Inks, Part One

Inks. . .inks. . .inks. . . inks. . .inks!! There is nothing that confuses the new stamper - and many veteran stampers - as much as inks do. Not only are two basic types of ink, there are also many sub-types within those two categories. Making the topic even more confusing are the number of brands made by the many ink manufacturers. In this two-part series, we'll look at the basics of the "ink-dom." There are two basic types of ink used in art stamping today - dye and pigment inks. The majority of the inks manufactured today are acid-free, so they can be used in scrapbooking. Please note, however, that not all inks are archival (meaning they will not fade over time)!!

DYE INKS
Dye inks are either water- or alcohol-based inks. They are, therefore, good for use on any type of paper – coated or non-coated. They dry quickly, so they are not really suited to embossing.Dye inks are usually acid-free, although not all of them are archival. If you are going to use them in scrapbooking, you need to realize that, with time, they may fade if exposed to light for extended periods of time.In addition, if you are going to use watercolor markers and/or pencils to finish your stamping project, you need to make sure that you use permanent dye inks. When the permanent inks are dry, they do not run if you use watercolors or markers. Solvent-based dye inks are quick-drying and permanent on every surface, including non-porous surfaces such as glass, metal, plastic, acrylic, etc. These inks will stain your stamps, and they require a solvent- based cleaner to remove most of the ink from the stamp.

PIGMENT INKS
Pigment inks, while water-based, also include a glycerin-like binder that makes them a slow-drying ink, so they are ideal for embossing. Because of the binder, however, they are not suited for use on - and will not dry on - coated papers Pigment inks are archival and will not fade with time, so they are perfect for use in scrapbooking. And, because of the sponge-like pad, they are great to use for the “direct-to-paper” method.A number of improved pigment inks are faster-drying than the "older" brands because of their chemical make-up. Thus, some of these inks will dry on coated papers (glossy paper and translucent vellums) and some non-porous surfaces, especially if heat-set. And, because they dry quickly, if you want to use them when embossing, you need to apply the embossing powder quickly or it won't stick.In addition to regular pigment inks, there is a sub-set of pigment ink that that you can use on fabric, wood, shrink plastic because when they are heat-set, they become permanent.

CHALK INKS
Chalk inks give a flat, muted appearance to the stamped image, thus the "chalk" ink description. Visible on the stamp pad surface and in the reinkers is a white, "chalky" residue. Chalk inks combine the best qualities of both pigment and dye inks. Chalk inks have the opacity of pigment inks. You can stamp them on almost any color cardstock, and your image will be visible. Like pigment inks, they resist fading (even if air-dried) and are archival. Like dye inks, chalk inks stamp and blend well. They dry quickly on most surfaces, including coated papers. If heat-set, chalk inks are permanent and resist smearing.

You can emboss chalk inks. However, because they dry quickly, you need to apply the embossing powder quickly. Please remember, though, that embossing will ruin the chalky effect of the ink.

A WORD ABOUT THE PADS THEMSELVES
You'll notice that some ink pads are made of a foam, while others are made of felt. The foam pads hold more ink and tend to put more ink on the stamps, while the felt pads distribute the ink a little more evenly. For the most part, dye inks come with felt pads, while pigment inks come with foam pads. The most logical reason behind this is that the pigment inks are heavier because of the binder in them, and the foam allows better inking.

However, there are a few exceptions to this generalization. Ranger's Antiquities and Resist inks (both considered more pigment ink) both come on felt pads. Because of this, the images stamped with either of these inks are a little more crisp and clean than those of competing brands. On the flip side, these two do not work as well for embossing since the amount of ink distributed is less. Clearsnap, which manufactures Vivid, Fluid Chalk Inks, Colorbox, and others, puts all of its inks on foam pads. Because of this, some of the images stamped with their pads may not, at first stamping, be as crisp as those of other brands.

ONE LITTLE HINT
If you have trouble remembering which inks are pigment and which are dye, looking at the pad container itself can sometimes help. For the most part, pigment inks come in pads with CLEAR or TRANSLUCENT tops, while dye inks come with OPAQUE tops. Of course, there are always exceptions, so check out the description first if you are looking for a particular ink type.

RESIST INKS
As their name implies, the purpose of these inks is to resist something. When stamped on glossy or any other coated paper, the resist inks prevent dye inks from bonding to the paper over the stamped image. Most resist inks are clear, so when you stamp on the coated cardstock (usually white or off-white) with these inks and then either bray, sponge, stipple, etc. dye inks over the stamped image, the stamped image stays the paper color.In addition to being resist inks, these pads are have other uses. Versamark(Tsukineko) and Palette Watermark (Stewart Superior) inks are both a little "juicier" than the Ranger Resist/Perfect Medium pads, most likely due to the fact that they have foam pads while the Ranger pads are felt.

Because they put more ink on your stamps, Versamark and Palette also make great, clear embossing inks. While you can emboss with the Ranger pads, they don't work as well as the other two.

Versamark and Palette also work well as watermark pads on many papers. To achieve a watermark look, stamp with either ink on almost any uncoated cardstock and let the ink dry. You'll notice a tone-on-tone look where you stamped.

Finally, all three inks work great in binding chalks (dry chalks, not chalk inks), mica powders (Pearl Ex, Perfect Pearls, etc), etc, to coated papers. Simply stamp using one of the resist inks on coated paper and brush or sponge chalk or one of the powders over the top. The powder will stick to the stamped image.Please note that when you use any of these inks on your stamps, you need to clean the stamp IMMEDIATELY after use. And, we recommend using a good stamp cleaner to remove these inks. Failure to do so can ruin your stamp.