3D letter stamps

[Engine1]

Thoughts on 3D leather stamps... I have been using a set a 1/2 3D letter stamps for a few years now that I bought off eBay. The set has more than payed for its self but as my work improves I find it extremely frustrating how uncentered they are. Is there a difference in 3D letter stamps or are they all from the same suppler. If one is better than the other where is the best place to get the highest quality 3D 1/2 letter stamps. 

Edited December 3, 2019 by Engine1

[fredk]

I suspect that your two examples are from different companies, possibly Tandy and Midas. Was it a 2nd hand set? I'd think that some letters were replaced by the previous owner. Or was it not a boxed set? just an alphabet set?

I stick to one make - Tandy, for all my letter sets except one. My 'runic' set is by Ivan. All are boxed sets and align very well.

On other stamps, the picture ones, I can see a difference in placement and also the support block size between Tandy and Midas. On pictures it does't matter but obviously it does on the letters.

If you can afford it, invest in a new boxed set of alphabet letters, and numbers too, from Tandy or one of their re-sellers. Lay them all out and check their alignment. Send them back if they're not right.

You cannot do any good lettering with those you've shown. - or at least it'll be hard to do.

[dikman]

Obviously not a matched set. The one on the left is larger, with rounded corners and is aligned at the top of the frame, the right is a smaller frame and aligned to the bottom. Chuck 'em out and buy a new set.

[TargetRockLeather]

I'm having a related problem with a new set of Tandy 3/4" letters. I want to stamp the initials SM on the front of a knife sheath. The problem is that the width of the letters varies from one letter to the next. The square backing is fine and the letters are centered reasonably well within the square. I'm talking about the lines of the characters. For example, the S is about 15mm wide while the M is around 25mm wide. The result is that no matter how I center the letters, it always looks like crap. Has anyone encountered this problem before and how would you resolve it? Pictures showing the stamps and also a piece of scrap I was experimenting on.

[fredk]

Generally I find the spacing on the letter blocks are pretty much what the spacing should be, as in sign writing or printing.

On either a few letters or a full name/word I write it out then mark where the centre looks best visually. eg name William. The visual centre is not the second L - the middle letter,  but on the right edge of the first L, allowing for the width of the uppercase W and the width of the lower case a & m

In your case it looks like you are aligning the edges of each stamp to your centre line (bottom set) but you tried to align the visual middle to your centre line (first set of large letters). That first set looks close. I would move the two stamps over to the right just a tad more. The visual centering of these two letters lies in the waste of the S stamp, almost but not quite in the centre of that waste

As you have done, so I do, I test out on a bit of scrap leather how the stamping will look and I adjust till I get it the way I want it. After a bit of experience with certain letters I find I only need to do maybe one test stamping. With an awkward spacing such as yours I then use a marker pen to make an index line on one of the stamps - in this case it would be on the S stamp - to tell me where to centre it.

[TargetRockLeather]

You're right about how I tried to align them. I drew a center line then placed the stamps along side the line, both touching each other. I guess I have to look at them as a pair, not two separate items. My mind wants me to have a precise measurement but in this case that is what is giving me trouble. I like the idea of  making a mark on the stamp. I'll try that and just eyeball it to center the pair. Thanks for the tip!

[TargetRockLeather]

6 hours ago, fredk said:

 I then use a marker pen to make an index line on one of the stamps - in this case it would be on the S stamp - to tell me where to centre it.

I did a quick test using the pen mark as you suggested. I marked the left-most edge of the letter S and the right-most edge of the letter M. Then I measured from the left edge of the leather to the left mark on the S, then the right edge of the leather to the right mark on the M. Got those to be equal and this is what it looks like. Again just a quick test but it looks much better than the other attempts. Thanks again.