Creating Stamps with the Glowforge

For written instructions with images and settings check out this post:
www.daniellewethington.com/mas...
This video will take you step-by-step through the process of adjusting a vector (or other transparent) design for stamp making with the Glowforge using Photoshop. Many other laser cutting software has settings unique for stamp making, but with the Glowforge it's necessary to adjust the file to create proper shoulders on the stamp. Follow along from start to finish including creating the shoulder, adjusting the design in the interface, cutting the stamp backer/base, and final assembly.

[@lisayostcouture8541]

THANK YOU!! This was perfect it all came out amazingly! You are a great teacher straight to the point and quick I had to pause more than fast forward like in most videos!

[@eugenaatkinson2656]

Amazing tutorial! I followed it exactly and my first stamp came out better than expected. Thank you!

[@matthewduffy550]

Excellent tutorial. I am glad you explained the shoulder at the end because I was discounting it the whole time. TFP!

[@Mike-ni2qf]

Hey - just wanted to say, this was super helpful. I used your exact laser settings and everything turned out perfectly. Thanks so much!

[@JehnHenderson]

This was so helpful for my business! Thank you so much for this amazing lesson. I've been able to add a new product to my line. Thank you! I can't imagine why anyone would have given this tutorial a thumbs down. It's pretty much perfect. I've kept this open in my browser and referred back to it many times as I'm navigating this process.

[@HeartlandMakesAndOutdoors]

Good job on this video young lady. Thanks for taking the time to share this with us and I hope you have a blessed week. Dale

[@market544]

I'm working on my stamp now. So far it looks great! Thank you!!

[@stephaniecote4141]

Thank you so, so, so much for taking the time to put together this tutorial. I don't know how I would have figured this out, and your video / blog write up saved me so much time and frustration. I've got my first stamp engraving as I type this and I'm so excited to see it finished.

[@PantheraPress]

Glad it helped! Once you get it right the first time, it's easy - happy stampin!

[@anamolina5536]

Just tried this and it worked wonderfully! Thank You!!

[@jojokaleido]

Amazing explanation! So detailed! Thank you!

[@dougcairns3130]

Paused @5:04 to get settings...everything worked perfectly. Thanks

[@patrickneeds1297]

Thanks for giving the examples of what not to do. That really helps.

[@shellie99]

Thank you so much for sharing this information! I made my first stamp tonight on my Glowforge and it came out perfectly. I can't wait to make more!

[@deniselopez3106]

Did you try it in inkscape?

[@shellie99]

@@deniselopez3106 I used a combination of Photoshop, Inkscape and Illustrator .... that's just what makes sense to me!

[@samperi2468]

Thank you so much for this detailed video

[@theclayprof]

This video was soooooo helpful! I had no idea about stamp shoulders.

[@courtneymcfarland8333]

Excellent tutorial!

[@newcreationsbyjen6163]

Very well put together, thank you so much!

[@sharpstampers5830]

nice work - here from INDIA

[@Whtimiswhtugt]

Thank you, thank you, thank you 🥰 this was horrible trying to figure out in illustrator 😔 AND I forgot about flipping the text 🤦‍♀️, you've saved me a lot of frustration 🤗 Maybe you've figured this out by now, but just in case you haven't, unclick the responsive when exporting. I always do SVG, unless it's a pure engrave, then I don't care what it exports as lol. That way you don't have to resize your design, it's a massive stress reliever and material saver 🥳

[@PantheraPress]

That's a good tip! I'll have to remember to add that in the written tutorial. I typically only use SVGs in web design so I've just avoided them ha!

[@craftsquirrel3418]

Thank you!! this is great!

[@alexaguilar2258]

How can I work around to get the shoulder if I don't have Photoshop? Any help would be appreciated!

[@nicklawrence277]

Good job 👏

[@bobbykoulouris]

great job

[@alissademattie5134]

Awesome!

[@christinahatch9690]

Great tutorial, the shoulder is an important reminder. What rubber did you use?

[@JehnHenderson]

If you google "laserable stamp rubber" it will come up. Amazon carries a couple of options. And you can find it in a 5-pack on eBay. I use the orange A4 sheet and it's worked perfectly!

[@allredfamilyvideos]

This is such great information. Thank you! Do you know if there is a way to create a shoulder in Procreate?

[@deniselopez3106]

Can this also be done using inkscape?

[@angelica462]

could you adhere a bunch of cut and ready rubber parts to the craft foam all on a sheet and just have the glowforge cut them out for a cleaner border? I dont own a glowforge yet, just trying to get an idea

[@PantheraPress]

Yep, you could! It would just change your cut setting and your material height, but it wouldn't be an issue.

[@CurleyRadio]

How big will this machine make a rubber stamp? Ex: 6"x6" max size. Appreciate your help.

[@PantheraPress]

I supposed you could make one as large as 11"x18" but it would take a small eternity.

[@avcomth]

I make rubber stamps for living. And the problem with using the Glowforge for rubber stamps is that it uses off the shelf glass tube CO2 laser source, whereas my Trotec speedy uses the metal RF laser source. The refresh rate of the Glowforge is extremely low compared to that of the RF machines. This will reflect heavily in the machine's ability to engrave very small letters and lines at high speed. I know it's ridiculous to compared a $6000 to a $60,000 machine, but from a technical point of view, rubber stamps are the most difficult engraving job there is for any laser machines.

[@PantheraPress]

I would never recommend the Glowforge for doing this commercially because it's simply too slow. I would probably recommend getting something for flash stamps in that case to start, but this tutorial is primarily for the hobbyist who will be making them here and there. It's the same with letterpress (my other hobby). Yeah people can hand print their wedding invites with a brayer and a spoon but it doesn't compare to a massive printing press running dozens or even hundreds a minute and exactly like you said the level of detail and fidelity are not the same - doesn't mean you cannot do it if you want, but it's still a fun project for GF owners. (And I have the basic so its 2,500 to 60,000 no comparison haha).

[@savanah3835]

Do you know how to do this but with an iPad version of illustrator and photoshop? I can’t figure out how to make this video apply to my iPad illustrator.

[@PantheraPress]

unfortunately, I don't have an ipad so I can't check for you. I don't know what functions the app doesn't have. What's missing on your end?

[@savanahhunter3564]

I’m not even sure. There is no tool bar in either program at the top with like file, image, etc. so it’s really confusing and I can’t find tutorials for the iPad version.

[@TylerHarney]

How is everyone cleaning their stamps. Mine are coming out perfect but they have a ridiculous amount of waxy residue that, no matter what I try, I can't get it to lift. I've tried "Awesome" degreaser, and some of the toughest car detailing chemicals for removing tar and even those don't lift the waxy residue. Stainless steel brush doesn't remove it either.

[@PantheraPress]

Have you tried a different stamp material? A toothbrush and LA Awesome have worked great for me, so I wonder if you have the right rubber. I think a lot of people also use cooking oil oddly enough.

[@heidij3567]

Did you get a flame when it was engraving your rubber?

[@PantheraPress]

you shouldn't have a large flame, I can't recall exactly but when I do my next stamp post I'll be sure to film the actual laser part

[@beheidiful]

Thank you for your reply. I would love to see a video of it making the stamp. 😊

[@safaieapolon3973]

👏👌💋

[@MEM2022]

What is the rubber u used?

[@PantheraPress]

If you follow the link in the description, I have a link or you can just search for laser stamp rubber on Amazon

[@RodrigoVeana]

If you export the file in illustrator with the image and the vector (to cut the rubber) as PDF, you will not need to resize in GF.

[@PantheraPress]

Correct. I do generally do this, but I like to show the issue with sizing.