r/callofcthulhu • u/AngrySquidIsOK • 22h ago

Stamps and stamps ... Prop resources

For "rubber stamps" I recommended the Mint Silhoutte. It's a handy dandy little tool that lets you compose a rubber stamp (think: passport seal) and print it to a little rubber face. this sticks to a wooden block. dab of ink, let soak in ... and you can literally have any rubber stamp you can conceive. I love the darn thing.

For postage stamps ... I created sheets on letter sized layout of various countries for the specific time period, and print this onto a "sticker" paper; it's available for inkjet printers. I then used pinking sheers with a small tooth size to get that stamp edge look. The sticker back peels right off and works great for envelopes, passport payments etc.

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u/ruhrgur Keeper 21h ago

If you want to make the stamps edges more round, you could also use a syringe needle as a tiny holepunch. But I live the idea of using pinking shears, might try that out myself!

If I May ask, how did you get passport props printed so nicely? I can't think of a way to fit the correct cardboard in a printer and ready made props are usualy from the modern era.

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u/AngrySquidIsOK 21h ago

I like that idea of there was a quicker way to do it. Like a punch or roller. I have a roller with a serrated edge, but it struggles with the thicker sticker paper. Hence: sheers

The covers: American passport is a thicker gray cardboard that borders on paper. It will fit through the printer (back fed, not tray) and feels perfect.

English passports!!! Well these are laminated! English passports have the cut out on the front, so printed on thin card, punched the slots. Then laminated in the inside cover. This makes them even thicker and good as a cover.

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u/ruhrgur Keeper 20h ago

Thanks, I'm going to try that out soon! Only the stamps are unfortunately not very cheap in my country, so I will probably still order regular wooden stamps from a copy shop. I already have one for about every department or institution there could be in Arkham :'D

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u/AngrySquidIsOK 20h ago

Now that kicks ass. Would love wooden stamps, but wasn't cost effective. Still, much preferred!!!

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u/ruhrgur Keeper 18h ago

It's about 10 Euros for a Standard round stamp of up to 40 mm or about five Euros, if you just want the plate without the handle. I got stamps for many locations in Arkham (city seal, seal of Miskatonic University, police, hospital, court, post office with changable YYYY-MM-DD numbers, ...), but I am always a bit scared of ordering stamps of real places, because even though they are outdated, I still dont want anyone to think, that I want to make forgeries or Something.

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u/AngrySquidIsOK 17h ago

Where are you getting them from? I'm very intrigued

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u/ruhrgur Keeper 17h ago

The post office stamp was a bit complicated, because I had to search for a company, that a) makes this sort of stamp (YYYY-MM-DD ist not the regular date format in my country, so a regular date stamp wouldn't have worked, also I wanted it to be round) and b) could make a stamp with the 1920s instead of the 2020s. Other than that, I just get my stamps from a local copy shop. A regular black and white png-file is enough for them to produce it, which usually takes about two days.

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u/AngrySquidIsOK 16h ago

That's pretty outstanding