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I am trying to get the hang of stamping. For some reason, I cannot get a "good" stamped image. It's dark and then other areas looks faint, and on some areas it looks like I have too much ink. Example, I using a ladybug stamp from Judith, black pigment ink from Inkadinkadoo (I believe that's right). I have stamped the stamp on top the pad, tapped the pad on the stamp, stamped on a foam sheet, stood up and heldthe stamp down-nothing seems to be working. Maybe I'm not meant to stamp. Thanks for any help.
So in my frustration I had to take a break and ended up here.
If this is a new stamp, you might need to clean it to remove residue from the manufacturing process. If you have stamp cleaner, that should do it. Or a mild detergent will work. If this is a rubber stamp, you can "sand" the stamp using very fine sand paper, a nail file or even tear off part of a brown paper bag and use that to lightly sand the surface of the stamp. If you're using a clear stamp, rub it with an eraser to remove any residue that might be there, then wipe it with a clean cloth to remove the eraser residue.
Another possibility might be your ink. I've never used Inkadinkadoo inks, but I'm not sure if this ink gives the coverage on the stamp that you need. My favorite black pigment ink is Versacolor by Tsukineko; my favorite dye-based inks are Ranger Archival Jet Black and Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black.
You also might try stamping on top of a phone book or magazine - these surfaces are firmer than the foam sheet and will give you a better image. However, there is a foam sheet that's made specifically for using as a stamping surface - it's firmer and denser than fun foam; it's made by Darice, is a burgundy color and is approx 12" X 18".
Hope these suggestions help! We all started somewhere, so don't give up! And welcome to Splitcoast!
__________________ Linda E
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Last edited by uncbballfan; 04-09-2011 at 09:36 PM..
Reason: add'l info
Yes, I wanted to say too, Don't give up...It could be the stamp...I'm sure others will be along to give you some good advice like Linda did above. Keep working at it...
Stamping can really be fun...(Of course, I'm addicted...so I'm not sure how unbiased I am LOL) But everyone has to start somewhere...hang in there.
__________________ Jill
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Several other things not metioned yet can affect image quality.
If you're using a cheap cardstock, your results will not be as good as if you used quality cardstock. (Ask me how I know this!) Most of the cheap stuff at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and JoAnn's just doesn't take ink well. StampinUp, A Muse, Papertrey Ink, Mark's Finest Papers, Hero Arts, Gina K, and others will give you much better images.
Your ink pad may not be juicy enough. Sometimes, even brand new ink pads need reinking, perhaps because they sit on the shelf in the store too long. If repeated tapping on the pad doesn't give excellent coverage of the stamp, this may be the problem. Pigment inks are usually really thick, so I find that unless the pad is super juicy, it can take 10-20 taps to get good coverage.
If you're using a RUBBER stamp that is really big, stand on it. I keep a foot-square piece of smooth-one-side plywood on my floor to place my paper on. Then I put the stamp down carefully and STAND on it. I don't recommend this for clear stamps, LOL!, but it works a treat on wood-mounted rubber.
I highly recommend the Darice stamp pad mentioned by Linda. I wouldn't stamp without mine. It's just the right firmness.
Hang in there. This hobby can be frustrating at first, but it's well worth sticking with. In case you hadn't guessed, all of us here at SCS are pretty much obsessed!
Probably not a popular idea But when I'm having trouble getting a well inked image, I rub the stamp across the pad surface using a back and forth motion. Because this could leave lines on the stamped image, I then tap the stamp two or three times on the ink pad.
If you're using a large stamp, turn it upside down (rubber side up) and rub/tap ink pad onto the stamp.
Always look at the stamp to ensure ink is on all design surfaces before stamping too.
Probably not a popular idea But when I'm having trouble getting a well inked image, I rub the stamp across the pad surface using a back and forth motion. Because this could leave lines on the stamped image, I then tap the stamp two or three times on the ink pad.
If you're using a large stamp, turn it upside down (rubber side up) and rub/tap ink pad onto the stamp.
Always look at the stamp to ensure ink is on all design surfaces before stamping too.
This is what I do too. I also use mostly SU paper. Stampin' Up Whisper White and Very Vanilla have a very smooth finish for stamping detailed images.
