Book Embossers vs Bookplate Stamps: Which is right for you?

Personalised Book Embossers and Bookplate Stamps are Fleur & Fable's two most popular options when it comes to personalising your books but given they do essentially the same thing, which is right for you?

Firstly - what are bookplates? Bookplates, also 'ex libris' (Latin for 'from the library of' are labels affixed to the inside front of your books with your name. If you're ever lending out books, having your name on it gives it a chance of being returned. Or otherwise if you have a collection which you'd like to mark as your own, a personalised stamp or embosser makes it really easy to quickly add your name without being held back by your own handwriting. Bookplates have been used since the advent of the printing press in the 1500s with pictorial bookplates becoming more popular in the late 1800s. Today, Fleur & Fable is the only Australian website offering a wide range of bookplates from universal (blank) stickers, stamps and embossers.

1. Cost

The book embossers are $119 all around while the bookplate stamps start from $119 and get a little more expensive depending on design and the final size. Things like length of your name will also change the final stamp cost.

2. Personalisation

Both options can be personalised with your name, including non-Latin characters. Due to the size restriction on the embossers, the names are limited to 15 characters long whereas the stamps can accommodate extra long names. I've had couples choose to add both theirs and their partners double barrel names on a stamp!

Also you're not limited to just 'ex libris' or 'from the library of', you're welcome to change it to whichever would suit you (eg. from the desk of, property of... etc)

3. Sizing

Book Embossers are all 40mm diameter whereas the stamps start from 30x50mm and get larger depending on the design and your name. These sizes work perfectly for books especially if you're stamping on a book's title page.

4. Materials

All components of our bookplate stamps are made in Australia - from the Western Australian Jarrah wood to the etched rubber plate whereas only the embossing plate for our embossers are made in Australia.

5. Durability

Both bookplate embossers and stamps are durable for over 1000+ impressions and will last a lifetime.

6. Ease of Use

Embossers are ready straight out of the package, just insert the plate into the hand held press and emboss away! The impression it makes is a gentle yet permanent one for your books and you can't really over-press it. For bookplate stamps you have the option of adding on a $10 ink pad or choosing from my range of 30+ ink colours including metallic. I would advise practising stamping on a scrap piece of paper to get the hang of how juicy the ink pads are but once you get going it's pretty easy. Dabbing the excess ink on to a scrap paper or a slightly damp paper towel will easily clean the stamp.

7. Paper Suitability

Book embossers work best on paper weights between 60gsm and 120gsm - that's around your standard cream novel pages to the slightly thicker endpapers in hard cover books. Stamps can work across any paper weight but works best on uncoated/book cream/matte paper. It can also work on gloss but be mindful to let the ink fully dry before closing the book.

8. Turnaround time

Both options are made to order and take 5-7 business days to produce before being dispatched from Sydney, Australia (all with free shipping!). If you live in metro areas it usually takes around 3-5 business days to ship to, longer if you're in rural, WA, far north Queensland, or international. Express shipping is also available.

Conclusion

You can't go wrong with either option and with anything it's more a personal preference. Personally for the hand crafted and vintage quality I would opt for a bookplate stamp! 

Below is a table comparing our bookplate stamps, embossers and even our most affordable option - bookplate stickers.