Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against Acorn Sales product catalog, self-inking, pre-inked, slim pre-inked and wood handle rubber stamp range: 47,407 published products priced $3.95 to $449.95, median $26.95, read against a 160 product sample spanning Trodat, Slim, PSI, Shiny and ASC mounts, September 2026. on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
Buy self-inking if you want one tool that does everything, pre-inked if you want the cleanest impression and the longest run between refills, and traditional rubber with a separate pad if you need to change ink colors or stamp fabric, glass or metal. In the sample we checked, a Trodat self-inking stamp is $26.95 and the listings state up to 10,000 impressions with a choice of 11 ink colors. A Slim or PSI pre-inked stamp is $29.95 and the listings state up to 15,000 impressions in five colors: red, blue, green, purple and black. A wood handle rubber stamp is $24.95 with the ink pad sold separately, and a Shiny wood handle stamp is $21.95. Across the whole cluster of 47,407 published products the range runs $3.95 to $449.95 with a median of $26.95, so the mount decision sits close to the middle of the catalog either way.What these are for
This is the decision that comes before every other stamp decision. The buyer already knows what the stamp should say, a return address, a logo, a craft message, a three line business block, and now has to pick the body it lives in. Three groups dominate. The first stamps in volume at a desk, mailing invoices or addressing envelopes, and cares about impressions per refill and how fast the stamp is to use one handed. The second is a crafter or small maker who changes ink color constantly and stamps on tags, fabric and packaging, which pushes toward a loose pad. The third is buying a gift or a wedding stamp and is choosing mostly on how the object looks and feels in the hand. All three are looking at the same artwork in the catalog; only the mount differs.
The ranges we stock
Self-inking stamps, $26.95
The self-inker holds a small inked pad inside the housing, and the die flips onto the pad between impressions. The listings describe up to 10,000 impressions from a stamp before it needs attention, one smooth press per impression, and 11 ink colors to choose from. What keeps it alive is the pad: the listings call it a removable, reinkable, replaceable ink pad and several describe a quick swap that takes seconds, so the stamp is refreshed either by adding ink to the existing tray or by dropping in a new one. Every self-inking product in our sample is a Trodat at $26.95, examples being the Self-Inking Cultivate Inner Joy Note Card Stamp and the Self-Inking Birthday Confetti Blast Crafting Stamp.
Pre-inked stamps, $29.95
A pre-inked stamp has no pad at all. The die itself is a porous plate holding the ink, which is why the listings describe the impression as high definition and the action as smooth and quiet. The figure the catalog repeats is up to 15,000 impressions before a refill, five thousand more than the self-inker, and the ink is described as oil based. The PSI listings add a detail the others do not: PSI pre-inked ink is driven by what the catalog calls flash technology. Color choice is narrower here than anywhere else in the range, five colors against eleven: red, blue, green, purple and black. The PSI Pre-Ink Fun Friday Frolics Customized Return Address Label Pre-Inked Stamper is $29.95, as is the Lovebirds Embrace Personalized Three-Line Wedding Pre-Inked Stamp.
Slim pre-inked stamps, $29.95
Slim is the same pre-inked mechanism in a thinner body, and the listings sell it on where it goes rather than on what it does. Thirty-one of the Slim listings in our sample describe slipping into a purse, pocket, desk drawer, craft tote or travel bag. The specification matches the PSI stamps exactly: 1-5/8″ square face, up to 15,000 impressions, five ink colors, oil based ink, no separate pad. The Slim Pre-Inked Courageousquips Customizable Address 3 Lines for Envelopes Stamper and the Elegant Night Script Personalized Three-Line Slim Pre-Inked Square Stamp are both $29.95. Slim is the largest group in our sample at 79 of 160 listings, which is a fair signal of what the catalog sells most of.
