Basics, Tips & FAQ

Stamper Selection & Usage FAQs

JustRite is the Perfect "Design-it -Yourself" stamping system. They have an interlocking ribbed grid surface which ensures precision stamping with all images lining up perfectly. Choose from a selection of interchangeable fonts, borders and centers. Stamp designs have a matching interlocking rib which securely locks into place in the grid system on the wooden block.

Assemble your stamping image by simply snapping your border into place by holding it on the mount with one finger as your other finger pushes the border into the border groove. Choose the center you want to coordinate with your border and snap into place. Start at the bottom of the grid and gently snap the rib into the groove, working your way to the top by moving your fingers up the image.

Choose a pre-designed center while customizing the outer border with your own message. Or use our pre-designed border and create your own center message.
Use our font collection to create custom stamping phrases for cards and scrapbooking.

What do you recommend I buy first?

The perfect way to start a collection is with one of our monogramming sets:
JB-08230 Damask Border Deluxe Kit $19.95
JB-08240 Curlz Deluxe Kit $24.95
JB-08250 Special Occasions Kit $24.95

Each set includes a wood stamper, introductory font selection (95 pt & 50 pt font) and a few versatile borders and centers, as shown in the photo.
The next purchase will be a font set to create word borders. Most customers add 6 point small letters JB-08275 - $6.95 to their collection.

For those intimidated by the size of those tiny letters then you should consider the JB-08650 Stamper 2" with our 15 point font which is large and easier to work with.
Most customers will now choose a complete font set in uppercase to create the verbiage they desire. Each set comes with three sizes of alpha characters you can use to design endless monograms and phrases. We have 5 uppercase typefaces. Each uppercase set contains:

95 point letters - 1 of each
50 point letters - 2 of each
25 point letters - 3 of each

Our font collection includes two lower case fonts Times New Roman and Trompe
Paper crafters love the flexibility of our interchangeable designer centers and borders, so your next purchases will be based on personal stamping style. Simply pick their favorite JustRite stamp set and the corresponding size wood stamper.

What are the advantages of purchasing a Font Set?

You always have the ability to create the perfect sentiment without having to purchase a new stamp. Our unique grid system ensures that the sentiments are always perfectly lined up. (Unlike Acrylic Font which is sometimes tedious to get perfectly aligned). This gives the store and consumer a great economic advantage in not having to own as many sentiment stamps since they can design their own.

Is there a reason for the various colors of rubber of your stamps?

The rubber grid on the wooden stamper is color coded to match the color rubber of the coordinating size designer centers and borders stamps.

• 1 3/16" Stamper is gray
• 1 5/8" Stamper, designer centers and borders are all purple.
• 2" Stamper is also purple because it accepts all the 1 5/8" product.
• 2 3/8" Stamper is pink
• 3 1/4" Stamper is green.
• 1 ¾” x 2 5/16” Oval Stamper is pink.
• 2 ¼” x 3 1/16” Oval Stamper is green

The exception to the rule: Our Fonts come in different colors too but you can use any font in any size of our stampers. Font is interchangeable with all our products. However 95 point font is too large to fit in the 1 3/16" Stamper . We have given each of our typefaces a color so that it is easier to put away your letters once you have used them.

Can stamp centers and borders be trimmed?

Some stamp designs have areas of rubber without any graphic images. Some of our designs are not deeply etched which contributes to excess ink coverage. Trim stamps close to the graphic images for best results. Borders & Center work equally well when used in either rectangular or square shapes or when stamped directly on a card. By omitting the border from the stamper and using only the center, your options are greatly increased for many of your centers.

Do your stamps need to be conditioned before use?

Stamps that arrive in clam packaging require little to no conditioning. Some of our earlier products may have required some conditioning depending on a stampers personal preference. Changes in our manufacturing process have made conditioning today unnecessary although some meticulous do it out of habit more than necessity.
If you decide you want to condition here are some tips...

Reverse Image Conditioning:
Stamp an image and set aside for later comparison.
Clean rubber well with a solvent based cleaner.
Using the sanding/smoothing block, sand the rubber firmly, but gently, in both directions. Clean the grit off the stamp.
Clean stamp, sand with side #1 on the file, stamp image again, comparing results. You may need to use side #2 or #3 until you get the image you desire. Each time you sand, you will again see a marked improvement.

