Get to Know Various Kinds of Stamps and Stamping Tools

ByJill Lipscomb April 5, 2018July 4, 2024

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Let’s get to know various kinds of stamps and stamping tools! The heart of any card is the stamped image. It could be the sentiment or a huge, beautiful flower. Ink brings the image to life. Paper is the base for the card. But the stamp itself is the very heart of the card. Stamps come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. There are even wooden stamps for printmaking, but we want to talk about card-making!

This is my very first card about 10 years ago. That card could have been for anything at all but the sentiment stamp made it a birthday card. I only had a handful of wood-mounted stamps and didn’t know anything about stamping. I didn’t know there were different kinds of stamps out there. Now I do and I’m sharing what I’ve learned with you!

Kinds of stamps

Photopolymer/Clear Stamps

Clear, so you can see exactly where the stamped image will be on the paper
Less expensive than wood-mounted stamps but about the same price as cling stamps
Stamped images are crisp and clear BUT are not as detailed as rubber stamps
Can be used with a variety of inks
Quality stamps WILL stain
Used with acrylic blocks or stamp positioning tools

Click here to see lots of different brands of clear, photopolymer stamps.

Cling Stamps

Red, gray, purple, or teal rubber stamp mounted on a foam pad with a smooth, slightly sticky backing surface
Used with acrylic blocks or stamp positioning tools
Can be used with a variety of inks
Deeply etched images for detailed, crisp, clean images
Cannot see exactly where you are stamping on the paper

Click here to see lots of different brands of cling rubber stamps.

Wood Mounted Stamps

Red rubber stamps mounted on a foam pad with strong adhesive mounted on a wooden block
Can be used with a variety of inks
Deeply etched images on the rubber stamp
Very detailed images that includes shadows and fine lines
Unable to see exactly where the stamped image will be on the paper

Click here to see lots of brands of wood-mounted rubber stamps.

Various Kinds of Stamps - Wood Mounted Stamp

Stamping Tools

Acrylic block

Used with photopolymer/clear and cling stamps
Blocks are clear and sometimes have grid lines to align stamps
Come in many shapes and sizes
Quality acrylic blocks have finger holds

Stamp Tools – Stamp Positioners

I am including these in with stamps because they are used with clear and cling stamps. Stamp positioning tools have been around for more than a few years. None of the tools were easy to use, didn’t allow for consistent results, or repeated stamping until a hinged design was created by a company called My Sweet Petunia. They created the MISTI (Most Incredible Stamping Tool Invented).

Since the creation of the first MISTI there are many different designs on the market now. Some are hinged and some aren’t. Here are a few different kinds…

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