How to Refill a Stamper with Ink

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: November 17, 2021 References Tested

Stampers are a great way to quickly put information or an image on paper. Unfortunately, if you use your stamper a lot, it's going to run out of ink at some point. Instead of buying a whole new stamper, just get a bottle of refill ink and fill the stamper yourself! You can do this for pre-inked stampers that flash the information or image through an impression area in the stamp, or for self-inking stampers, which automatically re-ink the rubber stamp in between uses.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Pre-Inked Stamper

1
Buy oil-based ink that's designed for pre-ink stampers. You don't want to use water-based ink since it could actually damage the stamper. Instead, shop at an office supply store or online to find an oil-based ink. These are sometimes sold as flash ink.^{[1]
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- Avoid mixing or switching colors when you refill your stamper since you'd get a muddied result.
2
Pull out the ink pad if your stamp has a sliding ink cartridge. Just pull off the bottom cap of the stamp and push 1 end of the ink pad out of the stamp. Then, set the ink pad on a paper towel to prevent stains.^{[2]
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3
Pull off the top of the stamp pad if the ink cartridge is under the handle. Check your pre-inked stamp to see if you can pull off the handle. If you can, you'll see 1 reservoir for a small stamp or 2 reservoirs for a wide stamp. The reservoirs hold the ink.^{[3]
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- If you have a small stamp, you may just have to pull the cap off the stamp end and turn it upside down.
4
Squeeze 2-6 drops of ink into the reservoirs. If your stamp has a sliding cartridge, squirt 3-6 drops of ink into the cartridge reservoirs. If your stamp has reservoirs under the handle, squeeze 1-2 drops of ink into each well.^{[4]
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- To refill a small stamp that doesn't have a cartridge or wells, just squeeze 1-2 drops right on the overturned stamp pad.
5
Leave the stamp overnight so it absorbs the ink. Slide the ink cartridge back into the stamper or put the handle back onto your stamper. Put the stamper aside overnight before you use it.^{[5]
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- If you try to use the stamp right away, the impressions might still be faint since the stamp hasn't absorbed the new ink yet.
6
Use the stamp a few times to blot away excess ink. Get out a scrap piece of paper and press the stamp on it 2-3 times. This gets rid of extra ink that might blur the image or characters. Once you've done this a few times, your stamp is ready to go!^{[6]
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- Is the image or information from the stamp still too faint? Repeat the re-filling process with a few more drops of ink. Your stamp may have been really low or dry when you started.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Self-Inking Stamper

1
Buy water-based ink. Check your office supply store or shop for ink online. Buy a bottle of water-based ink in the same color since you don't want to mix new colors on the ink pad. If you don't want to refill the ink pad, you can buy a totally new ink pad instead—just ensure that it fits your self-inking stamper.^{[7]
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- If you want to use a different color of ink, a replacement pad in the color you want.
2
Push the stamper down and press the buttons on the sides of the stamper. Set your self-inking stamper on a flat surface and push down just until you see the rubber stamper move away from the ink pad. Then, stop pushing down and press the button on each side of the stamper.^{[8]
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- The buttons lock the stamp in place so you can take out the ink pad.
3
Slide the ink pad out of the stamp. Depending on your stamper, you might just push from the back to get the ink pad to slide out of the front, or you might push a button on the front that makes the ink pad pop out of the back.^{[9]
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- Keep the ink pad if you're going to refill it or throw it away if you want to replace it with a new color pad.
4
Squirt 3-4 drops of ink onto the pad and wait a few minutes so it can soak in. Set your ink pad on a paper towel to protect the surface from accidental staining and squeeze 3-4 drops of your water-based ink evenly across the pad. To help distribute the ink, brush the tip of the ink dispenser over the surface of the pad. Give the pad a few minutes to absorb the ink.^{[10]
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- If you're replacing the ink pad, skip this step.
5
Slide the refilled ink pad into the stamper. Carefully hold the sides of the ink pad so you don't get your fingers messy and push it back into the stamper. Then, push the stamper down to release the locking mechanism. Now, you're ready to use your self-inking stamper!^{[11]
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- If you bought a new ink pad, don't forget to remove its cover before you slide it into the stamper.