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Acrylic
Mount & Unmounted Stamp Basics
Written
for rubber stampers who want to learn about the different ways
to buy and use rubber stamps. This primer is not designed to
give all the information needed to start mounting your own stamps
or cutting unmounted rubber stamp sheets. We do, however, have
the information needed on this site in our techniques
pages.
Rubber
Stamp Acrylic Mount Information
Acrylic
mounts are generally not available through your general craft
store and may not be available at a local rubber stamp store.
More and more rubber stamp stores are selling unmounted rubber
stamps and a few of those carry acrylic mounts, but it hasn't
fully caught on. Acrylic mounts are generally between 1/4"
and 3/4" thick and come in various sizes. They should be
unbreakable. It is easiest to use a mount that just slightly
larger than the rubber stamp die. If the rubber stamp does not
completely fit onto the mount, it will not stamp properly. Also,
if the mount is far larger than the rubber stamp, it will be
hard to ink without inking your acrylic mount, which can lead
to stray marks on your paper. Note: Acrylic is heavier than
the wood most commonly used for mounting rubber stamps. Larger
sized acrylic mounts can weigh up to a full pound. We order
our mounts at 1/2" thickness rather than 3/4" thickness
to minimize the weight without compromising the strength. 1/2"
acrylic mounts are unbreakable.
Care
and Cleaning of Acrylic Mounts
Harsh rubber
stamp cleansers can cause crazing of acrylic, which is a series
of hairline cracks. If you need to clean ink of your mounts
with such cleaners, try not to do so frequently and be sure
to wash the residue off the mount with warm soapy water afterward.
Likewise, give your mounts a washing if you've gotten ink cleaner
on your mounts when cleaning your stamps while still attached
to the acrylic.
Temporary
Mounting of Rubber Stamps on Acrylic Blocks
Cling
Cushion
The latest
popular method involves applying cling cushion to the backs
of unmounted stamps. The cling cushion is adhesive on one side
and has a cling substance on the other. Apply your unmounted
rubbers stamps or sheet of rubber stamps to the sheet of cling
and trim with Kai Scissors around your stamp image. If your
unmounted stamps already have a cushion that you're having troubles
getting off, you can use the thin cling cushion to add another
thin layer of cushion which gives you the cling surface. Click
here for images and products to
try this.
Repositional
Adhesive
Another
method is to apply repositional adhesive to the backs of the
dies so they can be mounted again and again on acrylic
mounts and stored on plastic 3-ring binder protector
pages or acetate. Some repositional adhesive is more tacky than
others. We've outlined which repositional adhesives work best
on acrylic mounts in our mounting techniques listed under our
techniques pages. Also visit our techniques pages for exact
instructions for temporarily mounting on acrylic mounts.
Double
Sided Removable Tape
Some
rubber stampers like to use double-sided poster tape to temporarily
adhere rubber dies to acrylic mounts. The tape is normally applied
directly to the mount and reused with different stamps until
it loses its tackiness. Poster tape is less tacky than other
tapes and will not stick to your mounts when you try to remove
them.
Glue Stick
Other
people are happy with the quick results obtained by temporarily
adhering a rubber die to an acrylic mount with craft glue stick.
It washes off the mount and the die with water and seems to
provide a pretty good temporary adhesion.
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