Materials
What material do you use for your stamps?
Our stamps are usually made of Acetal, the generic version of a hard plastic known as Delrin®. In addition to being very durable, acetal has a characteristic engineers call a low coefficient of friction. This means that it is somewhat slippery and things (like clay!) don't tend to stick to it. Acetal is used for a wide variety of objects: cutting boards, grips for jewelry tools, industrial parts like rollers and gears, guitar picks and much more. It usually comes in two colors: natural (white) and black. We use the black color for its UV resistance. Acetal is not brittle, so it creates a very strong stamp that will survive being dropped on a concrete floor.
We can also make your stamp from clear acrylic or brass. Acrylic is a good choice for large stamps, since you can see through it to make sure you're getting an even impression. When a stamp is larger than 1.5" x 1.5" (38 x 38 mm), we normally use clear acrylic. Acrylic is more brittle and more abrasive-resistant than acetal, so it would be a good choice for use in abrasive materials like concrete. All our stamps have your choice of a comfortable knob or handle made of black phenolic plastic.
Can I get a stamp made of brass?
Yes, but unless it is subject to extremely heavy daily use, acetal or acrylic is a less expensive choice that makes a great stamp.
What materials can I use a stamp with?
Our stamps are very versatile and can be used with a wide variety of materials - stoneware, porcelain, tile, precious metal clay (PMC), and polymer clay - virtually any moderately soft material. There are more possibilities including dough, soap, and even fabric -- see the gallery for some examples.
Can I use my stamp in leather-hard clay?
Yes, due to the hardness and fine detail of our stamps, they can be used in clay that is soft or leather hard. The best designs for leather-hard clay have thin lines so the stamp can easily cut into the hard clay. Lines that are .01"-.02" (1/4 to 1/2 mm) thick are best.
How do your stamps differ from rubber, wood, or bisque stamps?
Bisque stamps have less detail, no taper and are not as durable. Wood stamps have less detail due to the wide lines used, no taper, are not as durable, and typically can't be used with leather-hard clay. Rubber stamps are lower relief (depth), "squishy", have less detail, are not as durable, and can't be used with leather-hard clay. The bottom line is: Jet Stamps are well made, inexpensive, long-lasting stamps that are hard to beat.
General
How can I customize my stamp?
You can have your choice of size, shape (square, rectangular, circular, oval, etc.), engraving depth (standard is 0.1" or 2.5 mm), material (black acetal, clear acrylic or brass), and a 2.6" (66 mm) long handle or 1.9" long (48 mm) knob. If you're stamping mugs or other curved surfaces, check out our domed stamps below and in the gallery. If you have text that you want to fit to a curve or other shape, we can lay out the text for a nominal fee. For some sample sizes and shapes, see sizes.pdf. Please note that these are just some possible sizes -- we can make stamps any size up to 18" x 18" (46 x 46 cm). If you have special requirements, please email us -- we'll do our best to help you.
Where are your stamps made?
The stamps are made in wonderful Asheville, North Carolina.
How quickly can I get my stamp?
Typical lead times are 3-5 business days after proof approval. Add 2-3 days for Priority Mail delivery. If you need it even faster, just let us know and we'll try to help.
Do you ship outside the US?
Yes, we ship to most countries using Priority Mail for delivery in one to two weeks.
How expensive are the larger stamps?
Our prices are determined by the amount of time it takes to make your stamp. Smaller size stamps are generally predictable, but larger stamps (typically larger than 2.5 square inches or 16 square cm) can vary depending on the amount of detail. One option that can reduce the cost dramatically is to use a reversed stamp (see below). To price a larger stamp, please email your artwork to info@jetstamps.com for a no-obligation quote.
How do I care for my stamp?
If needed, clean the stamp by soaking the stamp face in warm soapy water and then brushing it with a toothbrush. Don't use a high-temperature heat source like a heat gun to dry it, since acetal's melting point is about 350 degrees F (180 C). Do not use any hard sharp tools as they will void your warranty. See care-use.pdf for more details.
What do you mean by the term platform?
It is a closely cut area below the part of the stamp that presses into the clay. It is intended to keep the base of the stamp from accidentally pressing into the clay. See the gallery for more information. We automatically include the platform in our acetal and acrylic stamps unless you tell us otherwise. The Reversed stamps do not have a platform, since the background presses into the clay.