Traditional rubber with a separate pad, $24.95
A wood handle stamp is a laser engraved rubber die on a wooden block with a black ergonomic handle, and nothing else. No pad, no spring, no housing. The ASC listings say the ink pad is sold separately and treat that as the selling point rather than an omission: detachable and quick change pads let you swap colors in seconds, and the die will take stronger inks to stamp on fabric, vinyl, glass, metal and other non-absorbent surfaces, which no self-inker or pre-inked stamp in this range claims. One listing puts the durability case plainly, describing a stamp built for lasting use with no tiny internal parts to break. Examples at $24.95 include the Wood Handle Purpose Driven Creation Party Favor Stamp and the Wood Handle Jolly Holiday Script Cardmaking Stamp.
Shiny wood handle stamps, $21.95
The Shiny group is the cheapest mount in our sample at $21.95, and it is a wood handle stamp with its own details. The listings describe a precision laser engraved rubber die, a comfortable pine wood handle and a sleek dust cover to keep the die clean, and state that the die takes both water based and permanent inks. Most of these listings say the ink pad is sold separately; one, the Colorado Mountain Roots Personalized 3-Line Rubber Stamp with Wood Handle and Ink Set, includes an ink set, so read the title before you assume either way. All eight are $21.95 and all are 1-5/8″.
Brand families in this range
Five brands account for the whole sample: Slim at 79 listings, PSI at 35, Trodat at 24, ASC at 14 and Shiny at 8. Mount and brand line up exactly. Trodat is the self-inker, PSI and Slim are the two pre-inked bodies, and ASC and Shiny are the wood handle stamps. None of these listings quote a brand warranty, so the house terms apply: Acorn warrants rubber stamps for six months and embossing seals for two years. Other brands exist in the wider catalog, and the ink range names MaxLight alongside Slim on the pre-inked side, but the 160 listings we checked here do not cover them.
How to tell which mount you are buying
The end of the product URL is the mount code, and it is the fastest way to confirm what is in the box. A handle ending in -si is the Trodat self-inker, -slim and -psi are the two pre-inked bodies, -r is the ASC wood handle, and -duo is the Shiny wood handle. This matters because several titles name more than one mount. The Personalized Lovebirds Custom Address Stamp is titled Square Wood Handle or Self-Inking, and its handle ends -si at $26.95. The Rustic Barn Silhouette listing reads Farmhouse or Slim Pre-Inked Stamper and its handle ends -slim at $29.95.
Sizes and dimensions
Every one of the 160 listings we checked states the same impression size: 1-5/8″ square. That holds across all five mounts and both price extremes of the sample, from the $21.95 Shiny wood handle stamp to the $29.95 Slim and PSI pre-inked stampers, and it means artwork moves between mounts without redrawing. The listings describe the layout inside that square as a three line block in 47 of the 160 cases, which is the standard format for a name and address or a business block. What the listings do not state is the outside dimension of the mount itself, the handle height on the wood stamps or the body depth on the Slim, so if a stamp has to fit a specific drawer or a gift box, the catalog is silent and you should ask.
How many impressions you get
The two figures the catalog states are 10,000 and 15,000, and they split cleanly by mechanism. Trodat self-inking stamps are described as giving up to 10,000 impressions, a figure that appears in 22 of the 24 self-inking listings, sometimes phrased as 10,000 imprints per pad and sometimes as 10,000 impressions before a refill. Pre-inked stamps are rated higher: up to 15,000 impressions appears in 45 of the 79 Slim listings and 23 of the 35 PSI listings. One PSI listing states 15,000 impressions with no refills needed, while most pre-inked listings say 15,000 before a refill, so treat 15,000 as the working life of the ink charge rather than the life of the stamp. Traditional rubber stamps carry no impression figure at all, and that is correct rather than an omission: the die does not hold ink, so the number depends entirely on the loose pad you pair it with and how often you re-ink it.
Ink and colors
Color choice is set by the mount. Self-inking Trodat stamps are listed with 11 ink colors, described variously as vibrant, fade resistant and quick drying, though the listings do not name all eleven. Pre-inked Slim and PSI stamps are listed with five: red, blue, green, purple and black. Wood handle stamps have no color of their own, because the color comes from whatever pad you buy, and the Shiny listings state the die takes both water based and permanent inks. Then there is the rule that ruins stamps. Acorn stocks three incompatible ink families and the catalog says so on the ink pages themselves. Water soluble rubber stamp ink is for traditional rubber stamps and self-inkers only. Pre-inked ink is for MaxLight and Slim pre-inked stamps only, and it will clog a felt pad. Oil based numbering machine ink is for metal dies in numbering and dating machines only, because the oil swells natural rubber. Pre-inked listings describing their own ink as oil based are describing the gel charge inside the die, not an invitation to refill one with numbering machine ink.
