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This is part 2 of my series on making your own stamps on the cheap.

Polymer packets

After you’ve made your exposure chamber, you need to order the polymer packets. I went with the higher quality, Imagebox supplies. Photocentric has three different types (read: quality) of packets for making stamps. Ruth from Stamp Off, Eh! broke down the difference between all three products and the type of stamps they produce. Photocentric notes in the item description that the Imagebox supplies make stamps of commercial quality. My instructions are for these Imagebox packets. If you end up going with one of the other types of polymer kits, you will need to adjust the time. Sorry, but I can’t help you there.

I ordered the Imagebox starter kit, which comes with both the laser and inkjet transparency sheets, a bunch of different size polymer packets in .125 thickness, curing salts, and gloves. It ended up being about $56 to my door. You could also just order the packets in the size you want and the salts and pick up the transparency sheets from Staples. They will sell the individual sheets for $1 each. I’ll talk a lot more about transparency sheets and printing negatives in the next post.

(I thought a lot about if I should include the negative discussion here but found it to be way to long and digressing to merge with this one. Forgive me for putting the cart before the horse, but you need to know and understand this process first.)

I will note that the smaller the packet, the easier it was to use. The medium A5 size of 5.83″ x 8.27″ or a6 4.13″ x 5.83″ was easiest to get evenly sandwiched between the glass while still providing a decent about of space to work with. Look around your house for a couple of sheets of glass that are the same size that you can sandwich the polymer packets in between. I raided my stash of picture frames and ended up with a few pairs of glass in different sizes. This might help you decide which sizes to order.

Other supplies

I didn’t buy anything other than the bulbs and starter kit for this project. I just used what I had around the house and I recommend you do the same. Besides the glass, you will also need:

- a bunch of clips that open up to accommodate both panes of glass and the packet in between them. 6 – 8 of them.

- a soft-ish brush that’s not too small. A nail brush will be the death of you.

- a timer.

- bucket or container to clean in that you will never ever use for anything else.

- a shallow waterproof tray.

I also recommend using an inexpensive pair of kitchen gloves that are re-usable just for making stamps.

Oh, and some clear tape doesn’t hurt.

Assume now that you have your negative ready and your supplies gathered including your polymer packets, exposure chamber, and glass and stuff. So let’s get started.

Line up your negative on a sheet of the glass. Try and place it in the center so that it’s easier to sandwich evenly with the packet and other glass. This is actually quite important. This is where a little bit of tape really helps. I used bits and pieces of negatives for this example but honestly, I’ve had the best results with a one piece negative. I’ll get more in to that in the next post.

I placed the polymer packet under the glass so I could see where I was putting the negatives. I’ve also found that it’s best to err on the side of caution and leave a buffer around the negative and the edge of the packet. No good having it go all the way to the edge. Stamps don’t work that way and I wasted more of my packets doing this than anything else.

You should keep in mind the direction of text and the images you put down on the glass will be the inking side of the stamp. Remember this point as it can be quite important.

Once you get the negative(s) all set on the bottom glass, place the polymer packet on top. There’s a thick side and a thin side to the packets. Place the thick side down on the negative. Then place the other sheet of glass on top.

Polymer packet and glass sandwich.

Let’s review before moving on:

Starting from the bottom we have a sheet of glass and then the negative with the stamping side down. Then the polymer packet and another pane of glass. Note that there’s a bunch of polymer between the negative and the top pane of glass. This actually becomes the backing for the stamp and the stamping side is made closest to the negative. Are you following? It will make more sense after you mess it up yourself a couple of times.

Clamp that sandwich at equal places around the glass. Keep in mind the packet needs to be squished evenly. This is oh, so very important.  Make adjustments by moving the clips and pushing the glass down until you get it even on all sides. Let’s go to the exposure chamber.

Exposed stamps

(Remember, these times are for the .125 packets.) Place your glass and polymer packet sandwich in the chamber with the negative side down away from the lights and expose for 1 minute exactly. This just created the back for your stamp. Now we are going to gently turn the glass and polymer packet sandwich over and expose it for 4 minutes. This creates the stamping surface of the stamp.

Cut the packet on three sides and pull the packet open and you will see the stamps. The wet, goopy stuff is quite possibly the grossest thing I’ve ever had to clean other than meconium. Seriously. Try not to get any of it on anything, put on those kitchen gloves, fill up the bucket with really hot water and dish soap and go to town cleaning the stamps with your brush. Then clean some more. And once more again. Might as well go ahead and clean it a bit more just in case. And some more.

Be forewarned, good luck cleaning it. This stuff it evil and invisible and misleadingly slimy when it’s in water so you think it’s clean but it’s not. This cleaning process takes 1) more time than it does to make the stamps, and 2) a seriously neglected subject in all videos and discussions I’ve seen on making stamps with polymer packets. Basically, clean them as long as you can deal with and then wash the stamps off with some Mr. Clean to break the meconium seal on the stamps.

Rinse them off well with water and move on to using the salt that conditions the stamps and makes them a little less sticky and a bit harder. I mix a tiny amount of the salt in water in a shallow tray and place the stamps in it. Put the tray in the exposure chamber for about 3 minutes. Then they are ready to go. Almost.