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Print your Artwork onto Vellum
Using the vellum supplied with your stamp maker, print using the darkest settings available on your laser printer. (Inkjet printers are not recommended as some inks are opaque, to learn more about preparing artwork for stamp making and details about an inexpensive laser printer see the ARTWORK page)
Compare your first print with the sample print provided with the stamp maker to ensure that you have your printer settings optimized. |
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Darkening Print
In order to make the print dark enough to limit light passing through during processing, you must spray your printed vellum with an art matt spray. Matt spray (usually used as a protection for photograhs and artwork), reacts with the laser toner making it very dark and restricts light from passing through during processing. Apply an even coat and allow to dry for 30 seconds. |
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Laying Up Artwork
Place your artwork onto one of the glass processing plates supplied with your stamp maker. |
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InstaPlate Sachet
Place an InstaPlate sachet of sealed polymer (a very thick liquid that becomes a solid when exposed to UVA light) on top of the artwork. *InstaPlate is a polymer used by commercial stamp manufacturers. |
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Line Up sachet
Position the sachet over the printed artwork. |
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Assembly
Position the second sheet of glass and slide on one of the assembly clamps. |
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Clamping
Stand assembly on end and slide on the second clamp, polymer will now spread uniformly throughout the InstaPlate sachet. |
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Stamp Backing Exposure
Slide the assembly into the stamp maker and start the countdown timer for the first exposure. In under a minute the UV light will have solidified to about 50% of the depth of the polymer, this forms the back of your rubber stamps. You can easily control the thickness of the stamp backing by increasing or decreasing this exposure. You have complete control over the image depth of your stamps. |
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Turn Over Assembly for second exposure
As the timer sounds remove glass assembly and turn over for front exposure. |
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Front Exposure
This next exposure of 135 seconds will solidify your stamps through the artwork print, all polymer below the solid black areas of your print will remain as a liquid.
*The timer supplied with your stamp maker is a multi timer and controls the timing for each process. |
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Open Sachet
Remove the sachet from the glass assembly and position with the the word 'InstaPlate' wrong reading. Using a sharp knife cut through the top film around the edge of the sachet. |
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Peel Cover Sheet Away
Peel the cover sheet away to reveal your newly created stamps! (This is the same process as our commercial stamp making system, only on a smaller scale!) |
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Stamp Washout
Using the supplied brush, simply brush the excess polymer away in a circular motion for 1 minute using a mixture of water and detregent washout solution. |
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Hardening Stamps
To completely harden the stamps before you commence stamping, place into a tray of post exposure solution (this removes any tackiness left behind after washout) and harden in the stamp maker for a minimum of 10 minutes. |
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Separating Stamps
Trim around each of your clear view stamps using a pair of scissors.
The whole process has taken you only about 20 minutes from artwork to a sheet of rubber stamps! |
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Mounting
Stamps produced by the InstaStamp Craft Stamp Maker are see through and of commercial quality. They have a strong stamp backing and will not collect dirt and dust.
If using wooden block mounts use double sided tape, for acrylic block mounting we suggest using the InstaGrip mounting mat supplied with your stamp maker. Easily interchange stamps from your block to your storage folder as you need them without adhesives. To learn more about mounting stamps go to our InstaGrip page. |
