Digital Stamping

​Last fall I wrote a detailed blog post about digital stamping and today I'd like to include even more information, as well as two great introductory videos about digital stamping that were recently created by Lisa Mensing, a fellow Creative Team Member at Whimsy Stamps.  While digital stamps are not new to the market, they seem to be increasing in popularity.  Ever since I began designing cards for RG Avenue (who uses a LOT of digital images!) I have become a lot more adept at using this type of stamp and I have come to really like them.  While I still have a lot to learn, today we can talk about some of the basics of digital stamping.

What are digital stamps?
Digital stamps, also known as “digi stamps" are simply high-resolution digital images.  The most significant difference between a digital stamp and a traditional stamp is that there is NO physical stamp.  A digital stamp is just the image or images.  Think of it kind of like computer clip art.  These digital images can be color or black and white.  They are downloaded onto a computer where they can be manipulated - resized or altered before being printed.

What do I need?
One of the benefits of using digital stamps is that you don't need anything special!  As long as you have access to a computer and a printer you have the two most important pieces.  Any inkjet printer will work fine; you don’t need expensive, fancy equipment.  But, if you do own a laserjet printer, this will work too. 

Downloading digital stamps:
Typically after you purchase a digital stamp you will receive an email with the digital file.  Most digital stamps will come in .PNG, .JPG, .CSV  or .PDF files.  Some digital stamps might be provided in .ZIP files, so you will need to know how to unzip a file.  Save the digital stamp file to your computer’s hard drive with an easily identifiable name (trust me, this helps to find it later)!   Open up the saved file using either a word processing program such as Microsoft Word, or a photo editing program such as Photoshop Elements, LightRoom or a free website such as PicMonkey or GIMP.  You can either print the image(s) out directly, or manipulate the image(s) before you print them out.  You can add digital image to cards, scrapbooks, home decor and so much more!

Advantages of digital stamps:

• Cost effective - on average digital stamps are less expensive than traditional stamps
• More space -  digital stamps are stored right on a computer and do not take up physical space
• Immediate downloads - Unlike purchasing a physical stamp where it can take anywhere between 2 and 10 days to ship out in the mail, digital stamps are available for immediate download because the file is sent directly to your email upon purchasing
• The ability to change the size/shape - with some slight editing, you can alter the size/color of your stamps to better fit your needs
• E-Cutting machines - whether you have a Cricut or Scan & Cut, or any other electronic cutting machine, digital stamps don't need dies because most can be scanned through an e-cutting machine
• No deterioration - unlike rubber which can dry up, or photopolymer which can stain, digital stamps do not lose their quality over time
• Environmentally friendly -  for those concerned about waste, digital stamps use less resources

Disadvantages of digital stamps:

• 3D images - You cannot "stamp" the images on wood/plastic/clay or other 3D type materials.  Any product that cannot be run through a printer presents a challenge.  It will be difficult to use digital stamps on fabric, very thick or very thin paper and cardstock, large pieces of paper, pre-formed boxes and many other items.  With a little creativity ingenuity (and lots of time and patience) you might be able to find a way to work around this issue
• Masking - unless you alter the stamp digital before printing, you cannot mask a stamp after the fact
• Heat embossing - Because the ink is already printed on paper, you can't stamp with a Versamark pad to heat emboss the image.  The workaround is to trace the image with a Versamark pen, but this result isn't nearly so precise and well defined
• Computer knowledge - it does take a small amount of familiarity and learning to work with digital stamps
• Licensing - Licensing arrangements can be confusing, so you need to read the terms and conditions for each image you purchase as sellers have different terms you must follow to avoid copyright issues (for instance - sharing with your friends is frowned upon!)

What types of paper to use for digital stamps?
Technically you can print on any type of paper that will go through your printer, but you will want to use specific paper designed for your coloring medium.  If you are going to color your image with watercolor, you will want to be sure to run a sheet of watercolor paper (like Strathmore) through your printer to print the image on.  If you would like to color your image with alcohol ink markers (Copic/Spectrum Noir, etc) or colored pencils (Prismacolor, etc) you will want to use a good cardstock like Neenah Solar White or Strathmore Bristol smooth.

Where can I get digital stamps?
Many stamp companies are now offering digital alternatives to traditional/regular stamps.  Along with RG Avenue, I highly recommend you check out Di's Digi Stamps or Power Poppy.  Their images are simply stunning!  The style of digital stamps can vary greatly. There are simple, almost cartoon-like images that are the easiest to design and color in. That doesn’t mean, however, that digital stamps can’t have more quality. Details such as lines on an animal to indicate fur are brilliant – as a crafter, you will color over it like normal, but the design will have more depth and a designer quality.

FREE digital stamps:
A simple Google search will yield many results for "FREE digital stamps!"

*Right now there have been a lot of well known stamp companies offering FREE digital stamps that are themed around the healthcare industry as we are amid the Covid-19 pandemic.  Essentially all you need to do is 1) download, 2) print, and, 3) color! 
A few of the current free digital downloads can be seen below:

I strongly recommend watching these two introductory videos about digital stamping.  I think you will find it's a lot easier to do than you think, and it will allow you to have innumerable more stamps available to you!

I hope this post has helped to answer some of the questions you might have about digital stamping.   A BIG thanks to Lisa for creating this fantastic, easy-to-follow video. 
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Thanks for visiting and happy creating!

XO, Crystal