I tried differant stamps, the ones with a large area didn't have a lot of color, it looked faint. Yet on the one part it looked like I had too much ink, kinda like it feathered out. StazOn and the dye ink did the best image. But I had wanted to emboss, so I need to stick with the pigment ink to do that. I tried versamark and black EP, but the image didn't come out "uniform" I'm going to just go to my LSS and buy a pigment ink pad there to see if that helps. Oh and some paper. I am using cardstock from wal mart.
I hated stamping....would go out of my way to avoid stamping. My images were never even, I always got ink on the edges of the rubber and this transferred to my paper, I got my wood covered in ink and...I hated that! This is why I got into digital stamps!
Then...I took a Thomas Kincaid class and Lisa Strahl changed my world. Now I love to stamp! I place my stamp rubber side up...take my ink pad and gently "smoosh" it around on the image making sure to get it all coated. Then I take my ink pad and gently tap across the image. This ensures that the stamp is evenly coated. I then gently press the image onto my paper...standing to stamp really makes it much easier. One doesn't need to press really, really hard...just firmly. One also does not need to rush out and buy a foam piece if one does not have one...a small stack of photocopy paper works just as well.
Give it a few tries on scrap paper and I find it doesn't matter what paper I am stamping on...I get a good image (I use Momento Tuxedo black).
Cathy
__________________ I stand alone without beliefs...the only truth I know is you
I do not use cardstock from WalMart when I stamp an image for the front of my cards. I do not get good results with that brand. However, WM CS comes in handy if I need to use white CS to layer and need it for a mat since the majority is going to get covered up anyway (most economical). Also, I do sometimes use the WM CS for the inside of my blank cards if the base is a darker color.
I guess I've been fortunate. I've never had trouble with WM cardstock. It's always worked well for me. I just got some cardstock from Office Depot and hoping it will work well, as I haven't had a chance to use it yet.
I've had more problems with the stamps themselves and some inks. Some of the cheaper stamps I bought at the dollar store did not give me a good image. Sometimes, the rubber was'nt a consistent thickness, and gave me a badly stamped image.
Also, with large background stamps, a friend showed me that if you ink up the stamp, lay the stamp image side up and carefully lay the paper on top, then gently rub the paper, you can get a better image that way. I've had a few dud inkpads also. Some were too dry to start with, or dried out quickly. Others just weren't that good of an ink. This has all made me a little pickier about what I will buy, when I do decide to buy something. I've been using the digi stamps also. Love those too!
One of the best tips I ever heard for stamping is to hold the stamp down on the cardstock for a few seconds before lifting. It doesn't sound like much but I guess I lot of people just barely touch the paper and lift the stamp back up way too fast. Leaving it pressed down for a few moments actually lets more ink be drawn down with gravity. HTH
__________________ Lyssa Griffin Zwolanek, Gold EliteSong of My Heart Stampers14-time incentive trip earner
I finally got success! I went to my LSS and they were very nice and helpful. My inkpad wasn't wet enough. Which is dissappointing because I just bought it. I ended up getting a versafine pad, and using the WM cardstock.
I finally got success! I went to my LSS and they were very nice and helpful. My inkpad wasn't wet enough. Which is dissappointing because I just bought it. I ended up getting a versafine pad, and using the WM cardstock.
Great! I'm glad it worked out for you! I love VersaFine, especially if I need a really good, dark image. It's the best for really detailed images, too. For water coloring and using Prismapencils, I generally prefer using Ancient Page coal as it won't bleed and it also holds up to solvents and bleach.
And, for the most part, I use either Neenah or the WalMart c/s to stamp on. For me, a clear, dark image is most important and the #1 secret is a well inked (not soaked) ink pad. Second is the surface. Some images do better when stamped on a firm surface, others do better when a firm piece of foam is underneath. With new images, I always test on scrap first to see how they're going to act.
So glad this thread was started! I have been having problems getting a good image with some very finely detailed stamps, which really bummed me out because the stamps are beautiful! I will try some of the suggestions listed here. Thanks!
I had several stamps that I could never get a good image from and then started using Versafine and they turned out perfect. I now have every color Versafine and love them all!
Versafine is wonderful for very detailed stamps...however, using Copic markers with it will cause it to bleed. You will have to heat set it first and then be very careful.
Cathy
__________________ I stand alone without beliefs...the only truth I know is you
So glad you got it to work. Nothing is more frustrating when stamping than not being able to get a great image. It still happens after stamping for years. Along the way, you'll learn all the tricks and be able to quickly solve it. Happy stamping!!
Some help please
