What is the Standard Rubber Stamp Size?
We frequently get asked about the standard rubber stamp size. The truth is, there isn’t a single standard size, there are many sizes.
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There is no standard rubber stamp size…
Self-inking stamps come in a variety of sizes, with each brand offering slight variations, though many are similar across brands.
For the traditional style stamps (those with a handle and a separate ink pad), we create them to the size you need.
We call these custom hand stamps, and the possibilities are endless.
We take your image, text, or combination of both, and add a small margin around it for the engraving bevel and a tiny shoulder. For example, if you want a stamp mark measuring 78mm x 58mm, we’ll create a rubber area of 80mm x 60mm. The base plate that supports it will be cut to 82mm x 60mm.
By the way, any rubber stamp shape is possible.
Returning to self-inking stamps, there are numerous sizes available, each suited to different purposes.
IMPORTANT: The size of the stamp body is not the same as the maximum image area. The image size is slightly smaller due to the engraving process, which requires a bevel and a minimal edge, reducing the image area by about 1.2mm in total. For instance, a stamp with a 60mm x 40mm body will have a maximum image size of 58.8mm x 38.8mm.
This size is up to the listed size; it doesn’t need to fill the entire area. A stamp could contain a single dot or fill the entire space, depending on your design. Often, one dimension will determine the size, while the other remains underutilised.
For a detailed overview, we offer a PDF that has been so helpful that other stamp makers have copied it! You can view Self-Inking Rubber Stamps Sizes here.
Matching Stamp Sizes to Purposes
Here are some common uses and the typical sizes associated with them:
1. Loyalty Card Stamps
These are small, often around 12x12mm, to fit multiple marks on a card until the customer earns a reward. Available in round or square bodies. Note: Ensure your card is a porous matt card for standard ink.
2. Name Stamps
These vary based on profession (e.g., doctor, lawyer, teacher) and text length, ranging from 26x9mm to 58x22mm. We adjust the font to fit more text within a given space.
From the tiny 26x9mm to most often 38x14mm and then into the 47x18mm and really long rows of text may take a 58x22mm size stamp to fit all that text in. We often vary the font used to fit more text into a space using a narrow type of font. And yes, we do squash it sideways every now and then to elbow in that last little bit for you without having to go to extra expense of a larger stamp body.
3. Address Stamps
These have no standard size and range from 26x9mm to 116x70mm. The size depends on the required text and font. We can create a scaled design and provide a quote before production.
However, we do have a stamp product for asking about lots of variations for you to fill in here. With all these clues we can home in on something that might be just right for you. Then produce that design to scale for you to test. Along with a quote before we make anything.
4. Business Details Stamps
Typically include a business name, logo, address, and contact details. The size varies with the amount of information—larger stamps are more expensive. Let us know if you have a specific font to match your brand.
5. Business Card Stamps
Business cards are usually 90x50mm, with stamps sized to leave margins, typically ranging from 60x40mm to 85x55mm. Note: Use a porous matt card for ink adherence.
Sizes like 60x40mm, 75x38mm are the largest plastic body stamps. While the 85x55mm professional grade stamp fills up most of a business card.
Note: Make sure the card is porous matt surface for the standard ink to dry and stay on. Yes, other inks are available but come with management requirements and extra cost.
6. Library Book Stamps
These vary depending on whether you stamp the page edge or inside the book. The edge requires a single line of text, while inside the book allows for more customization. Note: Ensure the correct ink is used for the surface.
7. Dispatch/Received Stamps
These are generally larger, often with fields to fill in, and range from 47x18mm to 116x70mm, depending on the required information.
As a group these are larger stamps. Often there are fields to be filled in. Tick boxes, lines to write above and grid patterns for places to fill in are the norm here. The number of rows can make a big difference. The small end of this group might be 47x18mm or 58x22mm. Medium size might be 70x25mm, 70x30mm or 60x33mm.
