Photopolymers are light curable polymers that are manufactured as resins or extruded as uncured solid sheets. These materials are activated to cure from a liquid or solid state with the aid of a light source. The light source is normally Ultra Violet but a unique and special white light curing resin is now available from us. 

In polymer technology, curing refers to the toughening or hardening of polymer by the cross-linking of the material. This occurs by the addition of chemical additives, ultraviolet light or in some cases heat however, photopolymer materials generally require Ultra Violet light to cure. Photopolymer used in rubber stamp making is generally a resin though sheet versions are also available. Some sheet photopolymer do not last as they dissolve over time if in contact with ink and so are not suitable for self inking stamps. Better quality sheet photopolymer materials and the equipment to process these materials are very expensive. Some sheet photopolymer materials require solvents to process and so are regarded as environmentally unfriendly. Solvent wash sheet photopolymers requires different processing equipment and fume extraction is also required. Stamps made using liquid photopolymer generally produce the best quality impressions and the processing equipment is available at reasonable prices.

Stamp making using photopolymer resins or the new photopolymer resin in a bag known as imagepac are relatively easy.  Rubber stamp production is gradually shifting from liquid photopolymer to imagepac as it is quicker and overall cheaper. With the right photopolymer platemaker you will be able to make very high quality stamps consistently, reliably and efficiently.  We provide a detailed instruction / operational manual with step by step instructions with photographs and a DVD with each platemaker showing you how to make negatives, process photopolymer resin and imagepac etc. We provide free training (at our offices) and telephone support.

There are many companies selling stamp making equipment on the net and at various exhibitions. Polymer stamp production is increasingly becoming popular globally, particularly in the craft market. Increasingly low cost stamp making packages are being offered at low prices and are turning out to be major disappointment to those how buy them. Most suppliers are box shifters with no ongoing support or very short term support. We provide unlimited support with no time limits and we supply a wide range of stamp consumables to make it easier for our customers.

Imagepac is an exciting new development that has come to the market in the last few years. It has simplified stamp production as the production method leaves very little room for error. Imagepac does away with foam tape, cover film and film application solution normally required for stamp production. Processing times are reduced by about 50% when using imagepac and so the extra cost of Imagepac is cancelled out by the savings made in labour cost and not having to use foam tape and so forth. As there are no air bubbles in imagepac the possibility of rejects have been reduced further. Imagepac is available in various thicknesses, sizes; colour’s and is available with backing sheet or without (art / craft stamps). We can for a reasonable order make any size and thickness required if the thickness and size is not in our standard list.

Rubber stamps are channeled into two distinct markets. The first is the traditional custom stamp market where stamps supplied either in self inking units or on mounts with handles. These stamps are generally message, name and or address stamps with occasional graphics incorporated within the stamp. The second is the fast growing craft market where the stamps are affixed to wooden or clear acrylic blocks and are used for card making and scrap booking. Art or craft stamps are normally available in collections that generally follow a theme such as flowers, cars, animals etc. They where exclusively made in rubber using the traditional vulcanizing process. The moulding of rubber using a vulcanizing press was very popular because this process lends itself very well to the mass production of the same designs. More recently the market has rapidly moved towards liquid photopolymer resin because the craft market has realized its benefits. Crafters and scrap booker want custom designs and transparent stamps for easy positioning and stamping.

Stamps produced with polymer resin can be produced without a backing substrate and they are very popular in the craft market. These stamps have a permanent sticky backing and so will temporarily stick onto most non porous, glossy and smooth surfaces. One of the potential problems with photopolymer stamps without backing substrate is that it can be stretched and so could tear, however this is a rare occurrence so it should not be an issue. If it is an issue then stamps should be made with the backing sheet when using polymer resin or use imagepac extra which includes a backing sheet. Then use a low tack mounting tape to stick the dies to the mount or use a clear silicone based tape which has longer repeat reusability.

Globally over a Billion US dollars worth of custom stamps are manufactured annually and even with the advent of the paperless office, stamp consumption is going from strength to strength. With the introduction of imagepac with its ease of stamp manufacture has helped expand the market even further.
Globally, the craft and scrap booking market is a multi billion dollar industry. Over the last 10 years or so this industry has expanded by leaps and bounds. New art / craft stamp manufacturers have entered the market and with there different marketing techniques have introduced new customers into an already growing customer / user base.
The expansion of the internet savvy user base and the growing number of forums, auction and shopping sites (EBay, Amazon etc) is helping the wild fire growth of the craft market.
Globally, TV shopping channels like “QVC” and “Create and Craft” among others are further fueling the growth.
The huge increases in exhibitions, fairs, car boot sales, local street markets, craft shops etc are increasing public awareness and sales expansion further.

To our knowledge Polydiam industries is the oldest liquid photopolymer equipment manufacturer in Europe. With thousands of photopolymer platemaker’s in over 80 countries, we are pioneers in photopolymer stamp production. Polydiam have developed and invented a number of processes and technique to improve, speed up, and simplify photopolymer stamp manufacture. Polydiam are one off only, a very small group of photopolymer resin manufacturers in the world and so are a single source for all your requirements.