Stamping tool

A stamping tool uses the same concept as a letterpress (that was invented mid-15th century) where letters are added to a plate and a hinge moves the plate up and down, allowing multiple copies of the same print.

Since clear stamps became the standard, as opposed to rubber stamps mounted on wood blocks, a stamping tool based on the letterpress came to the craft world.
This tool has a base side (where you put your paper) and a lid (that holds your clear or cling stamp). Since the lid is connected to the base with hinges, closing the tool will always result in the stamp touching the paper in the exact same location. This allows for better stamping results and fun techniques.

Features

There are a number of variations on stamping tools available, each with their own combination of features. Depending on what you want to use yours for, you might want to compare these features:

• sides - open vs. closed: open sides (often two out of the four sides) allow for bigger pieces of paper to be stamped or techniques where the paper is being moved around to create a pattern.
• magnetic: if you choose a stamping tool with a magnetic platform, you can use magnets to hold down your projects
• foam layer for a better impression: if the tool allows for the thickness, adding a layer of craft foam can give a better impression as opposed to stamping onto a hard plastic surface
• deep enough: if there is not enough room between the lid and the base, stamps will be squeezed (which gives thicker lines and a messier look) and might prevent the stamps that are on the far end of the lid to not touch the paper sufficiently to give a good impression
• a hard edge: if you have a full edge (as opposed to pegs or pins) you can place any shape of paper in the corner of your tool more easily
• rulers on the side/edges and/or on the base itself: these are handy for repeat stamping where you want to move up your paper the same amount every impression. If you don't have rulers, a piece of paper with a printed grid will give the same result.
• reversible lid: some tools have a reversible lid where one side is used for regular clear stamps, while the other is used for cling stamps (which are thicker). If you use both types of stamps, this might be a benefit although the fact that the lid is removable might make it move less easy than a fixed hinge system.
• hinges vs. removable lid: some tools have pegs that work with a lid you need to lift up and place back over the pegs instead of using a hinge system. This means you can use the lid for stamping in a repeat pattern focused around the center. If you buy multiple lids, you can have them each holding a different stamp, which is ideal for layering stamps.

Brands

• MISTI by My Sweet Petunia (closed sides with rulers, magnetic, foam layer, hinges). The MISTI is available in three sizes.
• Precision Press Advanced by We R Memory Keepers (open 'peg' sides, removable lid, foam layer, no depth issues because it doesn't have hinges, no rulers on the sides, etched grid in the stamping base)
• Tim Holtz Stamp Platform by Tonic Studios (open edges with rulers, reversible lid for clear and cling stamps). The Tim Holtz Stamp Platform is available in two sizes.
• Stamping Buddy Pro by Nellie's Choice (Nellie Snellen) or Press to Impress Stamping Platform by Crafts Too (open (aside from one 'block' in the opposite corner) edges with rulers, magnetic, foam layer, hinges).

Extra tools

• MISTI creative corners are magnetic plastic bits that help you position your paper in a different spot than in the corner. They also help to align your stamps at a diagonal or straight onto your paper.
• A grid printed on acetate/transparency sheet to help you line up stamps straight onto your paper.
• Acetate or a transparency sheet to help release the stamps from your fingers. Photopolymer stamps can be sticky, so placing the stamp down on a piece of acetate or a transparency sheet might help them let go of your skin more easily. They'll also keep their shape better this way (which helps when you're trying to align a stamp to match a banner or specific curve).

Tips

• Put a bit of duct tape (or another type of tape) around your magnets when using a magnetic tool. This will make them easier to pick up and might prevent them from breaking if they snap together.
• Create a "flap" onto your lid with duct tape (or another type of tape) to easily open and close your tool
• Laminate a grid sheet so you always stamp straight and at the same time can stamp on a surface that's easy to clean.
• Use a low tack sheet in your tool to hold down your paper as opposed to magnets. This could be Sizzix Sticky Grid Sheets, a cutting mat that's sold for plotters (Brother Scan 'n Cut, Cricut Maker, Silhouette Cameo …), a piece of cardstock or stencil material/acetate you've treated with a temporary adhesive (Pixie spray, ZIG glue, Nuvo glue …)
• Use something soft/slick to help you apply pressure to your lid evenly: your sleeve, a cloth, a sweatband you wear on your wrist, a heavy item with felt under it, a dry marker eraser …
• Keep in mind not all clear stamps have the same thickness. Filling your tool up with a bunch of stamps from different brands or sets might cause some of them not to stamp because they're a tiny bit thinner than the rest.
• The corner of your stamping tool (if it has straight sides) is that you can use it to line up two pieces of paper of the same size to glue them together. Simply lie down the first layer and push the second layer in the same corner.

Benefits and techniques

Stamping with a stamping tool gives you several benefits:

• repeat stamping: re-stamp your image in the exact same spot. This is useful for:
  • re-stamping if your image didn't come out perfectly (not enough ink, structured surface …)
  • making your impression darker (if you're stamping with a dye ink) or lighter if you do a "second generation" stamp where you first stamp your image on a scrap piece of paper so there's less ink left on the stamp
  • changing the color of your image by overlapping two (dye) inks: gray over any color to make it a bit darker, stamping in pink over a yellow image to make it into a soft orange color, white pigment ink to make it lighter …
  • stamping one image in multiple colors to give a gradient effect: fade out the hard edges of the ink pad with a cloth or blending tool, then stamp different parts of your image in different colors
  • for images with fine details it's better if you apply ink lightly and stamp a few times. Adding too much ink from the start might make the image lose its details
• moving your paper to space out your images or words evenly: create a fun background, create sentiment strips faster, make a border of repeated images …
• stamp the same image multiple times in the same spot to make multiple cards of the same design (mass-producing)
• ideal for the use of layering stamps
• stamp your image perfectly placed onto a die-cut shape
• using turnabout stamps
• mirror stamping
• using the Ranger Lift ink
• double-check the placement of rubber or cling stamps by using a sheet of acetate or a transparency sheet that you lay over your paper. After every impression of the stamp, you can clean off your sheet and reposition your stamp if needed. Once the stamp is in the right place, remove the acetate and stamp directly onto your paper.
• stamping multiple images at the same time (to either fill up a background or to simply make your stamping go faster). Keep in mind that not all stamp sets are created equally thick, so you might notice some images don't stamp if they're not all coming from the same set.
• positioning cling background stamps onto your paper
• stamping a repeat pattern around a center point