Essential Clear Stamp Information
California Clear Stamps production equipment is set up on an 8″ x 12″ grid. Our most popular size templates are:
4″ x 6″
4″ x 3″
6″ x 8″
Your art can fill the entire area, but any art that falls outside the grid may not be usable. When sending in your work, please take care to check your overall dimensions. Cal Clear Stamp will also check at the time the negative is made, and you will be contacted if we spot a problem.
Find Templates here
Glossary of Terms
Image: The part of the stamp that absorbs ink to transfer to a different medium. It is actually only half of the completed stamp. The drawing you want to be turned into a stamp will be the image.
Base: The second half of a completed clear stamp. The base surrounds the image on all sides creating a platform for the image to form on and gives it extra strength so your stamps will look perfect even after thousands of impressions.
Negative: The film that is output containing your artwork that we will use to form your stamps. They are made in the exact same way old pictures used to be developed, black room and all! This ensures we are able to reproduce all the detail in your artwork.
TIFF: Stands for Tagged Image File Format, it is our preferred format when receiving artwork. We can work with any format but TIFF is the printing industry standard.
Hinge: A clear adhesive label applied to the top of the stamp set that creates a “folder” for easier storage by the end user.
Header: A piece of heavy cardstock with company name, logo, and various other information that goes in the bag with the clear stamp. This is what the end user will see when the stamps are hanging on store shelves.
Photopolymer: A liquid polymer that changes properties when exposed to UV light. These properties are perfect for ink transfer and to maintain a natural stickiness to ensure a solid hold on your acrylic block. Your stamps start their life as a liquid!
Clear Bag: All of our fully packaged stamps come in a 1.6 mil thick food safe plastic bag with convinient hang tab on top for easier display.
FAQ
How do I know my file has been accepted? We will review your file by the next business day after submittal. We will let you know if there are any issues within 48 hours.
What is the “image file” and the “base file?” The IMAGE file is the part of the stamp that will tranfer the ink to whatever medium you are stamping on.
The BASE file is what gives your stamp support and structure. It is a black “blob” that goes all around your image and is formed on the machine before the image is formed. The base is like your canvas which you draw your image on and just like in painting the better the canvas the more the art pops!
What is the lead time on samples?Samples are shipped within 2 days of the artwork being approved and are shipped using USPS Priority Mail which is a two day service for most of the country.
Do I need to set up the 8×12 or can I send in one individual set and base? We would prefer that you send us the artwork ready to be turned into a negative but we understand that may not always be possible. We have created several templates to make the process as simple as possible. Simply pick the size you want and add your artwork to the template, if we need anything else we will contact you. If you are having trouble with our templates give us a call and we will guide you through the process!
Artwork
Resolution
Artwork should be 300 DPI minimum to ensure all detail is captured.
Color
Artwork must be submitted in Black and White.
Minimum Line Thickness
Minimum line thickness of 1.25 pts.
California Clear Stamp prefers to work with TIFF files. If you must submit a different file type, please contact us at support@calclearstamp.com and we will make every attempt to work with you.
Please allow 48 hours for approval of files. We will email a confirmation when the file has been approved. If there is a problem with the file, we will contact you to resolve it.
Preparing Your Artwork
California Clear Stamps production equipment is set up on an 8″ x 12″ grid.
This means your art can fill the entire area, but any art that falls outside the grid may not be usable. When sending in your work, please take care to check your overall dimensions. Cal Clear Stamp will also check at the time the negative is made, and you will be contacted if we spot a problem.
Resolution
All lines must be black. Please go over all line art with a black pen to ensure that full detail is detected by the scanner. Scan art at 300 DPI and save as PDF. Ensure that scanner is free from all dust and debris. Examine the scan before submitting it. Lint and dust can cause imperfections in the final image.
Clear Stamp Mask Guide
Please include a separate guide which indicates the outlines of the individual stamps so that masks can be built correctly. Name each file identically with each file ending in either _stamp or _base.
We look forward to providing you with the highest quality custom clear stamps!
