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Frequently asked questions
What type of stamp do I need?
This depends on what it is that you are trying to mark. If you are marking jewelry, be specific. Are you marking inside ring shanks? Then you need a stamp for this purpose. See the items for ring marking section in the products guide. Are you marking flat surfaces? Then you need the Makers Mark stamp. If you are stamping tags, the Maker's Mark stamp is the stamp for you.What should I have on my stamp?
The choice is up to you. Many people want their company logo or trademark. Individuals may just want their initials or signature. You can send us artwork if there is a certain way it should look, or we can typeset it for you. If you are using a stamp for a small area such as inside a ring shank, a rule of thumb is to keep it simple. The more complex the design the harder it will be to distinguish what it is or what it is supposed to say given the small size. Fonts such as Old English aren't generally advised to use. Although we can engrave almost anything you need, as far as legibility, the simpler and cleaner the format, the easier it will be to read.
What size is visible without magnification?
Generally, block lettering that is .5mm tall can be seen with good light and 20/20 vision without the use of a loupe. Some individual can read even smaller than this without magnification but as a general rule, figure that any size smaller than .5mm will require the use of a loupe.
Can I see a sample impression of how my stamp will look before I purchase it?
To do this, we would have to actually make the stamp first, and if it appeared too large or too small for you, you may then want to have us re-engrave it at a smaller or larger size. We would have to charge you for another stamp. Therefore, it is imperative that you provide us with artwork exactly as you want the stamp to look, then, let us know the desired size. All sales are final on custom work.
I have a STERLING stamp and my logo stamp, both are .5mm but I can barely see my logo. The STERLING stamp appears much larger. Why?
Again, the more complex an engraving, the harder it will be to read. For example, if you have a logo that is circular in shape, with something inside it such as a letter, number or unique design, and the circle is .5mm, and you stamp an item with this, and directly to the right or left of this image you stamp a plain block lettering stamp of the same character height, (in this case .5mm) such as STERLING, the STERLING stamp will give the illusion of being much larger because it is only capital block lettering, not a design, and it is much easier for someone to read letters than to try to determine what a certain graphic image is supposed to say or be. If you are stamping text next to a logo, a good idea is to order the logo stamp slightly larger than the text stamp to give a nice look without having the text over power your logo
Can I have my signature on a stamp?
Absolutely! Many individual want their signature on a stamp so they can impress their work. Keep in mind the legibility issue. On paper, you or someone else may be able to read your signature, but when you have it engraved in small sizes of 1mm or below, it can be very hard to read until it is magnified.
You have several items for stamping inside rings. Which item would be best for me?
This depends on what it is you want to say on the stamp. The most popular items for stamping rings are our Ring Stamps, and our Ring Marking pliers. If you just need a few letters or numbers, or a small logo, these two are definitely the stamps you want to consider.
My logo is fairly intricate and my jewelry is on the large size. 6mm wide ring shanks and larger. Can I have a non-micro size stamp?
Yes you can, however, the larger the stamp, the more pressure will be required to make an impression into the metal, unless you are stamping into wax for casting. If you use a Ring Stamp that is applied by striking it with a hammer, or the Ring Marking Pliers which uses squeezing pressure, the pressure requirements are still the same for the same size logo. You may not be able to exert the necessary force required if you use a large stamp, or worse, you may damage your ring in the stamping process. Again, the simpler the better.
What is the smallest you can make my logo?
We would have to see the logo before knowing how small we can make it, but in most cases, we can make it so small that you cannot see it until you magnify it, so please specify how visible you need it before asking how small we can make it. We can engrave block lettering as small as .25mm or .010 inch character height.
How large can you make my logo
The Makers Mark stamps can be as large as 3/4", the Ring Stamps can be up to 1/4" but I don't recommend going this large with a Ring Stamp. For Ring Stamps, try to keep the overall length of your desired size smaller than 6mm. This will ensure that it will work on a larger variety of ring sizes.
How can I provide you with my artwork so you can give me a quote?
You can mail, fax or e-mail your artwork to us. Tell us what type of stamp you need, and tell us what size you want the final image to appear. Try to send artwork 10 times larger than the actual size you need. For example, if you want your logo on a Makers Mark stamp to be 1/8" tall, send your artwork at 1.25" tall or thereabouts. DO NOT send actual size artwork. The artwork should be black and white line art, and have no shading. For tags, send your artwork at about 2.5 inches across.
I have my favorite font in Word, can I send you a Word document of my logo?
The only way we can see your font in a Word document, is if we have that same font in our system. We may, or may not. If we do not, we can't see what your font looks like. Give us the name of the font because we may have it on file. The best way to send any artwork via e-mail is to save it in a graphic format such as JPEG, GIF or even in Photoshop format. Even the simplest graphics programs should allow you to save in JPEG or GIF format. If you aren't familiar with graphics programs, you can always print your format and fax it to us. This way, we see exactly what you are seeing, and in most cases, can work from a faxed logo without any loss of quality.
I want to register my logo. How do I do this, or how do I know that someone else isn't currently using it?
The best place to start is to visit the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website. This website is very informative and can help you get the necessary info that you need. You will find them at http://www.uspto.gov/
Do you sell any gold filled tags for jewelry?
I have a Makers Mark stamp and I'm stamping my tags, but I barely see more than a scratch on the tags. Why is this? Is the stamp defective?
If you stamp an item and only see a faint image, this means that you did not give it enough pressure. Use a heavier hammer, do not use a rubber mallet or raw hide hammer. Make sure that whatever you are striking is on a firm surface such as an anvil or steel stamping block. Wooden desktops or rubber padded desks are not ideal conditions for stamping metal. The desk will absorb most of the impact, requiring you to hit the stamp with more force, and anything that isn't glued to the desk usually goes flying during the stamping process. Some people do their stamping on concrete floors or cinder blocks. Although it sounds funny, it can work. The item being struck takes all of the impact. Invest in our new stamping block. They're inexpensive, and very effective.
Wait a minute, why then, did you discontinue your anvil all of a sudden? where am I supposed to get one now?
Excellent question, and we have great news for you. First, yes, we discontinued the very popular 8 lb. anvil because the company we were buying them from stopped production of it for financial reasons. It was also not financially viable for us to carry it because of the work we had to do on them once we receieved them, we basically took a small loss on each one. But they worked great and customers loved them so we kept selling them. Another factor was, although it was a great product, it was expensive to ship, being 8 lbs., which turned many potential buyers away, especially international customers. So our solution so far is a huge sucess. We have steel stamping blocks that work equally as well as the original anvil, with less than half of the weight, and a much lower cost making them affordable to anyone.
Why are your 5mmx9mm sterling tags priced less than your 4mmx9mm tags?
The 4mmx9mm tags cost us a little more to carry because we are the manufacturer of them so it's basically a matter of economics. We simply have to sell them for more because they are more expensive for us. The real difference is that it has a slightly smaller, sleeker elegant shape without being as "round" as the others.
Do you stamp the tags with my logo?
We do not offer the service of stamping the tags with your logo stamp. We supply you with the tags that are blank, and we will manufacture a custom stamp with your name or logo on it. Its really simple for you to do. One strike is all it takes to get a great impression. Send us your artwork for a quote on a Makers Mark stamp.