There are many rubber stamps on the market, but a more personal style is always preferable. So, why not make it yourself? Indeed, it is possible to create a rubber stamp with a design or logo of your choice by following the right method. Here’s how to proceed to perfect your work.

The useful materials for designing a rubber stamp

Among the materials you need for designing a custom rubber stamp, there are :

• Custom ink with good precision and a deep black color for good tracing ;
• Soft vinyl plates to facilitate engraving or printing on paper. The advantage of a soft plate is that it does not easily crumble during printing on paper ;
• Several gouges of different sizes to facilitate the task and the creation of lines on the soft engraving plate ;
• A cutter for cutting out the engraving plate according to the desired shape ;
• Thin paper or tracing paper to draw the pattern or logo that you will transform into a rubber stamp ;
• A grease pencil to perfect the pattern you previously chose on the plate.

The steps to follow for creating a rubber stamp

First of all, if you are a beginner, use a fairly simple pattern or logo as a sketch for your rubber stamp. Now let’s move on to the execution of the rubber stamp :

Step 1

First, you need to create the logo you chose on tracing paper using a pencil that brings out bold lines.

Step 2

Once you have finished your sketch on paper, place it on the engraving plate, being careful that the side where you drew touches the rubber. Press down with your fingers or a flat object to transfer the pattern or logo onto the linoleum rubber.

It should be noted that if you do not have tracing paper, it is possible to draw directly on the engraving plate.

Step 3

The basic principle for raising your sketch on the linoleum rubber is to remember the following concept : the part that you will carve will be the color of the paper and the non-carved part will be the color of the paint or ink you have chosen for your rubber stamp. To model the engraving plate of the stamp, proceed as follows :

• Depending on the proportion of your logo or pattern, choose a gouge and gradually carve the plate, carefully aiming at the contours ;
• Coarsely carve the background of the rubber plate ;
• Then, you can now shape the inner part of your drawing with a precision gouge (fine) ;
• Finally, you need to cut out the outline of your logo with a cutter.

Step 4

For this step, you need to apply ink to the engraving plate where the logo has been modeled. To do this, take the paint or ink of your choice and dab it on the engraving plate until it is uniform on the surface of the drawing. To test the print quality of your rubber stamp, press it onto a blank sheet of paper and check if your pattern has been well printed on it. If not, add more ink to the linoleum rubber. Once you have finished using it, do not forget to clean it with soapy water to maintain the print quality of your rubber stamp.

Once you have successfully created your own rubber stamp, you can make another sketch with more details (text, portrait).