rubber stamp vs. acrylic stamps

I have always used rubber stamps in the past, but see that clear acrylic stamps are much more reasonably priced, so I broke down and bought a few with the clear block, but they scare me just a little and have not used them yet. What has your experience been? Do you prefer the rubber versus acrylic and is there a trick to using the acrylic?

I personally prefer rubber because you don't need to be as careful with them, they don't discolor like the clear stamps can, and I think they give a better stamped image.

Have you tried cling-mount rubber stamps? That gives you the storage benefit and lower price, but still the better stamped image.

thanks for the info.

They are both different. I like rubber still, but I also really like acrylic.
There is a learning curve with acrylic. They are not the same material as rubber so you don't press as hard. Also, when you get a new acrylic stamp out that hasn't been stamped before, it's best to do a lot of practice stamps on some scrap cardstock.
This kind of takes the 'newness' from the stamp and conditions it for receiving ink.
One thing also is that you need to have something like a mousepad or a pad of paper under the paper you are going to stamp on with acrylic stamps. This will make a world of difference. A very thin piece of foam or mousepad from the dollar store is what I use. If you try and just stamp on a hard surface you'll not get a very clean stamp, smudging, spreading of ink, etc..
Also, each stamp manufacturer designs their stamps differently. Some stamps, like All NIght Media stamps I need to press harder than Basic Grey stamps to get the desired image.
They are just different animals... Kind of like the difference between chocolate ice cream and Rocky Road ice cream. They are both ice cream but are very different too.
I learn a lot also from the stamping forum http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/
You can find all sorts of tricks and tips on using acrylics.
One thing I really like about acrylic stamps is that I can distort the image on purpose if I want.. I have a border stamp that I often make into an "S" or arc it around a button, etc... something you can't do with rubber...

• GreenDragonLady Said:

I didnt realize there was a difference between "clear stamps" and "cling mount rubber stamps"? Could you tell me the difference, or am I missing something obvious? lol Thanks!

• flightgirl Said:

cling mount rubber stamps are rubber stamps mounted on cling backing so you can use them on acrylic blocks. I have several of these and really like them especially when you want the detail of rubber but the ease of acrylic

Oh my, yes I was missing the point totally! lol I completely missed the word "rubber" and I typed it out! Must be to early for me yet!

Thanks for opening my eyes Kitty!

I used the wood mounted stamps when I first started and now I'm completely switched over to acrylic...why??? Storage, storage, storage! You also get a price cut, once you buy a few sizes of the Acrylic blocks you are set! Yes, you do have to learn to stamp a bit differently. One hint is to buy some of the larger size craft foam mats and use that under what you are stamping. Due to acrylics not having the foam cushion, this gives you that effect. You do not need to press down on the ink pad as hard and watch for any ink that gets on the acrylic block and just wipe with a baby wipe. Some images that are long and skinny can be curved on the acrylic block which is pretty nice. It just takes practice and less space to store them all!!!

j wilson, that's why cling mount (or unmounted) rubber are the best of both worlds! You get the storage benefit and price reduction, but still the better stamping of rubber. And you can use pretty much any ink out there on rubber stamps.

great info...thank you ladies!

• GreenDragonLady Said:

Exactly! I LOVE my cling-mount stamps! Wooden-handle stamps take up way too much space for me. The cling-mount ones are so much easier to store and to keep clean. I get a good stamped image every time. I never have good luck with clear stamps. They just don't work for me and I have a hard time keeping them clean.

I am currently in the process of unmounting my rubber stamps using the following technique: http://www.stampsomefun.com/2010/02/my-entry.html#comments

This way, I can still use my favorites, see exactly where I'm stamping the image AND store them in a binder (MUCH less space!)

I like the cling-mount rubber stamps better than acrylics, but only because I sometimes forget to get out my mousepad to use under the cardstock at first. Once you get in the habit of using it, you're good. I LOVE seeing exactly where my image is being stamped

Had to add in a note that not all Clear Stamps are the same. When I first started stamping I picked up a few different brands of Acrylic since it was less space then the wooden block rubber and noticed there is a clear difference between companies. My favorite clear stamp makers would have to be Hero Arts because they use some kind of high grade Polymer stuff. They feel weird when you touch them, noticeably stiff actually and when you stamp with them they tend not to bunch or shift like the softer acrylic. These still discolor but if your not a stickler for that kind of thing then it doesn't matter much.

Cling-mounts are awesome, I love mine but I've also learned to love wooden block ones too. All types of stamps have their place, pro's and con's but I'll still buy all 3 types because sometimes I just want to hold the wooden blocks other times acrylic blocks. Just what tickles my fancy on any particular day.

MsShyOne, I've never heard about the mouse pad, I'll have to give it a try.

I know this is an older post, but I just happened to come across it today...
I'm new at the whole stamping thing and was also wondering what the differences were between rubber and acrylic stamps. I found a really good little article that just breaks it down into a pros/cons/side-by-side comparison.
I found that it answered all my questions, so I thought I'd share! Here ya go --> http://www.how-to-make-greeting-cards-rock.com/rubber-stamps.html