What you can customize
The artwork is the customization. Listings describe precision laser engraved dies and plates carrying names, return addresses, dates, monograms, logos and custom messages, most commonly set as three lines inside the 1-5/8″ square. Ink color is the second choice, and it is constrained by mount: eleven colors on a Trodat self-inker, five on a Slim or PSI pre-inked stamp, and on a wood handle stamp whatever pad you buy. What you cannot change is the size. Every listing in this sample is 1-5/8″ square, so a design that needs a wider block belongs in a different part of the catalog. Proofs are not standard on these listings; one Slim listing mentions a proof and the other 159 do not.
The same design costs $21.95 to $29.95, and only the mount changes
Acorn sells one piece of artwork across several mounts, and the price difference is the mount rather than the design. The clearest case in our sample is the Lovebirds wedding artwork, which appears eleven times: as a Shiny wood handle stamp at $21.95, as a Trodat self-inker at $26.95, and as Slim and PSI pre-inked stampers at $29.95. Every one is 1-5/8″. A buyer comparing the $21.95 Lovebirds listing against the $29.95 one is not looking at a better or worse stamp; they are looking at a wood block against a pre-inked body.
The internal design code in the product handle proves it. The Kansas Bold Statement Varsity Arch Block Personalized Address Stamp and the Kansas Personalized Handcrafted Rubber Stamp share the code jrscm6691, and differ only in the suffix: -psi against -slim, both at $29.95. So the practical method is to pick the mount first on impressions, ink color count and the need for a separate pad, then search the artwork, rather than the other way around. Choosing a listing on the picture and accepting whatever mount it happens to carry is how people end up with a five color pre-inked stamp when they wanted eleven colors and a swappable pad.
Ordering, proofs and delivery
Production is 1 business day. There is no minimum order and no setup fee. Orders ship from Richmond, Virginia, and transit runs 3 to 10 business days depending on method and carrier. Order by mount, not by picture: check the end of the product handle, where -si is the Trodat self-inker at $26.95, -slim and -psi are the pre-inked bodies at $29.95, -r is the ASC wood handle at $24.95 and -duo is the Shiny wood handle at $21.95. On a wood handle stamp, confirm whether a pad is included. Most of the Shiny listings state the ink pad is sold separately, and all of the ASC wood handle listings assume you are supplying your own. Acorn warrants rubber stamps for six months and embossing seals for two years.
Care and longevity
A faint impression is an ink problem far more often than a dead stamp, and each mount is revived a different way. On a self-inker, lift the tray out and either add a few drops of water soluble rubber stamp ink to the felt or drop in a fresh tray; the listings describe pads that swap in seconds and are reinkable and replaceable. On a pre-inked Slim or PSI stamp there is no tray, so ink goes into the die itself and only pre-inked ink will do. On a wood handle stamp you never ink the rubber directly; you re-ink the loose pad and keep it closed between uses so the felt does not dry out. Three habits do permanent damage: putting pre-inked ink in a self-inker, putting water soluble pad ink into a pre-inked die, where it clogs the pores and flattens the image for good, and letting oil based numbering machine ink anywhere near a natural rubber die. Keep any stamp out of direct sun, which hardens rubber.
Products in this range
Browse the full range: Custom Self Inking Stamps, Custom Pre-Inked Stamps, Custom Made Rubber Stamps, MaxLight Pre-Inked Stamps, Slim Pre-Inked Designer Stamps.
Related guides
- How to Choose an Embosser by Reach and Price
- Numbering Machines and Number Stamps: Models and Prices
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, self-inking or pre-inked?
Neither is better outright. The pre-inked stamp runs longer, up to 15,000 impressions against 10,000 for the self-inker, and gives a finer impression because the ink sits in the die instead of on a pad. The self-inker gives you more color choice, 11 against 5, and a pad you can lift out and replace. In our sample the self-inker is $26.95 and both pre-inked bodies are $29.95.
