What Are Angel Policies?

{updated Febrary 4, 2016}

Angel Policies

As far as I can tell, the most general rule to follow about trademarked, sold images is this: Never reproduce by machine to sell or give away. Remember to always hand stamp if you share. Do not scan and upload them as "free" or worse, try and pass them off as yours or sell them. Artists work very hard to create a finished image or sentiment. They need to be compensated for all their time, expertise and creativity. It just goes to say that we must respect their work by complying with whatever rules they state at each web site. But each angel policy can vary and at times, there may not be one listed. So revert to the above rule.

If you sell your cards and other stamped creations, be sure to add the name of the stamp company or the artist to the back of your card. Sometimes, companies include a very small stamp within a stamp set that says their name and you can use it to stamp on the back of your creation along with your own "Handmade by You" stamp. i.d. At times, I have used tiny printed handwriting on the back of cards I've sold.

Before I started collecting rubber stamps (mid 2011), I had never heard of the term "Angel Policy." By the time I heard it enough to look into it, I owned many stamps from many companies. Here is my challenge: looking up all the different angel policies for these stamps. As a crafter, how I wish the stamps had a policy reference on the company's webpage or back of the stamp set. For example, if the designer/company allows for 50 stamped copies per year of an image and sharing is ok, a reference could be placed on the stamp set or even on the website so the public could much more easily understand and comply with the legal policies of using the stamp. IMHO many of us are innocently ignorant of this issue and the information is not easily attainable.

A stamp designer emailed me this helpful link to help me continue learning about angel policies:

Stamping Out Stamp Image Theft

Here is a link (as of Feb 4 2006) listing 50 companies and their policies:

List of 50 Comanies' Angel Policies 

If you have more information about specific company angel policies, please feel free to post or email me. I, for one, would appreciate it so much. Thanks, and keep on stamping (for yourself and a few friends  :)