The world of Decorative Stamps

Stamps are not just for business purposes, there is a whole world of decorative stamps out there to have fun with in your creative pursuits, with an added benefit of a very satisfying tactile experience as you ink the stamp and press it down on the paper. Origins of stamps go back all the way to clay seals of ancient Mesopotamia and later, evolved through woodblock printing and as use of ink developed through the advent of printing press. Ink pads in tins came to be just around the turn of 20th century. First set of modern graphic stamps found their application in classrooms to reproduce educational content, and they have come a long way since. 

Modern stamps can be used across various types of journalling, planning, card making, scrapbooking and all across various crafting activities. They come in various sizes, as large as background stamps to tiny planner stamps. 

We can classify stamps into a few broad categories,

The classic rubber woodblock mounted stamps that evoke dreamy nostalgia and are collected partly for their charm. These are generally high quality, durable and long lasting but also priced suitably. These can be used with ink pads in colours of your choice and are available across sizes. Kodomo Na Kao produces some very cute and whimsical wood mounted stamp designs that will spark joy in your creative works. Check them out here. 

Under this category, also fall functional stamp designs like the calendar stamps from Shachihata which relieve some of the tedious work in planner pages or journals. These are modular in nature and allow you to configure any month easily by switching the numbers around and can be also used as individual number stamps. Shachihata also has the unique 13-in-1 designs rotating stamps which are again mounted stamps that allow you to choose a pattern with a quick turn of the wheel. These come in a variety of different styles, check them out here. 

Clear acrylic stamps (or photopolymer stamps) which are popular because of their ease of use as they allow the user to position the stamp perfectly before stamping. These can also be used with the ink pads and are relatively less expensive to produce. Since these are not mounted, a clear acrylic block is used in conjunction that the stamp clings on to which allows the user to get a good hold on to the stamp for pressing down. Check out our clear acrylic stamps here. 

Hybrid versions like the innovative Kori Jirushi "ice cube" stamps are best of both worlds, with completely transparant parts that allow the user to see exactly where they are stamping but they are mounted already so there is no need for a separate block to be used. Check out the Kori Jirushi collection here. 

There are also a number of pre-inked stamp options like the Shachihata Allemore and Nototo range of products. Available in a few different mechanisms, these come with a way that the rubber remains in contact with the ink pad always ready to go, all in one package. This reduces the hassle of carrying ink pads separately and is also mess free. The Allemore Dater lets you create date entries easily, while the Roller stamps are cute and portable enough to fit into your pencil pouch and let you roll out a pattern in crisp lines to create borders, section dividers and more decorations. 

These Allemore Nototo products will be available at Analogue Us in October 2026. 

This post will be incomplete if we talk about stamps but do not mention ink pads. Ink pads are available in just as many styles and ink colours as the stamps themselves. Shachihata's Warabe mini ink pads as they are super portable and come in a range of vibrant colours inspired by Japanese culture. These cute little ink pads provide a fuss free stamping experience with crisp impressions that are water proof and smudge resistant. They also stack perfectly to allow easy storage. Check out the Shachihata Warabe ink pad collection here.