And the larger ones in the plastic range like 60x40mm and 75x38mm. To go even larger are the 85x55mm and 116x70mm professional grade steel frame stamps. These two mean the price leaps above all plastic body types.
8. Best Before Stamps
These are asked for constantly. The great number of queries are around these stamps. So much so we provide three variations as ‘standard best before stamps’ in our website. One for matt paper, one for gloss surfaces and plastics and one for freezer bags. Please note that testing is HIGHLY recommended on your surface to ensure the ink dries AND stays on when lightly rubbed. Contact us for more information on how to do that.
9. Batch and Date of Manufacture Stamps
Generally, these are food related stamps. Your product will have specification that have to be met for the market it is heading into. Check those details. This type is for the perfect storm for a stamp. Generally, two rows of text. Both rows need to change. We have one option for this type of situation. It is a DIY or TYPO stamp. It has ribs on the base plate.
Onto those ribs using tweezers you pick the text required one by one placing in position on the base plate. Then test. Remember to spell backwards. Then on the next occasion you need to change a detail or two. Remove the characters not required and replace with new ones. Then away you go working through that batch until the next change is required. Read more about DIY or TYPO stamps here.
10. Clothing Marker Stamps
Clothing marking stamps are around the same size. They often are for young children so that each child knows which are their clothes that can easily get mixed up with other ones. The other situation is when the elderly is in a retirement village with large laundry services. Whose clothes are who’s? When marked it is easy to get these marked clothes back to their right person.
As a variation on the theme there are also DIY ones which can have the text changed by you whenever you wish. These are cost effective for a family with multiple members who need to mark their clothes. The ink is hot washable.
11. Certify/Verify Stamps (AML)
These stamps vary widely depending on the required details, from simple text to more complex designs with dates and names. Note: Ensure your stamp’s wording is acceptable to the recipient, especially for legal or financial documents.
12. Paper Bag Stamps
Used on a variety of bag sizes, from small treat bags to large stock feed bags. The size and shape are customizable, often including logos and contact details.
13. Brand Marketing Stamps
These vary greatly in size, from tiny loyalty card stamps to larger stamps for bigger items. We offer bulk buying discounts for advertising campaigns.
14. Nurse ID Stamps
These stamps are small stamps. Generally the 26x9mm and 26x10mm sizes. There is enough space to get 3 rows of text in there. For three rows the row spacing must be reduced and a smaller font size used. Most of the time it is the name of the person on the top row and below that the registration number. Every now and then a really long name will not fit in the space available and we move up one stamp size to the 38x14mm sized body.
15. Teacher Stamps
Teachers and schools can have wide and varied uses. From little 12x12mm stamps and having the teacher initials only in there to mark items. Into one row stamps like 70x10mm to mark library books. On to special motivation stamps in the range from 58x22mm through to 75 x 38mm larger models. And then also the office administration stamps from 36x14mm through to the large 60x40mm and 75 x 38mm sizes.
The last use is certifying document stamps. These are generally large 60x40mm and 75x38mm ones to get all the details and writing spaces in there. There are also some small special motivation stamps from Colop which while they are self-inking they are a flash stamp construction. This premade stamp is a low-cost option for children.
16. Common Seal Stamps
While a company in New Zealand does not require a company seal, trade with overseas businesses often does require the mark of a company seal. We often quickly make common seal stamps for export orders needing their paperwork completed in a rush as the receiver or freight company requires this mark on the paperwork. Also, there is a transition time in New Zealand for Incorporated Societies and Charites to have a common seal. This is being phased out but there is still a requirement for these in some organisations.
The standard size stamp for a common seal is the 42x42mm size. Sometimes due to an extremely long name a 45mm round or even 50mm round stamp can be used. Every now and then a smaller mark is needed for a small space on a document and a 30x30mm one can usually do the work. Going as small as 20x20mm often means the stamp mark will not be clear as the text font size becomes so small it is unreadable or the rubber transferring ink is too fine or slightly shorter on the thin text due to the heat evaporating the very thin top to the letters when laser engraved.
