Clearly Fabulous, Part 2: Side-by-Side Stamp Comparison

In part one of “Clearly Fabulous” I extolled the wonder I have recently discovered in creating with clear acrylic stamps. For part two of this entry, I decided to present a slightly more scientific analysis comparing the usability of several different kinds of stamps. Presenting…the Inside Scrapbooking Stamp Comparison Test!

For the first test, I made impressions with different kinds of stamps without cleaning the edges of the stamps like I normally would with many of them to prevent overstamp. These were the resulting images:

I used the Making Memories Magnetic stamp set, acrylic stamps by Technique Tuesday, wood block mounted rubber stamps by various companies, and an alphabet mounted on the long skinny wood blocks. All of them except the acrylic stamps resulted in varying amounts of overstamp on at least some of the images, meaning that to guarantee a clean image the user would need to clean the stamp edges before making an impression.

In a second test I timed the use of the stamps, from start until they were returned clean to their storage package. This included mounting the magnetic and acrylic stamps, inking, cleaning the edges of stamps that required it, making an impression, cleaning the stamp, and returning it to it’s case. The same words were stamped with all three types of stamps (magnetic mount, acrylic, and wood block) to make the test as equal as possible. Surprisingly there was not much time difference in the results, as seen in the graphic below:

After concluding these tests, I have to say that I was not surprised at most of the results. With regards to the timed test, positioning the letters accurately takes time no matter what type of stamp you are using, so minor differences in techniques like whether or not the stamp edge needs to be cleaned does not result in a major difference in the amount of time to stamping takes. For me, where the acrylics really show their advantage is on the first test, the overstamp test. The fact that acrylics will provide a reliably clean impression even without the block edges being cleaned gives me the confidence to stamp directly onto a background piece that I am working on without fear of ruining it with a bad impression. Until now, concern about overstamp if I haven’t gotten the block completely clean on other types of stamps has taken many design options off the table (or layout) for me because I have been afraid to ruin something that I have been working hard on with one single press of a stamp that couldn’t be undone.

But now, thanks to the new confidence instilled by my acrylics, I am free to stamp anywhere I want on my layouts! The design options are endless…and inspiring. I hope to share some of them with you all in the near future. In the meantime, I hope that you all will join me in the world of acrylics, the home of the free where you don’t have to be brave.