What's the story on the domed stamps?
If you're stamping a curved surface like a mug, a large flat stamp is hard to use. You can try rolling it along the surface, but the better solution is to use a domed stamp. These stamps have a reverse curve that makes it easy to stamp curved surfaces. Generally, if the stamp is 1.5" (38 mm) wide or larger, a domed stamp will be easier to use. The doming is slight so the artwork won't be distorted (less than 0.1" in height), but enough so that only a small portion of the stamp is in contact with the clay at any one time, making a better impression with less overall pressure. See the gallery for more information.
Design
What sorts of designs can I use?
Your design can be your signature, initials, last name or your mark. Or it can be text, decorative items, a logo, a commissioned design, or black and white line art. See artwork.pdf for information on creating your artwork.
How small can a stamp be?
We've made stamps that are about 1/16" by 3/8" (1.6 mm x 10 mm) for a polymer clay artist's last name and could go smaller than that, depending on the design.
What is different about stamps for polymer clay and precious metal clay (PMC)?
Since these materials hold such fine detail, we're able to reduce the suggested minimum line widths by one half -- to just 0.003" (1/13 mm) for the black lines that press into the clay and 0.015" (0.4 mm) for the white space. Even though your stamp will still be cut to an overall depth of 0.1" (2.5 mm), you typically won't be going deeper than 0.02" (1/2 mm). Be sure to let us know that you're using polymer or precious metal clay so we can optimize your stamp for the finest possible detail.
How big can a stamp be?
There's really no limit other than the bed of our computer-controlled milling machine which maxes out at 18 by 18 inches (46 cm square). The biggest stamp so far is 4 by 4 inches. Large stamps or more accurately, plates, will generally need to be used with an arbor press rather than being hand held. For hand stamping, stamps in the two square inch (13 sq cm) range or smaller are best. If you're using a larger stamp on a mug, be sure to check out the doming option -- it costs a bit more, but it'll give better results than a flat stamp.
Tell me about the "Reversed" stamps.
These low cost stamps are reversed, so that instead of the stamp design cutting into the clay, the design is cut into the face of the stamp. The result is that the design stands out from the surface of the clay. This method requires relatively wide lines so that the clay will flow into the pattern (It won't work well on leather hard clay). In general, you should plan on a simple design with lines at least .04" (1 mm) wide. This means that for most fonts, letters will be at least .25" (6 mm) tall. Typical reversed stamps use a simple graphic or 1 to 6 upper case characters and a bold font with consistent stroke width like Arial, Lucida, Desyrel or Segoe. The pattern will be cut .06" to .10" (1.5-2.5 mm) deep depending on the stroke width. Please note that these stamps don't have the usual platform, since the background presses into the clay. See the gallery for some examples.
How detailed can a stamp be?
Very - people are amazed at the detail our engraving process creates. The black lines or areas in your artwork (that press into the clay) can be as thin as 0.006" (0.4 points or 0.15 mm). The white lines or areas (that don't press into the clay) should be at least 0.03" (2.2 points or 0.76 mm) wide. Cut these numbers in half for use with polymer clay or PMC. See artwork.pdf and the gallery for more information.
How do I create my artwork?
You can draw it on paper or use a computer to create it. See artwork.pdf for details. If you're not sure your artwork will work, just email it to us.
What type fonts can I use?
You can use pretty much any font. Serif, sans serif, or script fonts all work as does handwriting or printing. Good serif fonts include Bookman and Georgia. Good sans serif fonts include Arial, Lucida, Quicksand, and Tekton Pro. You can use script fonts too, but avoid flowery ones. Good script fonts include Desyrel, Frangipani Rose and Segoe. For small stamps, it is best to stay with a simple font and use upper case if possible. See fonts.pdf and artwork.pdf for design guidelines.
What file formats do you accept?
For vector art, PDF, DXF, AI, EPS and CDR files are all fine. For raster (bitmap) art, TIF at 1200 dpi is preferred and JPG is acceptable. If you use Adobe Illustrator, please flatten your design before saving it. If you use Photoshop, please output your file as black and white for PCs.