How many impressions do I get before re-inking?
Up to 10,000 from a Trodat self-inking stamp, stated in 22 of the 24 self-inking listings we checked. Up to 15,000 from a Slim or PSI pre-inked stamp. A traditional wood handle rubber stamp carries no figure at all, because the ink lives in the separate pad rather than in the stamp.
What size is the impression?
1-5/8″ square. All 160 listings in the sample state the same face size, on every mount and at every price from $21.95 to $29.95. The listings do not state the outside dimensions of the mount itself.
How many ink colors can I choose from?
Eleven on a Trodat self-inking stamp at $26.95. Five on a Slim or PSI pre-inked stamp at $29.95, and the listings name them: red, blue, green, purple and black. On a wood handle stamp the color is whatever pad you buy, and the Shiny listings state the die works with both water based and permanent inks.
Does a wood handle stamp come with an ink pad?
Usually not. The ASC wood handle stamps at $24.95 are sold as the stamp alone, and most of the Shiny wood handle listings at $21.95 state that the ink pad is sold separately. One exception in our sample is the Colorado Mountain Roots Personalized 3-Line Rubber Stamp with Wood Handle and Ink Set at $21.95, which includes an ink set. Check the title.
Which stamp can I use on fabric, glass or metal?
The wood handle rubber stamp at $24.95. Those listings are the only ones in the sample that say the die takes stronger or industrial inks for fabric, vinyl, glass, metal and other non-absorbent surfaces. A self-inker and a pre-inked stamp carry their own ink and you cannot substitute another family into them.
Can I put any ink in any stamp?
No, and this is the one mistake that destroys a stamp. Acorn stocks three incompatible ink families. Water soluble rubber stamp ink is for traditional rubber stamps and self-inkers only. Pre-inked ink is for MaxLight and Slim pre-inked stamps only. Oil based numbering machine ink is for metal dies in numbering and dating machines only, because the oil swells natural rubber. The catalog states each of these restrictions on the ink product pages, and every one of the 160 stamps in this sample belongs to exactly one of the three.
Why do two stamps with the same design cost different amounts?
Because you are buying different mounts. The Lovebirds wedding artwork appears in our sample as a Shiny wood handle stamp at $21.95, a Trodat self-inker at $26.95 and Slim and PSI pre-inked stampers at $29.95, all at 1-5/8″. The Kansas design code jrscm6691 appears as both a PSI and a Slim pre-inked stamp at $29.95.
How do I tell which type a listing is before I order?
Read the end of the product URL. A handle ending -si is the Trodat self-inker at $26.95, -slim and -psi are the pre-inked bodies at $29.95, -r is the ASC wood handle at $24.95 and -duo is the Shiny wood handle at $21.95. Several titles name two mounts, so the suffix is the reliable answer.
Which type is best for a return address stamp I carry with me?
The Slim pre-inked stamp at $29.95. Thirty-one of the 79 Slim listings in our sample describe slipping the stamp into a purse, pocket, desk drawer, craft tote or travel bag, and the pre-inked body carries no loose pad to leak. It gives up to 15,000 impressions in one of five colors.
How many text lines fit on one of these stamps?
Three is the standard. A three line layout is named in 47 of the 160 listings we checked, set inside the 1-5/8″ square. The listings also describe monograms, logos, dates and single messages on the same face.
Can I refill a pre-inked stamp, or do I replace it?
You refill it. Most pre-inked listings state up to 15,000 impressions before a refill, though one PSI listing states 15,000 impressions with no refills needed. The refill goes into the die itself, because a pre-inked stamp has no tray, and it must be pre-inked ink rather than water soluble pad ink.
What is the warranty on a rubber stamp?
Acorn warrants rubber stamps for six months and embossing seals for two years. None of the 160 product listings in this sample state a warranty of their own, so the house terms apply.
How fast will my stamp ship?
Production is 1 business day, and orders leave Richmond, Virginia. Transit runs 3 to 10 business days depending on method and carrier. There is no minimum order and no setup fee.
