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Mottled Paint effect for Custom Rubber Stamp Case Study.

Mottled paint effect rubber stamp designs are very popular and easy to buy online.

Use simple text or an image or combination of both. Call us today to find out more.

Rubber stamps are amazing for such a simple item. To be able to repeatedly mark the same mark over and over again consistently.

There are specific marks required to be made by a rubber stamp. That are not able to match the performance of a professional printing press.

Even a modern desktop printer, printing on broad areas won’t be as good.

We have a lot of customers wanting the genuine “old-world” stamp mark effect.

Perfect, we can make this type of custom rubber stamp.

For some customers the mottled paint effect design is not acceptable for the purpose they need the stamp for.

If you are looking for a perfect ink application, we would suggest maybe a stamp is not the tool for you.

Others accept perfect is not obtainable and can tolerate some variability.

Learning how to manage your stamp design is the right option to do.

There was a great reason for the printing press to be so successful and the last part is the clue, the printing press.

Immense pressure can be applied by a printing press. To spread the ink evenly on the paper and make a beautiful consistent colour impression.

The desktop printer uses either a special process for laser reproduction or incredibly complex squirting of ink.

Applied to the paper by inkjet printers makes images on paper seem simple.

Those special abilities are the entire reason why the stamp became almost irrelevant.

Very often Self-Inking Stamps has a request for a stamp with a broad area of ink application.

We always remember to notify the customer there will be a mottle issue.

Mottle (verb) a mark with spots or smears of colour. Synonyms: blotchy, blotched, spotted, spotty.

We also change rubber type to a softer compound which we find gets a higher quality mark on paper for this purpose.

We may even suggest a brand for a Self-Inking Stamp. That may get you a better result when stamping and may not be the one you expect or ordered.

What is mottling?

When insufficient ink or insufficient pressure can be applied to the rubber stamp on the paper the ink doesn’t spread 100% on the paper surface.

There is the effect of little flecks missing in the ink mark.

This might be itty bitty little missing parts through to flecks of various sizes all over the place.

Sometimes this is so bad it is hard to understand the mark, be unable to read the text or just unpleasant.

Below is a photo of what mottling looks like. You can see there is a little ink bleed distorting the edge of the lettering and gaps in the black ink.

Every time this stamp is used a different mottle will appear. This can be fantastic if that effect is what you are looking for or highly frustrating if not.

It can affect part of large or thick text or big broad areas of an image like the one shown below.

mottled paint effect rubber stamp
Mottled Paint effect Rubber Stamp

How to get a better mark on paper.

At the time of stamp design there are some thoughts around do I need the broad area of ink or could I redesign and reverse out the ink part.

For the photo above the text only could be used and

that would give a great stamp mark. Or even use the text plus a border the size of the large black background.

If that alternative is not a result you need then a good result can be achieved. Wth a stamp with care and attention of the operator of the stamp.

Consider these two elements:

  1. Ink coverage on the rubber stamp
  2. Adequate pressure to apply the ink to the paper

Whether you are using a self-inking stamp with an internal ink pad. Or one of our custom hand stamps with a separate ink pad.

The most important part is making sure you have ink on the rubber die that applies the ink to the paper.

When stamping on paper slow down and use plenty of pressure.

For a Self-Inking Stamp with a broad area of ink required keep the ink pad topped up with ink so that there is plenty of ink in there to transfer.

Tips to get the best amount of ink on the rubber stamp.

To buy rubber stamp ink click HERE to see the ink products we have for your rubber stamp.

Sometimes if this is a really tricky stamp image we might bounce the stamp a couple of times. Before pushing down fully to get a couple of pats on the ink pad.

The advantage of a Self-Inking Stamp is that it is always in contact with the ink and ready to go and this will help for these stamps.

The first stamping will be the best if it has been some time since using the stamp. When stamping batches the bounce technique is good.

If you really need a single one off fantastic print with a bit extra time we wiggle the stamp ink pad back and forth in the body to ensure there is enough ink on the rubber.

Using a custom hand stamp on a separate ink pad here. We like to sort of tap the ink pad two or three times moving it around the surface of the pad.

Each time it touches to land on a different area of ink each time.

Again make sure there is enough ink in the ink pad.

Don’t slide it sideways as this might create a little ripple of ink that might catch on the rubber. And when on the paper slide off and cause a blob of ink, too much ink down on the paper.

Yuck. And it takes longer to dry.

mottled paint effect rubber stamp
Mottled Paint effect Rubber Stamp

Tips to get enough even pressure on the paper.

Take your time. This is not a race. The mark is important. Too much haste will mean not enough transfer time of the ink.

You may land only part of the rubber stamp on the paper and have part of the image missing.

Make sure the paper is flat.

Pressing on a surface that flexes may mean you are stamping on a curve where the centre part moves away from the stamp and the ink cannot make contact with the paper.

The outside edge marks fine and the middle doesn’t.

We like a few layers of paper under the paper we are stamping on for tricky images to get the best result.

There is a little give in the base while firm across the entire surface to fully support the paper under the stamp.

Make sure there is not a fold in the paper under the one you are marking, this will cause a gap in the image made. This is a common mistake on paper bags.

Place the stamp in position lightly then put weight on the stamp to really squash the ink into the paper. Imagine applying the weight in a circle type action without lifting an edge.

With custom hand stamps that are large we even use our finger to push on the outer edges of the base plate around the handle to make sure the outer edges make firm contact.

Then lift the stamp away carefully so you don’t smudge the image.

Make test prints on waste paper to practice if you do not have enough of the items to stamp to allow for poor stamping marks.

Technique is the way to get great stamping results.

Test and try different ways of marking with all of the tips above. You will find a technique which you are happy with the result and then make mark after mark you are happy with every time.

Happy stamping.

Contact our Rubber Stamp Design team Today…

Please contact us, if you have any questions regarding available variants or further product information.

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