Simply, Faux postage is a way of making your stamped project look
like postage stamps. It is a fun little technique that is very easy to do, but it makes
your artwork standout! Here's how.
Step 1
Start with
making your "stamp" outline. I simply create a table in my word processor like
this one. You can create the table any size that you want with as many "stamps"
as you want. This example has two "stamps." After designing your table in your
word processor, change the borders of the tables from a solid line into dots to resemble
the perforations on a postage stamp. Print out your "stamp."
Step 2
Now printout your
"stamp" again on copier paper or an overhead transparency acetate. This will be
your stencil. The overhead transparency is nice because it is see-through and easy to line
up, but copier paper works well also. With this stencil copy, cut out the centers of the
"stamps" about 1/8 inch inside the lines as shown in this example.
Step 3
Lay your stencil over your "stamp" and create your
design. You can stamp a stand alone image in each stamp as shown in this example. Or you
could make your entire stamp block one design as shown in the example at the beginning. I
like to sponge in background color around your image to make the white space around the
edge that mimics real stamps obvious. You can also add little accents such as 37 cent
markings in the corners etc to add to the postage stamp look. Take a look at the stamps at
the post office the next time you go for lots of ideas that you can mimic. The
possibilities are endless.
Faux Postage
Start with
making your "stamp" outline. I simply create a table in my word processor like
this one. You can create the table any size that you want with as many "stamps"
as you want. This example has two "stamps." After designing your table in your
word processor, change the borders of the tables from a solid line into dots to resemble
the perforations on a postage stamp. Print out your "stamp."
Now printout your
"stamp" again on copier paper or an overhead transparency acetate. This will be
your stencil. The overhead transparency is nice because it is see-through and easy to line
up, but copier paper works well also. With this stencil copy, cut out the centers of the
"stamps" about 1/8 inch inside the lines as shown in this example.
Step 3