How should I store my stamp collection?

We have a Storage Box JB-09000 which has a drawer for holding borders and centers and your font trays can stack on top.

Some customers use Storage Stacking Containers which you can find in the Jewelry department of almost any craft store. Prices vary so shop around - you can find them priced from $1.00 to $3.99. We found some at Wal-Mart, Michaels and AC Moore.
They are available in three sizes - a 1 1/2" diameter stack- perfect for storing our 1 3/16" stamps - each section of the container with stack stamps 5 deep, 1 3/4" stack - perfect for our 1 5/8" stamps which will stack stamps 6 deep and a 2 3/4" stack which is perfect for our 2 3/8" product each section will hold 6 stamps.

We recommend keeping the insert from the blister packaging of our stamp sets and placing them in a binder for easy reference. I would also recommend that you label each section of the container.

We are still searching for the best way to store our larger images the centers of the 3 1/4" stamper will fit in the larger container...but the borders won't.

How do I clean my stamps?

To clean your stamp use a baby wipe, cleaner with a spray top and spritz the top of your image and gently clean it by rubbing it across a scrub pad or paper towel. Use care when cleaning stamps after using a solvent based ink. Solvent cleaners will remove the varnish from our wood stamper and remove our name affixed to the top of your stamper.

How can I get the best impression?

Make sure you stamp surface in inked properly and avoids the extra rubber around the etched image or on the mount. This can best be accomplished by tapping the assembled stamp on you pad. Applying too much pressure on a pad that is heavily inked can cause it to puddle thus over inking and causing an uneven impression. After inking, hold the stamp in one hand and apply firm even pressure. If you are working with a larger stamp a two handed technique may serve you better. Hold the stamp in one hand and press firmly over the entire surface with the other. Be careful not to rock the stamp as it will produce a blurred image.

How do I ink your stamps?

Stampers choose one of two methods based on personal preference. The pressure you use when inking will depend on the type of pad and the amount of ink in the pad. Some pads have higher ink content and are a little more "juicy" especially when new. Others are much drier, especially as they age. The ink surface on some pads is soft while others are hard. Felt pads have a harder surface and require more pressure while foam pads require less pressure due to their softer texture. Start by using less pressure. Over inking will cause ink to get on the un-etched area or places you do not want ink. If this occurs you can try to use a baby wipe of cotton swab dipped stamp cleaner.

One method is to place the stamp upside down with the rubber side showing. Tap the ink pad on the rubber surface being careful to keep the ink on the etched or raised image surface. This is the preferred method because it is easier to monitor the ink coverage on the image. Some stampers prefer the tried and true method of placing the pad on a level work surface and gently tap the rubber face on the pad surface until you get the coverage you desire.

What is the best surface for stamping?

We have found that a flat cushioned surface produces the best impression. Hard surfaces without any flex make getting that perfect impression more challenging. A commercial stamping mat works well but many stampers use a mouse pad or even the daily newspaper for the perfect stamping surface.

Font Selection & Usage FAQs

How do the font pieces fit onto the stamper?

Arrange the font on the stamper and insert by simply snapping the ribs on your font into the grooves of the stamper. Set the border font in the same way. Tweezers come with 6 pt & 15 pt sets for ease for ease of handling.

How do I know the size of the letters in the font sets?

Font trays that come on black plastic trays have a small white label stating the name of the typeface and font size. Trays are stackable for easy storage. Our Small Letter Set which is a 6pt, is not marked with a label.

How do I know which letters (font sizes) fit on which stampers?

You can use any font in any size stamper inside the border area. Font is interchangeable with all our products. However, 95 point font is too large to fit in the 1 3/16" stamper. We have a unique 60pt font size for this stamper. This unique font size comes with the Damask Border Set (JB-08230 & JB-08645). We have a Damask Border Set (JB-07310) which works with any 95pt font.

