Types of Inks and Their Uses

dewryce
Persistent Pea

Posts: 15,086

Types of Inks and Their Uses Sept 13, 2015 13:43:26 GMT Restless Spirit likes this

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Post by dewryce on Sept 13, 2015 13:43:26 GMT

Recently several questions have come to mind about how to use different inks. I was hoping y'all might be willing to share your expertise as I rarely stamp and most often use mine to ink the edges of cardstock. I have always just purchased them based on color. This has caused problems for me when the ink has taken forever to dry, pigment ink I think? I'd like to start using my stamps more often and just have a better knowledge base about inks in general. Perhaps list characteristics of each ink, and different applications for them? Some tips and hints and maybe brand preferences? I am including some helpful tips I have seen on other threads. Please also feel free to add to the types of inks listed. I found a lot of good information from this thread (http://2peasrefugees.boards.net/thread/28515/stamping) and am including it here.

Chalk Ink

~ from 950nancy the little Prima inks (small blue containers) you can take alphas from any mixed sets and ink them to be all the same color no matter what color they started off as. It is a great way to use extra letters. The inks go on like a thick paint. From Thickers thread.

Pigment Ink

~ from cbet Versafine is a great black ink - it takes a tiny bit longer to dry, but it stamps with great detail and great coverage. It doesn't play nice with alcohol markers, though.

~ from isbaha Versafine (doesn't work with alcohol markers, but great for watercolor technique or just for stamping crisply)

Distress Ink

~ from cbet If you are wanting mainly to stamp, DON'T buy the Distress Inks they are much more suited for blending and coloring.

Embossing Ink

Dye Ink

~ from cbet Memento Tuxedo Black (in their dye ink) seems to be what the Copic gurus recommend for (use with alcohol markers).

~ from scrapnnana I use Momento, because it doesn't bleed with Copics but still dries fast.

Last Edit: Sept 13, 2015 14:43:37 GMT by dewryce

PaperAngel
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Posts: 7,355

Types of Inks and Their Uses Sept 13, 2015 16:47:28 GMT Restless Spirit likes this

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Post by PaperAngel on Sept 13, 2015 16:47:28 GMT

In my experience, you must experiment with different inks before discovering which produces your desired results.

-Not surprisingly, chalk inks do not yield a crisp image; they are "chalky" with uneven edges, typically limited to pastel colors, & not recommended for detailed images. The only chalk ink I have is VersaMagic - Cloud White; it seems to fade into paper & looks cloudy, so I only use it on occasion to subtly edge light colored cardstock.

-Pigment inks vary in base, dry time, etc. My "everyday" ink is VersaColor (in 1" cubes), a water-based, slow-drying, & archival formula that is available in ~75 colors & ideal for heat embossing. I also frequently use VersaFine (in Onyx Black, Vintage Sepia, & Smoky Grey), an oil-based, fast-drying, waterproof, & archival formula designed for detailed images; note the quick dry time does not allow for heat embossing & only ~12 colors are offered.

-Distress inks are water-based dye inks. Perhaps because I do not use alcohol markers, only Prismacolor pencils on the rare occasion that I color an image, these are the only dye inks I need. I only have a handful of colors & use the markers for journaling & the pads for stamping on our (now teen) son's layouts due to its irregular/grungy effect.

-Although I typically use VersaColor for my occasional heat embossing, I also have a versatile VersaMark cube. It is an oil-based, clear, slow-drying, pigment ink that can be used for a variety of techniques - embossing, watermark, tone-on-tone, etc. IMHO it's a must-have in every stamper's toolbox.

HTH, & happy stamping!

Last Edit: Sept 13, 2015 17:03:52 GMT by PaperAngel

Delta Dawn Eternal Pea Posts: 20,611 Sept 7, 2015 1:18:28 GMT	Types of Inks and Their Uses Sept 13, 2015 16:56:12 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Delta Dawn on Sept 13, 2015 16:56:12 GMT I wish we had saved this thread from 2Peas because it was sticky noted at the top on the stamping board.
	Clarice Starling with my good bag and cheap shoes.

tryingdigi New Member Posts: 2 Sept 13, 2015 20:16:11 GMT	Types of Inks and Their Uses Sept 13, 2015 20:20:51 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by tryingdigi on Sept 13, 2015 20:20:51 GMT Check out www.ebay.com/gds/A-Complete-Guide-to-Stamp-Pads-and-Inks-/10000000205543670/g.html for a tutorial on all the various inks/inkpads and their applications. Very useful.

emeraldfb Junior Member Refupea # 3223 Posts: 61 Jul 31, 2014 19:47:52 GMT	Types of Inks and Their Uses Sept 13, 2015 22:36:03 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by emeraldfb on Sept 13, 2015 22:36:03 GMT Jennifer Mcguire has some ink comparison videos. She also have free downloads of her swatch cards.

birukitty
Prolific Pea

Posts: 9,006

Location: Annapolis, MD.

Types of Inks and Their Uses Sept 15, 2015 21:34:04 GMT

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Post by birukitty on Sept 15, 2015 21:34:04 GMT

Sept 13, 2015 20:20:51 GMT tryingdigi said:

Check out www.ebay.com/gds/A-Complete-Guide-to-Stamp-Pads-and-Inks-/10000000205543670/g.html for a tutorial on all the various inks/inkpads and their applications. Very useful.

That's a great tutorial!

Debbie in MD.

Debbie in MD.

hockeyfan06 Chatterbox Posts: 638 Jun 28, 2014 1:30:35 GMT	Types of Inks and Their Uses Sept 16, 2015 0:28:24 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by hockeyfan06 on Sept 16, 2015 0:28:24 GMT Thanks for the refresher tutorial!

shutterbug2sue
Full Member

Posts: 253

Types of Inks and Their Uses Sept 16, 2015 1:26:43 GMT

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Post by shutterbug2sue on Sept 16, 2015 1:26:43 GMT

I started stamping 10 years ago and the ink choices weren't so many as today.

I like the Versafine ink and use black, gray and brown. I also use Staz On as it stamps on most anything.

I found that many of my earlier inks dried up (and I had many colors) so currently, I use a basic palette to avoid waste.

Types of Inks and Their Uses

Post by dewryce on Sept 13, 2015 13:43:26 GMT

Post by PaperAngel on Sept 13, 2015 16:47:28 GMT

Post by Delta Dawn on Sept 13, 2015 16:56:12 GMT

Post by tryingdigi on Sept 13, 2015 20:20:51 GMT

Post by emeraldfb on Sept 13, 2015 22:36:03 GMT

Post by birukitty on Sept 15, 2015 21:34:04 GMT

Post by hockeyfan06 on Sept 16, 2015 0:28:24 GMT

Post by shutterbug2sue on Sept 16, 2015 1:26:43 GMT