What material do you use for your stamps?
Our stamps are usually made of Acetal, the generic version of a hard plastic known as Delrin®. In addition to being very durable, acetal has a characteristic engineers call a low coefficient of friction. This means that it is somewhat slippery and things (like clay!) don't tend to stick to it. Acetal is used for a wide variety of objects: cutting boards, grips for jewelry tools, industrial parts like rollers and gears, guitar picks and much more. It usually comes in two colors: natural (white) and black. We use the black color for its UV resistance. Acetal is not brittle, so it creates a very strong stamp that will survive being dropped on a concrete floor.
We can also make your stamp from clear acrylic or brass. Acrylic is a good choice for large stamps, since you can see through it to make sure you're getting an even impression. When a stamp is larger than 1.5" x 1.5" (38 x 38 mm), we normally use clear acrylic. Acrylic is more brittle and more abrasive-resistant than acetal, so it would be a good choice for use in abrasive materials like concrete. All our stamps have your choice of a comfortable knob or handle made of black phenolic plastic.
Can I get a stamp made of brass?
Yes, but unless it is subject to extremely heavy daily use, acetal or acrylic is a less expensive choice that makes a great stamp.
What materials can I use a stamp with?
Our stamps are very versatile and can be used with a wide variety of materials - stoneware, porcelain, tile, precious metal clay (PMC), and polymer clay - virtually any moderately soft material. There are more possibilities including dough, soap, and even fabric -- see the gallery for some examples.
Can I use my stamp in leather-hard clay?
Yes, due to the hardness and fine detail of our stamps, they can be used in clay that is soft or leather hard. The best designs for leather-hard clay have thin lines so the stamp can easily cut into the hard clay. Lines that are .01"-.02" (1/4 to 1/2 mm) thick are best.
How do your stamps differ from rubber, wood, or bisque stamps?
Bisque stamps have less detail, no taper and are not as durable. Wood stamps have less detail due to the wide lines used, no taper, are not as durable, and typically can't be used with leather-hard clay. Rubber stamps are lower relief (depth), "squishy", have less detail, are not as durable, and can't be used with leather-hard clay. The bottom line is: Jet Stamps are well made, inexpensive, long-lasting stamps that are hard to beat.
General
How can I customize my stamp?
You can have your choice of size, shape (square, rectangular, circular, oval, etc.), engraving depth (standard is 0.1" or 2.5 mm), material (black acetal, clear acrylic or brass), and a 2.6" (66 mm) long handle or 1.9" long (48 mm) knob. If you're stamping mugs or other curved surfaces, check out our domed stamps below and in the gallery. If you have text that you want to fit to a curve or other shape, we can lay out the text for a nominal fee. For some sample sizes and shapes, see sizes.pdf. Please note that these are just some possible sizes -- we can make stamps any size up to 18" x 18" (46 x 46 cm). If you have special requirements, please email us -- we'll do our best to help you.
Where are your stamps made?
The stamps are made in wonderful Asheville, North Carolina.
How quickly can I get my stamp?
Typical lead times are 3-5 business days after proof approval. Add 2-3 days for Priority Mail delivery. If you need it even faster, just let us know and we'll try to help.
Do you ship outside the US?
Yes, we ship to most countries using Priority Mail for delivery in one to two weeks.
How expensive are the larger stamps?
Our prices are determined by the amount of time it takes to make your stamp. Smaller size stamps are generally predictable, but larger stamps (typically larger than 2.5 square inches or 16 square cm) can vary depending on the amount of detail. One option that can reduce the cost dramatically is to use a reversed stamp (see below). To price a larger stamp, please email your artwork to info@jetstamps.com for a no-obligation quote.
How do I care for my stamp?
If needed, clean the stamp by soaking the stamp face in warm soapy water and then brushing it with a toothbrush. Don't use a high-temperature heat source like a heat gun to dry it, since acetal's melting point is about 350 degrees F (180 C). Do not use any hard sharp tools as they will void your warranty. See care-use.pdf for more details.
What do you mean by the term platform?
It is a closely cut area below the part of the stamp that presses into the clay. It is intended to keep the base of the stamp from accidentally pressing into the clay. See the gallery for more information. We automatically include the platform in our acetal and acrylic stamps unless you tell us otherwise. The Reversed stamps do not have a platform, since the background presses into the clay.
