How to Re-Ink a Stamp: Step-by-Step Instructions for Pre-Inked and Self-Inking Stamps

Knowing how to re-ink a stamp starts with one question: is it pre-inked or self-inking? A pre-inked stamp like an Xstamper gets a few drops of its own oil-based refill ink in specific openings in the mount, then rests for up to 24 hours to reach maximum saturation. A self-inking stamp like a ClassiX has a removable ink pad: lock the stamp down, slide the pad out, add a few drops of matching water-based refill ink, let it soak in, then finish with the steps for your model on the re-inking page.

Don't judge the result right away. Give the ink the absorption time your model's instructions call for before you test the stamp.

How to re-ink a stamp depends on where the ink lives

A self-inking stamp carries its own ink pad. Press the handle and the die plate leaves the pad, turns over and prints; let go and a spring brings it back to the pad. The design is older than most people guess: George van Zandt's 1883 U.S. patent for a hand stamp describes a die plate that moves away from the ink pad, is inverted to print, and is returned by a spring (U.S. Patent 288,385), and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History holds an 1873 patent model for a self-inking hand stamp (National Museum of American History). Because the ink lives in the pad, re-inking a self-inking stamp means re-inking the pad.

A pre-inked stamp has no pad to flip onto. The ink is held in the stamp material itself, and a U.S. patent on pre-inked stamp manufacturing notes that microporous materials are used to make pre-inked stamps (U.S. Patent 7,810,428). We formulate Xstamper Refill Ink to flow through the micropores of the Xstamper's laser-engraved rubber, so you add it through openings in the mount or cartridge.

Our guide to pre-inked vs. self-inking stamps covers which type to buy. For re-inking, the differences look like this:

How can you tell a stamp needs ink?

Part of knowing how to re-ink a stamp is knowing when. Several impressions in a row that stay pale or print with missing areas are often a sign the stamp needs ink: fine lines in a signature or logo start to drop out, or a bold PAID prints speckled instead of solid.

How long a fresh stamp lasts depends on the type. Our custom medical and legal Xstamper stamps are rated for an initial 50,000 impressions, and custom ClassiX self-inking stamps come inked for up to an initial 5,000 to 7,000 impressions. Both are re-inkable, so the first fill is a starting point, not the end of the stamp.

Before you reach for the bottle, stamp a scrap of paper several times. If the impressions stay pale or patchy, the stamp probably needs ink.

Which refill stamp ink should you use?

Use the refill specified for the stamp line and keep the original ink color. Our two stamp lines use different inks: Xstamper Refill Ink is oil-based, and ClassiX Refill Ink is water-based. They are not interchangeable.

Xstamper Refill InkFor pre-inked stampsClassiX Refill Ink2 oz bottle

Ink other than Xstamper Refill Ink can clog the micropores of an Xstamper's rubber and void the Xstamper warranty. For ClassiX, we recommend ClassiX refill ink only, because other inks may damage the stamp.

How to re-ink a pre-inked Xstamper stamp

Re-inking steps vary by model, so identify the mount before adding ink. Some mounts open by pulling off the handle, others by sliding out an impression cartridge, and daters use a base, cap pad or Impression Frame™. Our re-inking instructions page lists the steps for each model. The general sequence for how to re-ink a stamp from the Xstamper line looks like this:

1. Get the right bottle. Use Xstamper Refill Ink in the same color as the stamp. Work over a paper towel.
2. Find your model's ink openings. Depending on the mount, pull off the handle, slide the impression cartridge out of the handle, or remove the cap or base (see the table below).
3. Add the listed number of drops. Rectangle, pocket and Spin'N Stamp cartridges take 2 to 3 drops per opening. Round, keychain and handle-off mounts take 2 to 4 drops. Add the ink through the listed openings only.
4. Finish with your model's steps. Complete the remaining steps in your model's section on the re-inking page.
5. Let it rest. The stamp can take up to 24 hours to reach maximum saturation. We recommend overnight for Xstamper vX stamps and the VersaDater.
6. Test on scrap paper. If it still prints light, give it the full 24 hours before adding more.

How many drops does each Xstamper mount take?

For model-by-model instructions, see the re-inking page. You can also watch our Xstamper Re-Inking Instructions video.

How to re-ink a self-inking stamp (ClassiX)

ClassiX stamps lock with either white buttons on both sides or a single black button on the front. The steps for how to re-ink a self-inking stamp from the ClassiX line:

1. Lock the stamp down. Push down slightly on the top of the stamp and press the locking buttons (white buttons on the sides, or the black button on the front). This lets the ink pad slide out.
2. Slide the pad out. Do it slowly. The inked side is on the bottom, so keep your fingers on the edges.
3. Add ink. Put a few drops of the same color ClassiX Refill Ink on the pad, in a thin layer across the surface. On P05 to P16 models with inkwell slots, put a few drops in each slot.
4. Let it soak in. Let the pad saturate overnight before you use the stamp.
5. Finish with your model's steps. Complete the remaining steps as shown on the re-inking page or in the ClassiX Re-Inking Instructions video.
6. Test it. Stamp scrap paper until the impression is even.

Stamp pads have long worked this way. An 1873 patent model for an inking pad, also in the National Museum of American History, describes elastic stuffing saturated with ink that penetrated the cloth or chamois covering (National Museum of American History).

Stock plastic daters, stock heavy-duty daters and M-Series stamps each have their own ClassiX re-inking diagram, so check the one for your model.

Date stamps, number stamps and industrial stamps

Some daters and number stamps have their own access points and drop counts, so check your model's section on the re-inking page before you start.

VersaDater and XpeDater

Remove the VersaDater's Impression Frame™, slide the impression cartridge out, and put 2 to 3 drops of Xstamper ink in each channel and 2 to 3 drops in either re-inking hole. Reassemble and let it sit overnight. The XpeDater is simpler: a few drops in the base, and a few in the travel cap as needed.

Number stamps and line daters

Xstamper line daters, number stamps and VersaDaters can also be re-inked with the Xstamper Refill Ink Cartridges 5-pack, which comes in red, black and blue.

Two-color die-plate stamps

Put a few drops of the corresponding color ink into the stamp base. Check your model's section on the re-inking page before adding each color.

Industrial F-Series stamps

F-Series stamps, built for metal, glass, plastic and other slick surfaces, take Industrial STSGA Refill Ink, which is not for Xstamper, Xstamper vX or ClassiX stamps. The drop count depends on the model: 1 drop for the F06, 5 for the F11, 10 for the F10 and 25 for the F30.

Re-inking mistakes to avoid

Getting how to re-ink a stamp right comes down to the details in our instructions. Before adding more ink to a stamp that still looks weak, check the bottle, the color, the drop count and the rest time.

The wrong bottle. This is the costly one. Any ink other than Xstamper Refill Ink can clog an Xstamper's rubber and void the warranty, and inks other than ClassiX refill ink may damage a ClassiX stamp.

The wrong color. Always refill with the same color as the original stamp. New ink of a different color would mix with the ink already in the rubber or pad.

Too many drops. Follow the amount listed for your model; some instructions give an exact drop count, while others say "a few drops." Start there rather than adding extra, and let the stamp rest before you decide it needs more.

Too little time. An Xstamper can take up to 24 hours to reach maximum saturation. Give it that time before judging the result.

Replacement pads for ClassiX stamps

ClassiX pads can also be replaced rather than re-inked. We sell self-inking replacement pads by mount number, from P01 through the M-Series, in red, black, blue, green and purple, plus uninked pads.

Frequently asked questions

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