acrylic stamps VS rubber

Which is best for embossing? Which is best for small detail? As for placement, I hear Acrylic is best because you can see through them, right? Are the acrylic stamps hard to use because they are flat (compared to rubber which have a wood backing)? I'm going to attempt embossing, and want to get the right stuff off the bat rather than wasting $$$. Thanks!

I believe that rubber is better for fine details. I do not use mine with a wood backing, I place them on an acryclic block just like I do my acrylic stamps. Both types will work with embossing, I think it just depends on what type of image you are embossing.

I think the design is what you need to look at before acrylic or rubber. I use both. Sometimes my acrylic do better, sometimes the rubber. I don't think small details work too good with either one and embossing.

Personally I don't see the acrylic being easier to place because they are see through. It is easier for me to hold the block and that makes it somewhat easier than the handle on the rubber stamp.

thanks ladies!

I use both and like both. But by nature of the product the clear acrylics are better for placement because you can see through them. Both are easy to use. I am not sure what you mean by Acrylics being flat? They mount onto clear blocks which make them virtually the same size as wood mounted rubber stamps.

As for the embossing, Bible Kitty is right it is dependent on the image. I don't think and fine detail images emboss all that well. I guess I would suggest Trial and error.

Hope that helps.

Embossing fine detail is completely possible if you have the right kind of embossing powder- they make stuff that's ground up fine for detail work.

I prefer clear stamps so I can get a much greater feel for the placement of the stamp than the wood-mounted ones. Plus with a clear stamp the size block you put it on can be just the right size for holding and positioning, whereas with a wooden block you're working with a grip dependent on the size of the stamp.

Also, with clear stamps you're getting more for your money. You can either buy a big wooden mounted stamp for $14 or an entire sheet of clear stamps.

Listen to the Scrappin Sage. Each embossing powder is different, and the ultra-fine powders can emboss just about anything. The thicker stuff is better for bold lines and less detailed stamps.

I have a ridiculous inventory of both rubber and acrylic. I don't even want to think of how much money is invested in them (Hi, my name is Pooka, and I'm a stamp addict...) but each type has things they're better at.

Acrylic is awesome for constructing images, because you can very clearly see where they're going, and how to place them. You can even shape them a bit to make them curve (depending on the stamp, of course).

But if you're working on things like polymer clay, rubber tends to be best, because the images are cut deeper and provide better texture. This is especially important with mica-shift clays, and for Mokume Gane.

I love my wood-mounts, but I think a lot of it is because they're so easy to see, all those index images staring at me from their shelves. That, and some of mine are over 20 years old.

I've used both kinds for embossing. I prefer the acrylic because i can see where i'm putting it.

Thanks again everyone! Lots of info.

Oh about the acrylics being flat... i figured out yesterday that you use a block. Always learning something, right?