What's the story on the domed stamps?
If you're stamping a curved surface like a mug, a large flat stamp is hard to use. You can try rolling it along the surface, but the better solution is to use a domed stamp. These stamps have a reverse curve that makes it easy to stamp curved surfaces. Generally, if the stamp is 1.5" (38 mm) wide or larger, a domed stamp will be easier to use. The doming is slight so the artwork won't be distorted (less than 0.1" in height), but enough so that only a small portion of the stamp is in contact with the clay at any one time, making a better impression with less overall pressure. See the gallery for more information.
Design
What sorts of designs can I use?
Your design can be your signature, initials, last name or your mark. Or it can be text, decorative items, a logo, a commissioned design, or black and white line art. See artwork.pdf for information on creating your artwork.
How small can a stamp be?
We've made stamps that are about 1/16" by 3/8" (1.6 mm x 10 mm) for a polymer clay artist's last name and could go smaller than that, depending on the design.
What is different about stamps for polymer clay and precious metal clay (PMC)?
Since these materials hold such fine detail, we're able to reduce the suggested minimum line widths by one half -- to just 0.003" (1/13 mm) for the black lines that press into the clay and 0.015" (0.4 mm) for the white space. Even though your stamp will still be cut to an overall depth of 0.1" (2.5 mm), you typically won't be going deeper than 0.02" (1/2 mm). Be sure to let us know that you're using polymer or precious metal clay so we can optimize your stamp for the finest possible detail.
How big can a stamp be?
There's really no limit other than the bed of our computer-controlled milling machine which maxes out at 18 by 18 inches (46 cm square). The biggest stamp so far is 4 by 4 inches. Large stamps or more accurately, plates, will generally need to be used with an arbor press rather than being hand held. For hand stamping, stamps in the two square inch (13 sq cm) range or smaller are best. If you're using a larger stamp on a mug, be sure to check out the doming option -- it costs a bit more, but it'll give better results than a flat stamp.
Tell me about the "Reversed" stamps.
These low cost stamps are reversed, so that instead of the stamp design cutting into the clay, the design is cut into the face of the stamp. The result is that the design stands out from the surface of the clay. This method requires relatively wide lines so that the clay will flow into the pattern (It won't work well on leather hard clay). In general, you should plan on a simple design with lines at least .04" (1 mm) wide. This means that for most fonts, letters will be at least .25" (6 mm) tall. Typical reversed stamps use a simple graphic or 1 to 6 upper case characters and a bold font with consistent stroke width like Arial, Lucida, Desyrel or Segoe. The pattern will be cut .06" to .10" (1.5-2.5 mm) deep depending on the stroke width. Please note that these stamps don't have the usual platform, since the background presses into the clay. See the gallery for some examples.
How detailed can a stamp be?
Very - people are amazed at the detail our engraving process creates. The black lines or areas in your artwork (that press into the clay) can be as thin as 0.006" (0.4 points or 0.15 mm). The white lines or areas (that don't press into the clay) should be at least 0.03" (2.2 points or 0.76 mm) wide. Cut these numbers in half for use with polymer clay or PMC. See artwork.pdf and the gallery for more information.
How do I create my artwork?
You can draw it on paper or use a computer to create it. See artwork.pdf for details. If you're not sure your artwork will work, just email it to us.
What type fonts can I use?
You can use pretty much any font. Serif, sans serif, or script fonts all work as does handwriting or printing. Good serif fonts include Bookman and Georgia. Good sans serif fonts include Arial, Lucida, Quicksand, and Tekton Pro. You can use script fonts too, but avoid flowery ones. Good script fonts include Desyrel, Frangipani Rose and Segoe. For small stamps, it is best to stay with a simple font and use upper case if possible. See fonts.pdf and artwork.pdf for design guidelines.
What file formats do you accept?
For vector art, PDF, DXF, AI, EPS and CDR files are all fine. For raster (bitmap) art, TIF at 1200 dpi is preferred and JPG is acceptable. If you use Adobe Illustrator, please flatten your design before saving it. If you use Photoshop, please output your file as black and white for PCs.
FAQ
