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How to Make a Custom Rubber Stamp
The title of this post should, perhaps, be “how to have a rubber stamp made for you” because this isn’t a post about how to carve your own rubber stamp. Instead, it’s a post that will walk you through how to use rubberstamps.net to make a high-quality rubber stamp from your original design. In this…
In today’s tutorial, I want to share how to make a custom rubber stamp — because it’s ridiculously easy. Rubber stamps are amazing to have on hand because you can use them to add embellishment and character to your paper goods in a few seconds! I have created several stamps over the years, and I love every single one of them.
1. Create a Rubber Stamp Design
The first step to making a rubber stamp is coming up with a good design. You’ll want to include at least a few bold lines for contrast, and you should always create the design in black and white.
I created this “Do Not Bend” design using a Micron pen. 2. Scan and Upload the Design to rubberstamps.net
Once you like how your design looks, scan it in to your computer. Make sure the image is fairly high resolution (at least 300 dpi), and in .jpg, .gif, .bmp or .png format. When the image has scanned, go to rubberstamps.net and click on “Custom Wood Stamps”.
I love rubberstamps.net because they’re a small company run by a father/daughter team in Iowa. They’re reasonably priced, do great quality work, and have a shockingly quick turnaround time. Next, choose the wood stamp size that you’d like for your design. My circular design will fit best on a perfectly square stamp, so I’m choosing 2″ x 2″ (51 mm x 51 mm) here. Once you have decided which size is best for your design, click “Customize & Order”.
You might take a look at rubberstamp.net’s dimension choices before you create the design. That way, you can make your design with the stamp’s length/width in mind! At the “Customize & Order” page, you’ll see an option to upload your image on the bottom left. Click “Choose File”, and select your design file (the scan that you made).
Use the “Choose File” button to upload the scan of your design. If the stamp preview looks good to you, click “Add to Cart”.
Click “Add to Cart” if the design is to your liking! If it’s not, you can play with the contrast options in rubberstamps.net to try to fine tune the graphic. 3. Wait a Couple of Days
Rubberstamps.net is extremely quick. I usually receive my stamp within four business days of ordering it! Here’s the kind of package that you can expect.
There are faster shipping options, but I normally just order first class. The order has tracking and arrives quickly! Inside the package, you’ll find your stamp(s), clean and neatly packaged.
I like how rubberstamps.net embosses your design into the wood. Other custom rubber stamp companies tend to opt for a black and white sticker instead. 4. Use Your Rubber Stamp!
Grab a nice ink pad (Ranger is a good brand), and gently press the rubber side of your stamp into it. You can then stamp on envelopes, coffee mug sleeves, paper bags, and — if you’re feeling adventurous — fabric.
I love using rubber stamps to make instant mail art! This Janet Style envelope gains artistic interest from the rubber stamp and the postage stamps. Getting Your Own “Please Do Not Bend” Stamp
If you like the “Please Do Not Bend” stamp featured in this post, I encourage you to make a “Please Do Not Bend” stamp for yourself. You can buy the “Please Do Not Bend” design here for $5.00, then upload the image to rubberstamps.net to make a square stamp of any size for your personal use. The total cost for a 2″ x 2″ stamp will end up being $23.90 — $5.00 for the design, $14.95 for the stamp, and $3.95 for shipping. You have the option buy a smaller size, which will be cheaper, or a larger size, which will be more expensive.
This “Do Not Bend” design is a TPK original creation. You can find it by clicking here. The “Do Not Bend” design is a private product, which means that it’s only accessible from this link. It does not show up publicly in the TPK catalog. The design was digitized in Adobe Photoshop, which means that it features nice, clean lines. I’ve ordered this stamp at least 20 times in sizes 1″ x 1″ (25.4 mm x 25.4 mm) and up, and the impression is always crystal clear!
Some Other Rubber Stamps I’ve Made
I’ve used rubberstamps.net to make lots of different rubber stamps! Here are some of the designs that I’ve made over the years.
This “This Side Up” stamp features a design that corresponds with the “Do Not Bend” stamp concept. 
This flourished seahorse makes for a fun little addition to anything. You may recognize it from the Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit collaboration with The Paper Seahorse! 
URL stamps are useful if you have a business!
So, that’s it — really, all you need to do is make a black and white design, scan it into your computer, and upload to rubberstamps.net! As a side note, I’m not an affiliate of rubberstamps.net; I just genuinely love the work they do. As I mentioned in the post, there’s no need to play with your design in Photoshop before you upload it; but if you want the design to be flawless, it’s not a bad idea. You can learn how to digitize a rubber stamp design in Lesson 2, Video 3 of the Digitizing Artwork and Calligraphy eCourse!
If you have any questions about anything covered in this post, please feel free to ask in the comments! Otherwise, thanks very, very much for reading TPK, and have a wonderful weekend!
Warmly,
