The Art of Stamping

---

A Comprehensive Guide for Influential and Effective Stamping

by HarmonicSonic

Introduction

If you've spent more than ten minutes on DeviantART, chances are you've seen at least one of those little digital bumper-stickers known to the DeviantART community as stamps.  Stamps, like most other art, run the gamut of genres, types, and content.  Some stamps are humorous, witty, or upbeat.  Others may be cynical and cutting.  Others may be encouraging, inspiring, or comforting.  All stamps, however, have one thing in common: they are a form of communication - a way for us to say something about ourselves to the rest of the DeviantART community.

Stamps, like any form of art, have some guidelines that accompany them.  They are not rules that have to be followed, but some stamps are more effective than others, and there are definite reasons for this.  Learning those reasons can be beneficial for someone who wants to express himself or herself with stamps.  This guide is for exploring some of those reasons, and providing other useful information on how to make your stamps more effective.

While I believe (and certainly hope) everyone can benefit from this guide, it is mainly for those of you out there who are interested in stamps but have never actually made one, or for those of you out there who have only made a few stamps and still do not know the ins and outs of it yet.

Before Reading This Guide...

I would like to reiterate that information I provide in this guide is not a set of rules for stamp making.  It is an art form, and you will find that methods, techniques, and ideas will vary from person to person.  The information contained herein is largely comprised of generally accepted guidelines, personal experience and observation, and my own opinion.  It is not meant to dictate how you must make stamps; my intention is to provide advice and assistance.

So, with that out of the way, and without further ado, let's begin...

Software You May Need

Stamps can be made in a variety of ways, but it's very important for any stamper to have good software.  When it comes to making stamps, MS Paint just won't cut it.  The software needs to be more versatile than that.

The important thing is that the programs should be able to create multiple layers (including text layers), support transparency, and be able to save in specific types of file formats (which we will discuss later).  While you can certainly find other good programs out there for creating stamps, here are a couple of them that I find to be the best:

• Adobe Photoshop
  Photoshop is a powerful image editing program that can create multiple layers and color channels and save in a variety of file formats.  It has been one of the most popular tools for digital artists of all skill levels for many years.  The biggest drawback to Photoshop is that it is outrageously expensive.  The current version of Photoshop (CS5) costs $699.00 from Adobe.  A cheaper, lightweight alternative is Photoshop Elements, which is about $80.00 but doesn't have all the features of the full Photoshop.  You do not need the most current version of Photoshop, however.  I use version 7.0, which is many years out of date, but it is still perfectly fine for making stamps.

• G.N.U. Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)
  GIMP is a completely free, open-source alternative to Photoshop.  It runs differently from Photoshop, but it still works fine for creating stamps.  Like Photoshop, it supports layers, text, and transparency, and it can save in a variety of file formats.

Some stamps are just single, static images, but some include animation.  If you plan on making animated stamps, you will need software to support this.  Here are some possible options:

• Adobe ImageReady
  ImageReady is a program that comes included with Photoshop CS2 and earlier versions.  It will allow you to create frames or import a folder as frames, then save the frames as an animated GIF.  You can also set the speed of each frame, and create "tween" animations between frames.  Unfortunately, Adobe ImageReady was discontinued after CS2, and is no longer available from Adobe.

• Adobe Fireworks
  Fireworks is a program that was originally designed by Macromedia (the creators of Flash) but is now owned by Adobe.  Fireworks, as I understand it, is not exactly the same thing, but it has become something of a newer substitute for ImageReady.  It is available as a stand-alone program or as part of Creative Suite.  If you have CS3 or later, you should be able to use this for animating stamps, as it is also capable of creating animated GIFs.

• Adobe Photoshop Elements
  If you are creating your stamps in Adobe Photoshop Elements, you can also animate them with the same program.  Elements includes a feature for saving animated GIFs, though it is not nearly as sophisticated as ImageReady or Fireworks.

