Would you like to create your own personal rubber stamp? It’s easy! Learn how it’s done using modelling software and a 3D printer.

Guest Post: This article originally appeared on Photocritic and was written by Haje Jan Kamps. Text and images reproduced with the author’s permission.

As most of you are aware by now, I’m a bit of an all-round nerd, and I’ve been keeping an eye on 3D printing for a while now. Yesterday I took delivery of my printer, and I just wanted to share my first little project with you guys: Creating a rubber stamp. I haven’t really been in love with any of the 3D printing tech… Until the Form 1 came along. Instead of using filament, the Form 1 prints using a technology called ‘stereo lithography’, which means that instead of depositing layers of plastic on top of each other, it uses FRIKKIN’ LASERS to cure an UV-sensitive resin.

Anyway, enough about that – what I wanted to show off, was the end-to-end process of creating a rubber stamp.

Wot I used

❏ MacBook Air

❏ Modeling software: Side Effects Houdini FX, which is a procedural, nodes-based nerdfest of epic proportions (I also tried Blender and 123D, but Houdini ‘clicked’ with the way I can see myself working, so I’ll continue using it for now)

❏ Printing software: PreForm (comes with the Form 1 printer)

❏ Form 1 printer

❏ Sugru

❏ Ink pad

What did I learn?

Well, it turns out that 3D printing is pretty easy. 3D modelling is harder than you’d think. Sugru is brilliant, of course. Learning new things is fun. And I’m looking forward to experiment more with casting, making, 3D printing, and other nerdy endeavours.

Next stop: Inventing and 3D printing some photography gadgets!