To make your own rubber stamp, you design the wording or artwork and a custom stamp maker laser engraves that design into red rubber, then sets the die on the mount you pick. At Engineer Seal Stamps (ESS) there are three stamp types: text only, a logo, or both on one die. The die then goes on one of five mount families. This page compares those mounts, lists the order menus in sequence, and covers the proof, lead time and warranty.
Engineer Seal Stamps product desk. Checked against ESS product pages, order options and artwork guidelines. Sources read September 2026.
What does "make your own rubber stamp" mean when you order online?
It means you design the stamp and the maker produces it. You type the text or upload the artwork, and ESS turns that digital design into a laser cut, laser engraved rubber die on the body you selected. Nothing is carved by hand at your end.
That division of labor puts the creative choices with you and the production with ESS. For a text stamp, you enter the lines and choose the typeface, point size, alignment and capitalization from menus, so no design software is involved. For a logo stamp, the quality of the file you upload sets the ceiling on the result.
If you plan to design your own stamp around a logo, read the logo stamp artwork and file guide before you export anything. It explains which files ESS ranks best and which ones it asks you to avoid.
How does ESS make a custom stamp?
ESS cuts each die with a laser and laser engraves your text or artwork into red rubber. The finished die is then matched to the mount you ordered: a wood block, a Trodat self-inking body, or a Slim, Super Slim or MaxLight pre-inked body.
Product copy describes the wood handle and custom rubber stamps as made in the USA. Wood handle stamps are assembled by hand on a stained natural wood mount and come in two ordering styles: by a fixed impression size, or by a line count from 1 to 15 lines, where the finished size follows the font and point size you choose.
Self-inking and pre-inked stamps are ordered by model number instead, and each model has a fixed plate size; most also state a line limit. The stamp size chart by model lists every one of them.
What are the three types of custom stamp?
The first menu on a custom stamp page asks for the type: Text Only Stamp, Artwork / Logo Stamp, or Both Artwork/Logo and Text. Choosing either artwork option adds an upload field to the page so you can attach your file.
Text only covers typed lines such as a return address or a check endorsement. ESS also sells those two jobs as dedicated products, for example the 3 line self inking address stamp and the 3 line self inking check endorsement stamp.
Artwork / Logo engraves an uploaded image by itself. Both combines an image with typed lines on the same die. For the typed part of either text option, the guide to stamp fonts and letter sizes covers the 14 typefaces and how tall each point size prints.
How do the five custom stamp mounts compare?
ESS builds custom stamps on five mount families: the wood handle rubber stamp, the Trodat Printy self-inker, the metal frame Trodat Professional, Slim and Super Slim pre-inked stamps, and MaxLight pre-inked stamps. The comparison chart on ESS product pages scores them side by side.
| Feature | Wood handle | Trodat Printy self-inking | Trodat Professional | Slim and Super Slim | MaxLight | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamped quality | Very good | Very good | Very good | Very good | Excellent | ESS product page chart |
| Where the ink comes from | Separate pad, sold apart from the stamp | Built-in pad; the die flips over to reach it | Built-in pad; the die flips over to reach it | No pad; the die plate holds the ink | No pad; the die plate holds the ink | ESS product page chart |
| Ink type | Any color, special inks included | Water-based only | Water-based only | Oil-based only | Oil-based only | ESS product page chart |
| Repetitive stamping | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Ink has to rejuvenate after several impressions | Ink has to rejuvenate after several impressions | ESS product page chart |
| Moving parts | None | Yes | Yes | Fewer | Fewer | ESS product page chart |
| Heavy duty use | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | ESS product page chart |
| Largest plate listed | 8 x 10 in. | 1-1/2 x 3 in. (4926) | 2-3/4 x 4-1/2 in. (5212) | 1-7/16 x 3-1/8 in. (Slim 3679) | 3-1/8 x 4-1/2 in. (XL2-800) | ESS product pages |
| Glossy paper | Yes, with special ink | No | No | No | No | ESS product page chart |
| Cloth or fabric | Yes, with special ink | Yes, in the cloth marker model | No | No | No | ESS product page chart |
| Warranty | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months | ESS product page chart |
Each family also has a trait the chart does not score. The Trodat Printy has a clear base, so you can see where the impression will land. Slim bodies are slimline, which product copy calls less bulky than a self-inking stamp, and the Trodat Professional uses a metal frame built for heavy duty work.
The chart also rates each mount for logo work. Those scores are covered in the custom logo stamp guide, together with the ink colors each family offers.
What is the difference between self-inking and pre-inked stamps?
A self-inking stamp keeps a pad inside its body, and the die flips onto that pad between impressions. A pre-inked stamp has no pad, because its die plate absorbs and holds the ink. Self-inkers take water-based ink only, and pre-inked stamps take oil-based ink only.