• UnFREEZ
  UnFREEZ is a very simple drag-and-drop program for creating animated GIFs.  I do not recommend it to those who have Adobe programs, though, as it can only set one delay rate for the entire stamp.  (Note: Apparently, this program sometimes triggers a false positive on virus scan software.  As one who used it to create many stamps before I learned how to use ImageReady, I can tell you that it is not a virus, so there is no need to worry about that).

• In addition to these programs, a Google search will probably reveal a number of possible alternatives, either open-source or low-cost, that can edit or animate images.

NOTE:  This guide does not go into detail about how to use the software.  The purpose of this guide is to offer advice for people who want to make stamps - it is not meant to be a technical tutorial for creating them.

Now that you have the tools you'll need, let's get down to brass tacks.

Elements of a Stamp

---

---

This template by zilla774 is one of the most widely used ones available on DeviantART, as it contains many of the standard elements of DeviantART stamps.  (On that note, for those of you who are new to stamping, I encourage you to find a stamp template to use.)  So what are some of the features of this stamp that make it so popular?

Size and Shape
One of the uses of stamps is for being placed with other stamps in a collection of thumbnails on a user's profile page.  For this reason, standardization of size and shape is important.  The stamp size that has come to be the standard on DeviantART is 99 pixels (width) by 56 pixels (height).  While it's true that you will often find vertical stamps, square stamps, round or other nonstandard-shaped stamps, or stamps larger or smaller than 99 x 56, you may notice that, as a general rule, these stamps don't make it into as many stamp collections as standard stamps.  It's not that they're of poorer quality, or that they're not as good as standard stamps, but because of their nonstandard shape and size, they throw off the alignment of other stamps on a person's profile page.

Color
The stamp template uses a good, clean color that's not overly bright.  While you may like colors, you don't want to overdo it with stamps.  A stamp with a background that is bright cyan, or a 100% saturated rainbow, or bright red and green stripes is difficult to read.  If you're trying to get a message across to someone, the last thing you want to do is give that person a migraine from looking at your stamp.  Stamps don't have to be dull, drab colors - this template is a good, solid blue - but they shouldn't be so bright as to be unendurable.

Text
Some stamps use only pictures, but for most stamps, the text is arguably the most important part, as it is the vessel for the message contained in the stamp.  Like any other element of any form of art, there are good and bad ways to utilize text in a stamp.

• Font: This template uses a font called "Tahoma", a pleasant, easy-to-read font that is a standard on most computers.  Variations in the font typeface can be good, but don't pick a font that's unreadable or distracting.  If you do not like the fonts you have on your computer, there are literally tens of thousands of free fonts available to download at places like Fonts101 or Fontspace.

• Position: The text in this template is centered within the stamp, both vertically and horizontally.

• Spacing: The characters are spaced in such a way that they cover the entire width of the stamp space.

• Containment: The text does not squish right up against the border, nor does it go past it.  A stamp is more effective if the text stays a few pixels away from the stamp border.

• Color: This stamp's background is dark enough for the text to be white and still be easily readable.  Text color has similar guidelines to background color - it so bright as to hurt the viewer's eyes.  Additionally, for readable text, it's important to pay attention to the background color.  Use dark text if your background is light, and use light text if your background is dark.

Those are some of the more important aspects to keep in mind when making decisions about the text in your stamp.

Border
This, again, is a standardization matter.  Not all stamps have borders, but it is generally considered to be standard for a stamp to have a ridged border like this one.

Transparency
Okay, this one's a biggie.  Remember when we talked earlier about the importance of software, and that MS Paint just doesn't cut it?  This is where we talk about why.  Stamps should have transparency between the ridges of their borders.  What exactly do I mean by this?  It will be easier to show you.



See how there is nothing outside the border except background?  That is what I mean by appropriate transparency.



These stamps have no transparency anywhere on them.  The one on the left may look like it has transparency, but don't be fooled.  Look at it against a dark background and you will see that it is not transparent.  This may seem like a tiny, insignificant issue, but people who are serious about stamp collecting will look for this.  It shows that you took the time to make your stamp as presentable as possible.

