Brushes and Stamps

[brandiels]

Can someone please explain the difference between a brush and a stamp. Are they the same file type? are they interchangeable?

[katie pertiet]

brushes are an .abr file for use in photoshop and photoshop elements. a stamp is a png file for use in photoshop as well as other image editing applications! HTH!

[digigrandma]

I think of the .abr file as a brush that I load into my brush tool in PSE when I want to add brush work to a background on a page. I use the ping files more like I use a rubber stamp to stamp directly on the page.

BTW, have you seen the tutorial by Cassie Jones called How'd They Do That?: Offset Stamping available in the store?

How’d They Do That? No. 06: Offset Stamping - Digital Scrapbooking

In it Cassie teaches step by step how to make your stamping with a brush look realistic the way it would look if you stamped on top of several layers of paper.

[maureenreynolds]

For me, the brushes and stamps are two ways of getting to the same result. While all photo editing programs don't support the .abr brushes files, a stamp .png file will work in almost all of those programs. Sometimes a .png is quicker to use than loading a folder of brushes. Not a big deal, but it is faster.

As Merrilee said, I too tend to use brushes as backgound images and use them as more of a semi-opaque element and a .png stamp as a top element. But for the most part, you can get to the same place with an image by either a brush or a stamp. It's really not apples and oranges but to me sort of like limes and lemons. (Clear as mud?)

[sarahorton]

just wanted to welcome you to Designer Digitals Glad you are here with us!