Digital Stamps

Here's My take on Digi stamps.
 Firstly I want you to know that I am of average ability with using a PC and software.
For my cards and stamps , I am just using good old word or Picasa   (made by google)  at the moment which is reasonably basic and free to use.

I am NOT a digital Scrapbooker/Card maker. I admire the creations of my fellow crafters but it is not for me. I like to "feel" the papers etc.
I staterd to download and print out images and papers a couple of years ago and there were only a few stores then. Thankfully there are lots now and also lots of freebies so you can try them out first.I strongly suggest that you print out a few freebies images to have a go first.
I print my images onto Neenah Card from Crafters Compainion. This is because I use copic pens to colour in my images. I usually print about four images at a time and use any left over card for sentiments or practicing colour combos. They also have water colour card if you want to paint your image. 
Anyway , you need to research the correct paper/card for printing onto ,depending on how you will be colouring it.
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Now to the actual stamps:
There are thousands out there, I have a list of some of my favorite stores at the bottom left hand side of my blog page, most of our fav stamp companies now also make digital versions so just look and see what takes your fancy, but.... be warned ..you will lose hours of time :) Ohh and remember to bookmark the stores you love. 
I am running a card Challenge at the moment over at Sweet Pea Stampers and the prize will be to win some digtal sweet pea stamps..do pop overt the the blog to see the wonderful inspiration , And DO enter.
I also design for the Fabulous Dilly Beans , we have a weekly challenge with digital stamps as prizes.and all Megans Stamps are so easy to colour .
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To buy a digital stamp, you go to the online store , make your choice and check out the same as buying anything online - some stores ask if you want Jpeg or Png - some supply both and some even supply a coloured version as well. So do check that you choose the correct one for you . I only use jpeg's ( I told you I wasn't that clever!!) I *think* the PNG's are for layering and for digital colouring .
After you have paid, most stores give you a download link to download and save on you PC ( I just have a folder called digi stamps) . Some stores will Email you the image and that may take a few hours to do if they are busy or you are buying from a different time zone. Again save it somewhere safe and save a copy ( I also save the email) . Often stores will give you a few times (or a date) where you can go back and download again ( they know we are not infallible). I have been know to email when I seem to have completely lost my image too.
The pros of digital stamps are - firstly that you can print them to any size you want to fit your card

and as many times as you like.
That means you can also print onto patterned  paper for paper piecing,  and duplicate to layer or for decoupage.


I have also cropped areas of an image(save a copy first) to add to it ..ie a flower head or a leaf .

I cropped the holly leaves on this heart stamp and used them on the Christmas banner.

as you can see here. The heart was the only image I used for this project.

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A few more pluses....They are cheaper than rubber stamps ( that always just means, buy more to me :))
Storage ..easy peasy ..in a folder on hard drive ( do keep a copy  for back up like with any thing digital)
No post man will deliver ;)....so hubby won't know !!

You can take them with you (via memory stick) if you are crafting away from home and have access to a printer..no bulky boxes of stamps to carry.
They don't wear out, get lost or need cleaning.

I have not tried but I think you could also be able to emboss with them - you would just need to play with the printer settings that are usually set to "fast dry"- I do know that you cam emboss when printing onto Vellum .

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.There is ALWAYS a place for rubber stamps and don't think for one minuet that I don't still use them ..I am and always will be a stamp addict - but now they come in different formats .

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Hope that was helpful, Please let me know if you have anything to add or if you are going to give them a try.

Soojay xx

Comments

  1. This is a helpful post - I've never even thought to print off digital stamps - I just assumed they were for digi scrapping :)

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  2. Lots of info there, thanks. I'm not a big fan of digi stamps but then I haven't worked out how to resize them yet but I do agree that it saves the problem of storage.

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  3. Great creations, I'm a fan of digi stamps too.
    C xx

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  4. Very useful article Sue, thank you. x
    Lynn x

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  5. I've used digi stamps before but never thought to print direct onto patterned paper, thanks for the tip :)

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  6. I haven't bought any digi stamps, but I have hundreds of freebie ones! Way too much. It's quite rare, that I use them =/ I like the images, but the printer ink bleeds with watercolour pencil (my way of colouring) or smudges with Distress blender. So they don't get printed very often =/

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  7. I'm a digi girl and have been from about 1998, can't go with stamping, my imagination can go riot with digi, but not with stamping, don't know why. Perhaps it's because I can do so much, and, learning about Photoshop.

    I even colour them in PS, so no pens for me either, in fact, being a computer crafter I don't have many toys that I look at and think I must have. I have a Grand Calibur I have used just 3 or 4 times, so that is one expensive toy to me. The only other big toy I have is my Cricut Expression, used with a computer program, so I can cut out shapes when my digis need frames.

    I'm so glad to see more people joining the digi world.

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