Who is Soap Impressions?
We are John Adams and Diana Thompson, long-time soapmakers and owners of Harmony SoapWorks. Early in 2004, we were fortunate enough to be able to purchase Soap Impressions from it's founder, Ann Perius-Parker, who had created the company as a way of providing soap makers with a unique way to embellish their soaps.

Following in Ann's steps, we work with soap makers to help develop the best design to create a unique and personal stamp that will identify and "brand" their soap. Each stamp is then made by hand and tested to make sure that it will work effectively. We look forward to working with you to create your own personal stamp.

We must credit Ann with much hard work and dedication to starting and growing Soap Impressions and we are grateful to her for allowing us to take over for her.

What are these stamps made of?
The custom stamps look like the regular rubber stamps with wood handles that we are all used to seeing, but without the handle. The impression part on the bottom is made of a copper mounted on a hardwood base.

Ready-made stamps with decorative designs are made entirely of a zinc alloy.

Won't the metal parts of the stamp get 'eaten up' by the lye?
Since the saponification reaction is virtually complete by the time the stamp is being used, there is little chance of the lye damaging the copper. Do keep in mind that these stamps are not guaranteed to withstand contact with lye-heavy soap or a strong lye solution. It is always a good idea to check the pH of your soap before stamping it, both for the preservation of your stamp and your skin. And of course, be sure to wash your stamp after each stamping session to remove any lingering particles of soap.

What is high quality electronic artwork?
This is a high resolution graphic (300 dpi or higher), black on white (or greyscale) and at least as large as the stamp that you want made. That is, if you want a stamp that is 1" wide, the image should be at least 1" wide. We can accept many different file formats, but tif is the best.

you do not have an electronic version of your image, you can mail a very sharp, clean black on white print copy and we might be able to get a good enough image by scanning it.

When is the best time to stamp my soap?
The same variables that affect the hardness of soap also affect the timing for stamping soap. The percentage of hard oils in your formulation, the amount of liquid you use, the heat and humidity of your location will all influence the timing. Usually stamping within the first week after unmolding works best.

To find the best time to stamp your soap, do the following test: Start by making your usual formula, unmold, cut, and let your soap dry as you normally would. Every day, take one bar from the batch and stamp it. The first few days the soap might still be too soft or sticky and the impression not as clear as you'd like, but keep stamping a sample bar every 24 hours until you get the image that works best for you. But don't stop there, keep going a few days more to find out how many days you have to get a clear crisp image before the soap gets too hard. Do this with a batch or two and you'll soon know what works best with your recipe and conditions.

Can I use these stamps on glycerin (melt & pour) soap base?
Melt & Pour soap can get very hard and may be more difficult to stamp than cold (or hot) process soaps. To make sure that you can still easily stamp your M&P soaps, take them out of the molds as soon as possible and stamp them while the soap is still somewhat soft. You may have to use just a few more taps with a mallet to get a good image stamped on the soap.

If you are not going to be able to stamp your soaps soon after unmolding them, try adding just a bit of distilled water (1-2 oz. per pound of soap) to the soap base before you pour it into the molds. This will keep the soap soft a bit longer and will give you more time to stamp. After stamping, just age the bars for a few days and the excess water will evaporate.