Smooth vs Textured Prints
Not all stamps make the same kind of print! Some make smooth, solid prints, and some make textured, bumpy prints. Both are beautiful in different ways.
Smooth prints come from stamps with flat, even surfaces. A potato stamp, a flat eraser, or a wooden block all make solid, clean prints. The shape fills in completely with color.
Textured prints come from stamps with bumpy or holey surfaces. A sponge, bubble wrap, crumpled paper, or a textured cloth all leave interesting marks. The print has spots where there is color and spots where there is no color, making a speckled or bumpy effect.
Why does this happen? A smooth stamp touches the paper everywhere, so paint covers the whole shape. A textured stamp only touches the paper in some spots (the bumps), so paint only transfers where it touches. The gaps and holes do not touch the paper, so they stay blank.