Rubber stamps are for use with an ink pad. With pre-inked stamps the ink is contained within the die and will give you several thousand impressions and when the stamp starts to fade you can bring it back to life by apply a few drops of the re-inking fluid. Self-inking stamps have a rubber printing surface which rests on the built-in ink pad until required for stamping. 1. Regular Rubber Stamps Regular rubber stamps are basic polymer stamps that are used along with a stamp pad. They have plastic handles and are quick to get and inexpensive to buy. They can be messy if not handled properly, and require the use of a stamp pad. 2. Self-inking Stamps Self-inking stamps are stamps with built-in internal stamp pad. A rotation action causes the stamp die to hit the internal stamp pad between each use. In layman’s terms, a self-inking stamp is basically a regular stamp and a stamp pad all in one box. Self-inkers are great for multiple stamping, are reinkable, and reasonably priced. 3. Pre-inked