For creating word borders use this compatibility chart:

Stamper Size / Font Size Compatibility with Border

1-3/16” / 6pt

1-5/8” / 6pt or 15pt

2” / 6pt or 15pt

2-3/8” / 6pt, 15pt or 25pt

3-1/4” / Border does not accept font

1-3/4” x 2-5/16” Oval / 6pt or 15pt.

2-1/4" x 3-1/16” Oval / Border does not accept font

What does font pt size mean?

A font is the combination of typeface and other qualities, such as size and spacing that defines the shape of each character. The height of characters in a font is measured in points, each point being approximately 1/72 inch. The width is measured by pitch, which refers to how many characters can fit in an inch. Common pitch values are 10 and 12. A font is said to be fixed pitch if every character has the same width. If the widths vary depending on the shape of the character, it is called a proportional font.

Point Size / Approximate Ht. in Inches / Approximate Ht. as Fraction

95pt. / 0.88" / 7/8"

60pt. / 0.59" / 19/32"

50pt. / 0.44" / 7/16"

25pt. / 0.31" / 5/16"

15pt. / 0.19" / 3/16"

6pt. / 0.13" / 4/32"

What do the different font colors mean?

Our Fonts come in different colors too but you can use any font in any size of our stampers. Font is interchangeable with all our products. There is meaning to the color of the rubber on the stampers and the borders and centers.
The rubber grid on the wooden stamper is color coded to match the color rubber of the coordinating size designer centers and borders stamps.

• 1 3/16" stamper is gray
• 1 5/8" stamper, designer centers and borders are all purple
• 2" stamper is also purple because it accepts all 1 5/8" border and centers
• 2 3/8" stamper is pink
• 3 1/4" stamper is green
• 1 3/4” x 2 5/16” oval stamper is pink
• 2 ¼” x 3 1/16” oval stamper is green

How do I line center my border wording to minimize moving letters and making adjustments?

We can take a lesson from our designer Heidi Blankenship. Visit her blog at http://embellished-dreams.blogspot.com/. It's really very easy, Just write out what you want the word/sentiment to be and then cross off the letters from side to side until you find the center point.

Also don't forget to count the spaces in between the words. Once you find the center point then place that stamp in the wood stamper and then fill in the stamps on one side and then go to the other side. This is so much quicker and easier than putting all of the letters in and continuously moving them a little until you can get them centered. Notice in the illustration below, we made setting the border even easier by use one of our Demi Phrases (pre-set half border) which does a lot of the work for you. We only set up the word border for our personalization at the bottom of the stamper.

Stamp Troubleshooting FAQs

What causes font to fall out of my 2” stamper when I turn it over to use it?

In August 2009 we discovered one our molds for making 2” stampers was faulty. The mold created one section on the circular border, on this size only, which was too wide and caused it not to properly hold 6pt or 15pt font. The mold has been replaced. A few of these stampers got into the marketplace before we detected the fit issue. If you have one you feel is faulty, please contact us for a replacement. This only occurred on JB-08650, 2” Stamper with 15pt font set. (sales@justritestampers.com)

How do I prevent ink smudges when I stamp some images?

Some stamp designs have areas of rubber without any graphic images. Some of our designs are not deeply etched which contributes to excess ink coverage., depending on your ink application technique. To minimize the extra ink simply trim stamps close to the graphic images.

Why does the foam the rubber and the stamper appear uneven?

We recently added a thicker layer of foam between the wood stamper and the rubber containing the image. The purpose is to give more ìcushioningî to facilitate better impressions. When a heavier object is placed on top of the stamper (sometimes in shipment the foam can become compressed and appear uneven. This does not affect the quality of the impression.

If you are in a hurry, a few seconds of gentle heat exposure with a craft heat tool or hair dryer will make it spring right back to its original factory specifications. If you simply leave it unattended for a day it will spring back on its own.

Why do some of my 95pt font pieces not ink up as well as the smaller ones?

In our manufacturing process we use a release agent in molds when vulcanizing the stampers. This release agent is usually burned off in the finishing process. Occasionally is not burned off completely on the larger font pieces. This results in a slight invisible residue. Through normal use this coating wears away with normal inking and a few stampings. To remove it wipe the font piece with a bit of solvent-based cleaner or gently rub with smoothing block/sander (the kind used for fingernails). Be sure to remove the grit before stamping.