17. Quality Control Stamps
At some point in a manufacturing process some goods need to be inspected and verified/certified by someone that all is as expected. This person can then mark either the item itself or the accompanying paperwork with a quality control stamp mark. Some are small like the 12x12mm model. Often next size up at 20x20mm are used. While some have a lot of written text and an area to sign and are more in the mid to large rubber stamp body sizes.
18. Packing Stamps
Used in e-commerce to personalize packages. Sizes and designs vary widely, and we can update stamps with new names or messages as needed.
So many goods are now shipped via the internet shopping route. Ours are. A person buys online. Then someone must pick and pack those items for shipping via courier. It can add a nice touch to your process of receiving and unpacking for your customer to have personalised stamp marks. High speed, consistent readable personalisation just to feel a little more connected to your business. These stamps can vary wildly from just tracking in house a couple of initials.
Or inclusion of a business logo and the name of the packer. Maybe a little message. Or some last-minute instructions. I hear the argument that no this will not work for us as our picking staff turnover regularly or is seasonal and someone else takes over the role. Don’t worry the stamp can be updated with a new person’s name quickly.
The rubber dies which makes the mark can be changed at any time. You keep the stamp with you, we send the new part, then you swap the part over. We store the files for each stamp made and can update those designs with new details very quickly for you.
19. Heavy Duty High-Use Stamps
Built for frequent use, these stamps range from 41x24mm to 116x70mm. They are precision instruments designed for longevity.
These are special stamps. Built for high use. Generally, sort of mid-size at the small end at 41 x 24mm and then going through to the largest of the self-inking stamp model at 116x70mm. Inside the frame is a steel chassis. Some of the new models of the Trodat Professional range are now beautiful stainless steel frame out on display.
These stamps are so silky smooth to operate they are addictive. We often just stamp them a few extra times when we assemble them as they are a joy to use. These are capable of hundreds of thousands of marks over their lifetime. However, that does not mean they are a hammer. Abuse will destroy them. These are precision instruments and should be treated with respect.
Speed does not get you a good mark. Slow down and make sure your message is readable.
20. Dater Stamps
These stamps feature a changeable date and are available in various sizes, from 24x24mm to 116x70mm.
Once again, a specialist area of stamps. The standard dater has a changeable date in the centre of the stamp. There are four rubber bands and wheel to rotate them. On the bands are two for the day number of the month. Next band is three letters for the month of the year. And lastly the year in four numbers.
It presents as “2 3 MAR 2024 “when stamped.
Generally, there is 12 years on the year band. Depending on when the bulk shipment arrives in NZ and how many are bought the year band usually has 11 years of use. Some models stay in stock for just that special size and purpose and may be older.
Again, there are a range of sizes from 24x24mm through to the behemoth 116 x 70mm one.
There is one standard one we make as it is asked for so often and that is a best before stamp. This one has a top row of text “BEST BEFORE” and below that the changeable date.
21. Numberer Stamps
These stamps are used for numbering, with sizes ranging from 3.8mm to 18mm tall characters. So, there you have it, a comprehensive guide to the various standard stamp sizes and their uses.
As a standard stamp these have the common trait of numbers, just numbers. Like the dater stamps above a band with numbers on it. Some bands also have a full stop, backslash and other characters and varies by model for these other characters. They start with four bands which achieves 9999 as the largest number.
Then they increase in two bands at a time. For self-inking stamps there are 3.8mm tall characters and in the professional grade 5mm maximum size. However, changing to the older hand stamp with separate ink pad there are a range of character heights from 3mm to 18mm. Don’t drop that one on your foot it’s going to hurt! Its big.
Customer Testimonials
They were so helpful, gave clear easy instruction which made ordering very quick & easy. All done with such speedy service. Highly recommended. Thank you.
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Thanks to Antoinette for her wonderful, helpful and friendly assistance, and the designers for quickly producing and editing proof’s as requested. Great service and pricing. Delivery was superfast! 10/10 – thanks team!
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