I'm a Kamloops Arts & Crafts Blogger!

Whether I’m sewing, crocheting, card making, painting, or doodling, I’d love you to come join me in my studio in Kamloops, B.C. Don’t forget to check out my free digitals and vintage graphics while you’re here. Enjoy your visit!

Please see my Digital Stamps Info & Terms page for terms of use on freebies and some helpful information on digital stamps.

Digital Stamps Info & Terms


UPDATE: All digital images previously for sale are now free! Click on freebies in the sidebar (or digitals, or vintage graphics).

TERMS:

You are free to sell the items you make with my images provided it is on a small scale, such as a craft fair or small market. There are some limitations - you may not redistribute the digital stamps themselves, including sharing, copying, lending or reselling them in a group, collection or alone or commercially in any way nor claim them as your own. You may, however, use them for classroom or teaching purposes. My images are not to be made into physical rubber stamps or into die-cuts for selling. In addition, If you sell something with my image on it, please give credit for the image to C.Gamble or Beyond The Fringe Crafts (BTFC). 
What are Digital Stamps?

Digital stamps - or digi stamps, are black and white digital images that are downloaded onto a computer where they can be manipulated before printing out. Very much like a traditional rubber or clear stamped image. One additional attraction of a digital stamp is that the images can be re-sized, flipped (mirror image) or manipulated in other ways before printing, and then can be colored the same way a rubber stamped image is colored. 

The nice thing about this is that you can make the image any size you like without loss of quality, instead of being limited to a stamp in one size only. Plus, provided you don’t run out of printer ink, you will always get a true image from a digital stamp.

The most significant difference between digital stamps and traditional stamps is that there is no physical stamp. A digital stamp is just the image. 

Downloading Digi Stamps

Left click on the image in the post  - this will bring you to a larger version of the image on a separate page

Right click on the new image - a new box will come up

Left click on ‘save image as’ - a box with your folders will come up. Choose a folder to put your image into. Then save.

(I save my digital stamps in a folder under ‘Pictures’ named ‘Digital Images.’ You can do this, or save it to any folder you like...just remember which folder you’ve saved it to). 

I try to remember to end my image name with BTFC (BeyondTheFringeCrafts), so that you know where you got it from. When I personally save someone else’s image, I like to include the name of their blog or website so that I know where I found the image in case I use it in a card on my blog. 

*Digital Stamps can require a lot of patience and time to create. So please give credit where credit is due. :)

Other sites have a download button for you to use. Basically you will have to save the file to a chosen location as well, but you will also have to extract or unzip the file. 

The finished images can then be cut out and incorporated into handmade cards, gift tags, scrapbooks and a whole wide range of other  projects.
Coloring Digital Stamps

Digital images will be printed out using normal printer ink and not a specialist rubber stamping ink. Therefore there can be issues with the ink running if a wet coloring method is used. It is possible to heat set printer ink using a heat tool to reduce the likelihood of this happening. Pens, pencils and paints are all suitable for using with printed digital stamps. I have used Copics and markers successfully, but you do want to ensure your lined image is dry, and care should be taken when coloring. Many regularly do this quite successfully without any problem at all.

What about embossing?

Techniques, such as heat embossing are a little bit more work to achieve. The outline of an image can be traced using an embossing ink pen (great little tool!) and the image can be finished as normal. This then opens up other technique possibilities without the worry of running ink.

Difference between Digital Stamps and Clip Art

Clip Art is often created as a finished design that requires little in the way of further embellishment, often with a lower resolution - giving a lesser quality printed image; pixelated when enlarged.

Digital stamps are given a high resolution, thereby achieving  high quality printed images. These can be resized without loss of quality, allowing you to print the image at any size.

If you have a function or event, the same image can be used on the invitations, the napkins, the program, or anything else, without having to buy several sizes of the same stamps. Perfect for weddings, anniversaries, and other events.


Cropping Digital Stamps in Microsoft Word


Another way to use digital stamps is to run them off on designer paper and cutting them out to use on a card. To see this application, click on this post: You've Got Mail

Conclusion

Considering all this, it’s easy to see why digital stamps are becoming so increasingly popular! With so many beautiful free images available, and an additional plethora of paid images, ranging from $1 to about $10 for a set; and given that they can be downloaded in the convenience of your own home any time of day--well, who wouldn’t love them? Digital images are a wonderful option!

Carmen