Create Custom Stamps with Your Laser: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to make your own custom stamps? Whether you’re crafting for fun or business, laser engraving stamps is a satisfying way to personalize cards, packaging, and more. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process from start to finish, covering everything from selecting materials to assembling your final product. Plus, we’ll share insider tips to help you get the best results with Craft Closet’s materials.

Why Choose Laser Engraving for Making Rubber Stamps?

Laser engraving offers several advantages over traditional hand-carving methods:

• Precision and Detail: Lasers allow you to create intricate designs with sharp lines and crisp details that would be difficult to achieve by hand.
• Speed and Efficiency: Laser engraving reduces the time needed to create a rubber stamp, meaning you can produce multiple designs quickly and easily.
• Versatility: Laser engravers work with various rubber stamp materials, including natural rubber and synthetic photopolymer, offering flexibility depending on the desired impression depth and ink type.

Step 1: Choose the Right Stamp Material

The most important step to creating a durable and high-quality stamp is selecting the right material. We recommend using Craft Closet’s Rubber Stamp Sheets, available in both dark and light varieties. These rubber sheets are laser-safe and specifically designed for creating sharp, detailed stamps. You can find them here.

Both options are ideal for laser engraving and will ensure clean, crisp stamp impressions.

Step 2: Design Your Stamp

Once you’ve chosen your material, it’s time to create your design. Using vector software like Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, or Lightburn, you can design your own stamp or import pre-made SVG files. If you're new to design, keep your image simple and bold to ensure a clean stamp.

Pro Tip: Always mirror your design before engraving, especially if it includes text. This ensures the stamp will read correctly when pressed onto paper.

Once your design is ready, import it into your laser’s software. For our test, we used Glowforge, resized our design to about 1 ½ inches, and inverted the image to prepare it for stamping.

Step 3: Set Up the Laser Engraving Process

Now that your design is ready, it’s time to set up the laser for engraving. Laser engraving gives you the precision needed for sharp lines and detailed designs, but you’ll need the right settings for your material. Below are the recommended settings for both dark and light Craft Closet Rubber Stamp Sheets, depending on your machine:

Glowforge Basic (40-watt):

• Dark Settings:

  • Focus: 0.09
  • Engrave: 250 Full Power, 270 LPI
  • Cut: 160 Full Power

• Light Settings:

  • Focus: 0.09
  • Engrave: 200 80% Power, 270 LPI
  • Cut: 140 Full Power

Glowforge Aura and Spark:

• Dark Settings:

  • Focus: 0.09
  • Engrave: 30 speed, 10 power, 270 LPI
  • Cut: 10 speed, 10 power, 4 passes

• Light Settings:

  • Focus: 0.09
  • Engrave: 30 speed, 10 power, 270 LPI
  • Cut: 5 speed, 10 power, 4 passes

Laser Calibration:

Before engraving, calibrate the laser focus to ensure accurate engraving depth. Proper calibration ensures your engravings have the detail and depth necessary for a clean, crisp stamp. Most lasers allow you to adjust the focusing distance manually or automatically—make sure to follow your machine’s instructions for this step.

Ventilation:

Since engraving rubber can release fumes, it’s important to have proper ventilation. Ensure your workspace has an adequate exhaust system or use your laser’s built-in air assist to help with smoke and fumes.

Step 4: Test and Fine-Tune the Settings

Before committing to engraving your entire design, it’s a good idea to run a test engrave on a small piece of scrap rubber. This will help you dial in the best speed, power, and resolution settings for your specific material.

Testing first will save you from wasting larger pieces and allow you to make any necessary adjustments before the full engrave. Small tests also give you the opportunity to check whether the engraved areas are deep enough to avoid ink transferring from recessed areas when you stamp.

Step 5: Engrave and Cut the Stamp

Once your settings are dialed in and you’ve done a test, start engraving your stamp design. After the engraving is complete, the material may appear dusty, but don’t worry! Simply brush off the dust with a soft brush, or clean the stamp under running water using a toothbrush or soft scrub brush.

Next, cut out your stamp shape. You can create a simple square or customize the shape around the engraved design. Leave a small margin around the engraved area to ensure the stamp remains stable during repeated use.

Step 6: Attach the Stamp to a Handle

For ease of use, it’s important to attach your engraved stamp material to a handle. We recommend using clear acrylic handles in either 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch thicknesses for a sleek, professional look. You can find the 1/4 inch acrylic here and the 1/8 inch acrylic here. These acrylic handles provide a durable, transparent finish that complements your custom stamps.

Alternatively, you can also make handles using any of the wood materials available through Craft Closet. Explore the wood options here to match your stamp design with a natural, sturdy handle.

Simply cut your handle material to the desired shape and size, then use strong adhesive like super glue to attach the stamp to the handle.

Step 7: Test Your Stamp

Now that your stamp is assembled, it’s time to test it! Use an ink pad and press your stamp onto paper. Apply even pressure to ensure a clean transfer of the design. If any ink transfers from the engraved areas, you may need to adjust your laser settings and engrave deeper.

Here are some tips for getting the best results:

• Use high-quality ink pads for crisp, clean prints.
• Make sure the engraved areas are deep enough to prevent them from transferring ink during stamping.

Pro Tips for Stamp Making:

• Mirror Your Design: Don’t forget to mirror text or directional graphics before engraving to ensure they stamp correctly.
• Test Before Final Engrave: Always perform a test engrave on scrap material to fine-tune settings before engraving your final piece.
• Cleaning and Maintenance: Keep your laser engraver’s lenses clean and regularly maintain the machine for consistent results.

Creative Uses for Custom Stamps

Once you’ve made your own stamps, the creative possibilities are endless! Here are a few ideas to spark your imagination:

• Custom Stationery: Create personalized address or monogram stamps to add a unique touch to your correspondence.
• Gift Wrapping and Packaging: Make custom stamps for gift tags, wrapping paper, or boxes to elevate your gift-giving.
• Crafting and Scrapbooking: Use your stamps to decorate cards, invitations, or scrapbook layouts.
• Home Décor: Get creative and use custom stamps to embellish fabric, frames, or wall art.

Final Thoughts & Share Your Creations!

Now that you’ve mastered the art of laser-engraved stamps, we can’t wait to see what you create! Share your stamp projects in our website gallery or tag us on Facebook and Instagram at @CraftClosetSupply. We love seeing our community’s creative ideas in action, and you may even be featured on our social media pages!

Happy stamping, and be sure to experiment with different designs and materials to truly make your projects one-of-a-kind!