before flipping the clamp over and putting it back under the UV light for four minutes. This time however, you'll have the negative on top and the Gel Sachet at the bottom.  Leave it under the UV light for four minutes (and no longer). Then, open the clamp and cut around the edge of the sachet, just inside the seal, before peeling off and discarding the loose sheet of plastic.  Quickly wash out the stamp, with warm soapy water. Make sure that you work quickly, before the gel begins to harden, otherwise you will be left with a solid stamp. Rinse and repeat until there is no gel liquid left, then lay the Photo Polymer sachet in a tray of water and put back under the UV light for at least a further 4 minutes.   

So, long as your Artwork is black enough, you have no light coming through  and you have followed all of my other instructions, as demonstrated on my Artwork Jewellery Course and Handprint Jewellery Course on how to make a stamp in word and on desktop publishing tools, such as Photoshop, Paintnet or Gimp, you should now be confident with how to turn drawings into stamps and how to make detailed stamps. However, if you are still having problems making detailed custom image stamps, I would like to guide you to a few troubleshooting instructions, which you will find located within the course materials section, of your Craft Ecademy Training Account.  

I have put together this Stamp Making Trouble Shooting Document, to outline the most common stamp making errors and how to avoid them. 

Please see below a few of the most common Stamp Making Issues below: 

Why is my Stamp Template Solid?

If your stamp is solid, this can be for one of a couple of reasons, as follows:

1. Your Artwork is not black enough and is letting light through during the stamp making process, or..
2. Your Artwork is smaller than the Photo Polymer Sachet and light is getting around it's edges and filling in your stamp. 
3. You positioned your Artwork, upside down, at the bottom of the magnetic clamp. It needs to be placed in the recess of the clamp, reading side up, with the Photo Polymer Sachet then placed on top, as per the UV Stamp Maker instructions, which are located within the course materials section of your Craft Ecademy Training Account. 

 Recommendations:

1. Make a Stamp with one of the test negatives, provided in the Polymer Stamp Maker Kit, using the exact same process and timings, as shown in the Training Document, titled 'UV Stamp Maker Instructions', located within your Craft Ecademy Training Account, to see what a good, detailed stamp should look like.  These negatives are guaranteed to be black, therefore, if the test stamp comes out ok, then we know there is an issue with your artwork and not the timings, or any other part of the process you are using. 

How to make Stamps for Printing?

For your own Artwork, I suggest, the following:

• Make sure you have adjusted the brightness/contrast in your Desk Top Publisher, after you invert the image to check that the black is solid black and not grey.  Equally, the white must be bright white and not grey.
• Use the recommended HP Envy Printer
• Adjust the print settings on your ink jet printer, as follows:  a) Print in Normal (not fast-draft).  b) Print in black ink only (not greyscale or colour).  c) If possible, increse the ink volume or density to full.  d) Change paper settings to photo matte or transparency.  e) Print on the coated side of the film (the side that sticks to your finger).  f) Make sure that your Artwork has a wide black border, roughly 1/2 inch that fully surrounds the Photo Polymer Gel Sachet.  g) Check you have assembled the clamp with the artwork in the recess (reading side up) with the Photo Polymer sachet on top, as demonstrated on the Artwork Jewellery Course and Handprint Jewellery Course. h)  Remember:  Black stops light, clear lets light through to harden the gel.  Therefore, if your sachet gel is hard or you can't clean it out, it means that either your artwork is not black enough, or somehow light is coming through.  I) If you are using one of the small Photo Polymer Gel Sachets, make sure that you use the black template, provided in the Polymer Stamp Making kit, to block out and stop any light coming through from around the edge of the design. J)  Check that you didn't leave your Photo Polymer Sachet's in sunlight as they are light sensitive and will harden as soon as they are exposed to light.  k) Wash out the Photo Polymer Gel Sachet immediately after exposing it, in warm soapy water. Be sure to clean out all of the gel, with a soft brush before it hardens.

Important note:  Warm up the bulbs of the Photo Polymer Stamp Maker Kit for 1 minute before staring the 1st exposure. 

Why is my Stamp Sticky?

1. You need to leave it under the UV light, submerged in water for a little longer.  Place it back, in a tray of water, under the light for a further 2 minutes.  Ideally leave it until it changes colour from pink to translucent. 

 **  IF YOU CAN'T ADJUST YOUR INK JET PRINTER TO INCREASE THE INK DENSITY AND YOU CAN'T GET YOUR ARTWORK BLACK ENOUGH, I RECOMMEND THAT YOU PRINT YOUR ARTWORK OUT TWICE AND OVERYLAY IT.  THIS SHOULD THEN GIVE YOU NICE SOLID ARTWORK.  HOWEVER, MAKE SURE THAT YOU LINE IT UP PRECISELY TO ENSURE THAT THE IMAGES ARE FULLY ALIGNED TO ENABLE YOU TO MAKE HIGH QUALITY DETAILED STAMPS. 

If you would like extra help on Stamp preparation, in terms of how to make stamps on a computer,  in word, photoshop or similar desk-top publishers, please follow the links below to additional resources. 

> How to make a Stamp in Word

> How to make a Stamp in Photoshop or similar Desk Top Publisher