This is why it is important to have the right software.  MS Paint does not support transparency.  The other programs I mentioned do support it.  There is more to it than just the software, however.  Choosing the correct file type is very important, as well.

Some file types that are NOT good for stamps:

• Joint Photographic Experts Group file (JPEG or JPG)
  This file type is better suited, as the name suggests, for photographs and similar images.  It is not appropriate for pictures where each individual pixel is important, like a stamp.  JPG files are compressed when saved, so their quality decreases with each successive save (it's like making a copy of a copy of a copy - eventually it gets very garbled).  Additionally, JPG files do not support transparency of any kind.

• Bitmap file (BMP)
  Unlike a JPG file, a bitmap file doesn't compress, and no pixel information is lost.  However, it is still not a good format for stamps, as it does not support any transparency.

Some file types that ARE good for stamps:

• Graphic Interchange Format file (GIF)
  This is the best type of file to use when creating stamps.  It supports transparency and animation.  GIF files are one of the two standard formats for stampers, especially those creating animated stamps.

• Portable Network Graphics file (PNG)
  PNG files, unlike GIF files, are not compressed.  PNG files also support transparency, though they generally do not support animation unless very specialized software is used (and I don't think any major internet browsers read animated PNG files, anyway).  They are another of the two standard formats, especially for people creating static (non-animated) stamps.

• Aldus Tagged Image Format file (TIF or TIFF)
  TIF files are, in essence, Bitmaps that support transparency.  While I do not recommend them (they are really geared more toward larger-scale projects, like printed ads), they are worth mentioning, as it is possible to make a transparent stamp with them.

Using one of these file formats does not automatically guarantee your stamp will have transparency around it.  You will still need to check outside your border to make sure.  You will also need to make sure, when saving, that any options to support transparency are enabled.

Extras
While they're not always necessary for an effective stamp, they do make a stamp look cleaner and more professional.

• "Scan" Lines
  They give the stamp a little bit of texture without degrading too much from the color.

• Reflective Effect
  Makes the stamp shiny.  'Nuff said.

• Border Effect
  A slight inner glow around the border makes the stamp pop a bit more.

Now that we've covered some of the basic elements of stamps, let's take a quick look at making sure the content is appropriate.

Stamping Ethics

When you are making stamps, you are using words, images, or both to clearly communicate a message.  Like with any form of communication, there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to conduct yourself.

Spelling and Grammar

Yes.  They are important - especially in stamps.  If you don't even care enough about your message to take a few extra seconds checking your spelling and grammar, what right do you have to expect other people to care about what you have to say?

Respecting Others' Property

Using stamps as a medium doesn't change the rules of using other people's artwork.  If you are going to use someone else's work in a stamp you are making, you still need to get their permission, and you still need to follow their rules on providing credit.  If you are using a stamp template, I recommend you always give credit to the maker of the template, unless that person has said otherwise.

Taking Responsibility

You, as the artist, are responsible for your work.  Your audience is not.  If your stamp is unclear and people are misinterpreting it, then it is your job, not theirs, to make it more understandable.  Also, if you are presenting a controversial message, don't whine and complain when you get controversial responses to that message.  If you have been polite and respectful in your opinion, you have a right to expect politeness and respect in return; but if your stamp and/or your artist comments are rude, vulgar, angry, and profane, then don't be surprised when people are that way to you in return.  If you can't handle offensive replies, then don't make offensive stamps.

Conclusion

Again, remember that these are just guidelines and advice.  There are very good stamps out there that don't have any of the elements common to most stamps.

If you ever have any questions, or would like to learn more about stamping, a friendly stamper is rarely very far out of reach here on DeviantART.  There is also a myriad of groups, in varying degrees of strictness and uniformity, dedicated to stamps, and they are usually only too happy to help someone learn more.