Conventional Stamp Making
Typesetting
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Typesetting on computer
Required software : Illustrator, Xpress, Corel Draw, Freehand…
Required equipment : PC or Macintosh
Positive film printing
Required product : tracing paper
Required equipment : 600 to 1200 dpi laser printer |
Photopolymer processing
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A hard photopolymer plate is exposed to UV light through a negative film
Required products : film, developer, fixer, hard photopolymer plate |
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The photopolymer plate is washed-out |
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Drying : to remove excess of water |
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Post exposure : final hardening |
Premix processing
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The photopolymer plate is pressed into the matrix board to get a mold
Required products : matrix board, release spray, hard photopolymer plate |
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Premix is poured inside the mold, vacuum is made then a felt is placed on top
Required products : premix, felt. |
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Degassing, to remove air bubble from premix material. |
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Premix is gelled inside the press.
Stamps are cut. |
Pre-inked stamp mounting
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Stamps are cut and placed in a mount
Required products : glue, special mount. |
Laser engraved stamp making
Typesetting
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Saisie des différents tampons sur matériel informatique. Logiciels courants : Illustrator, Xpress, Freehand, Coreldraw...
Matériels courant : Macintosh, PC... |
Engraving of micro porous material
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Stamps are engraved
Required product : micro porous material |
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Stamps are cut by laser |
Inking
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Micro porous material is placed inside ink and degassed.
Material pore absorb ink.
Product : ink |
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Microporous material is left to settle.
Ink in excess is absorbed with a paper. |
Pre-inked stamp mounting
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Stamps are cut and placed on mounts
Products : glue, mounts for pre inked stamps. |
COMPARATIVE CHART OF BOTH TECHNIQUES : ADVANTAGES / DRAWBACKS
- Lower cost (equipment 4 times less expensive)
- Once the mold has been made, new copies of the same stamps are inexpensive and quickly made
- Very important relief , appreciated by customers.
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- Urgent stamps are quickly made (within 3 min 30 sec for a single stamp with a 25 Watt laser + 20 min for inking time )
- No manpower required when the laser is working
- With laser engravers, it is also possible to engrave other materials such as wood, plexiglass, plastics...
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- Processing time is the same for 1 or 50 stamps : 1 hour 20 min
- Manpower is more important (several processing steps).
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- Engraving time is very slow : for one A4 size : 2 hours
- Depths and reliefs are less important than with conventional technique
- The price for additional copies of a same stamp is as much important as the price of the first stamp.
- The stamp price is very important due to cost of the machine
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PROCESSING TIMES AND COSTS OF BOTH TECHNIQUES
Processing time for 1 A 4 size
(about 40 stamps) |
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1 hour 20 min
(+ typesetting) |
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3 hours
(+ typesetting)
(with a 25 w laser) |
| Processing time for a single stamp |
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1 hour 20 min
Processing time is not proportional to surface |
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3 or 4 minutes
+ inking (20 minutes)
Processing time depends on the stamp surface |
| Processing time for further copies of a same stamp |
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20 minutes
(it is just necessary to clean the mold, pour premix and allow it to gel ) |
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3 to 4 minutes
inking (20 minutes)
(all processing steps should be made ) |
| Cost for 1 stamp (not including manpower, mount, equipment cost) |
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1.20 Euros |
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1.62 Euros |
Cost for several copies to the same stamp (not including manpower, mount, equipment cost)
- First stamps
- Further stamps
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