The gap shows up in long runs. The chart rates both Trodat self-inkers excellent for repetitive stamping, while Slim, Super Slim and MaxLight ink has to rejuvenate after several impressions. In return, pre-inked bodies have fewer moving parts, and MaxLight holds the chart's top score for stamped quality.
Durability splits the self-inkers. The Trodat Professional is rated for heavy duty use, but the Trodat Printy and both pre-inked families are not.
Which mount suits which job?
Pick the mount by the work it will do. A self-inker handles long runs of the same impression, the Trodat Professional or a wood handle takes heavy duty use, MaxLight gives the best rated impression, and a wood handle with special ink is the one choice for glossy paper.
- High volume desk stamping: Trodat Printy or Trodat Professional, the two families rated excellent for repeat impressions.
- Heavy duty use: a wood handle or a Trodat Professional, the only two with a yes on the chart.
- A large impression: wood handle stamps run up to the 8 x 10 in. wood handle stamp, and the largest pre-inked body is the MaxLight XL2-800 at 3-1/8 x 4-1/2 in.
- Changing ink colors: a wood handle, since it inks from whatever separate pad you use and accepts any color.
- Glossy paper: a wood handle, used with special ink.
- Cloth or fabric: a wood handle with special ink, or the cloth marker version of the Trodat self-inker.
- A compact body to carry: a Slim or Super Slim pre-inked stamp.
- No mechanism to wear: a wood handle, the only mount with no moving parts.
Once the family is settled, choose the model by impression area and line count. The size chart linked above gives both figures for each model, and the letter height table in the fonts guide shows how many characters fit per inch at each point size.
What are the order steps, menu by menu?
Open the product page for the model you chose, then work down the custom options. They run in this order: stamp type, upload for artwork, border, font, font size, justification, lettering style, casing, fit, proof and special instructions.
- Type of stamp. Text only, artwork or logo alone, or artwork plus text.
- Upload. Shown for artwork orders. Attach your logo or image file here.
- Border. Two choices: add a border, or none.
- Font. Fourteen typefaces, with Arial marked as the most common.
- Font size. A point size menu that shows the character height each size produces, with 12 point marked as the most common.
- Justification, lettering style and casing. Three menus that set the alignment of each line, its weight or slant, and its capitalization. The fonts guide lists every option.
- Fit. Decide whether ESS scales the design to the model or keeps it at the size you sent. The logo guide explains when to use each choice.
- Proof. Request a PDF proof, or select that no proof is required.
- Special instructions. An optional notes box for anything the menus do not capture.
The ink colors on offer depend on the mount family, and the logo guide lists them family by family.
Is a PDF proof worth ordering?
A PDF proof is optional and carries an added fee; the other menu choice is No Proof is Required. It lets you check the layout before production begins, which matters most when the design combines a logo with text or when every character has to be exact.
Without a proof, the stamp is produced from your menu choices, your upload and your notes. With one, you review a PDF of the layout first and can correct spelling, line order or scaling while the die is still unmade.
How quickly does a custom stamp ship?
ESS custom stamp product pages show a lead time of 1 business day and display a Ships by date. How long delivery takes after that depends on the shipping method you choose and the destination ZIP code.
If the stamp has to arrive by a set day, read the Ships by date on the model page before checkout and pick the shipping method to match.
How long is the warranty on a custom stamp?
ESS rubber stamps carry a six month warranty. The comparison chart gives that same six month term to every family in the custom line, so switching from a wood handle to a MaxLight or a Trodat Professional does not change your coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a design file to order a text stamp?
No. A text only stamp is built entirely from the order menus, where you enter the lines and choose the font, size, alignment and casing. The upload field is there for artwork orders.
Is an ink pad included with a wood handle stamp?
No. A wood handle rubber stamp needs a separate ink pad, which is not included. It accepts any ink color as well as special inks, and with special ink the chart approves it for glossy paper and cloth.
How many lines can a custom stamp hold?
It depends on the mount and the model. Wood handle stamps sold by line count go from a 1 line wood handle stamp up to a 15 line wood handle stamp. For self-inking and pre-inked models, the size chart gives the line limit for each one.
Can I order a round custom stamp?
Yes. Round dies are offered on Trodat Printy round models such as the Trodat 46050, on several MaxLight models, on the Slim Stamp 50R, and on wood handles sold by diameter. The size chart lists each diameter.
Are any of the mounts made with recycled material?
Yes. Product highlights for the MaxLight XL2 pre-inked line cite 50% post-consumer recycled content.
Where do I find the size for an engineer, architect, surveyor or notary seal?
A professional seal is not sized like a custom stamp, because each state board sets the size for its licensees or commissioned notaries. Start from the requirements page for your role: professional engineer seal requirements, architect seal requirements, land surveyor seal requirements or notary stamp requirements by state.
When your wording or logo is ready, choose a model in the ESS custom stamps collection and work through the options in the order listed above.
