Ink Essentials: Choosing the Right Ink for Your Stamping Project
3 June 2011
Author: Becky Cates
Choosing an Ink:
When creating a stamping project, there are several things to consider to help you choose an ink. It is helpful to have an idea of what type of surface you will be stamping on, what the project will be used for, and whether it needs to be archival.
Ink pads come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Some ink pads are single-color, while others are multi-color. New small-sized inks even come in stackable pads. Certain inks need to be heat set for permanency. It is best to test an ink on scrap paper before using it on your stamping surface.
This guide includes all the typical ink types for paper crafting to take the guesswork out of stamping.
Dye Inks:
- Water-based, non-toxic inks on raised felt pads
- Available in a wide range of rich, bright colors
- Quick-drying, permanent, & waterproof
- Acid-free and fade resistant
- Stamps well on all types of paper
- Great for watercolor, background, and direct-to-paper techniques
- Perfect for scrapbooks and keepsakes
- Heat setting not required
- Best stored upside down so ink is drawn to top of felt pad
- Cleans with water-based stamp cleaner
- Available in giant, rainbow, value, and stackable color collections
- Also available in metallic colors
- Standard pad case features locking mechanism so lid won’t come loose accidentally
Washable Inks:
• Water-based, non-toxic, kid-safe inks on felt pads
• Fast drying
• Super-fun colors
• Clean up easily with water
• Will not stain most fabrics or surfaces
• Great for children’s projects
• Removable lids make it convenient for inking large stamps
• Heat setting not required
• Best stored upside down so ink is drawn to top of felt pad
Pigment Inks:
• Thick, water-based, non-toxic inks on foam pads
• Raised pads for easy stamping
• Come in a wide range of bright, rich, and opaque colors
• Available in iridescent and metallic colors
• Slow-drying and permanent when heat set
• Acid-free and fade resistant
• pH balanced to be archival quality
• Great for embossing
• Work best on matte (non-glossy) paper
• Must be embossed with powder if used on glossy paper
• Work well for stamping images you wish to color since heat setting will make them permanent
• Heat setting necessary
• Cleans with water-based stamp cleaner
• Also available in stamping pens
• Available in standard size, giant, rainbow, value, and stackable color collections
• Standard pad case features locking mechanism so lid won’t come loose accidentally
Chalk Inks:
• Water-based, non-toxic inks on foam pads
• Permanent when heat set
• Offer the rich, opaque color of pigment inks with quicker drying times
• Resist bleeding and fading even when air dried
• Smear resistant
• Soft, muted colors without a chalk residue
• Blend colors easily
• Work great for direct-to-paper and background techniques
• Can be embossed
• Stamps well on all types of paper
• Not suitable for direct contact with photos
• Heat setting recommended
• Cleans with water-based stamp cleaner
• Also available in stackable color collections
• Standard pad case features locking mechanism so lid won’t come loose accidentally
Solvent Inks:
• Solvent-based
• Raised foam pads for easy stamping
• Require a solvent cleaner
• Acid-free and archival
• Fast-drying on paper, slower to dry on non-porous surfaces
• Permanent, fade-proof and waterproof on ALL surfaces
• Recommended for stamping on non-porous surfaces such as glass, metal, shrink plastic, cellophane, aluminum foil, leather, and acrylic
• Can also be used on paper
• Heat setting not required
• Available in stackable color collections
Watercolor Stamping Markers:
• Fine tip & dabbing end make it easy to color small portion on stamp
• Comfortable square barrel
• Water-based & non-toxic
• Acid-free, fade-proof, archival quality
• Cleans with water-based stamp cleaner
• Soft look of watercolor paints
• Available in a wide variety of colors
Embossing Ink:
• Thick, water-based, non-toxic ink on foam pad
• Slow-drying and permanent when heat set
• Either clear or slightly tinted
• Acid-free
• pH balanced to be archival quality
• Designed specifically for embossing with embossing powder
• Stamp well on porous paper
• Heat setting necessary
Spray Ink:
• Non-toxic
• Fast-drying
• Used to create different effects of color – misting, raindrops, pooling
• Can be used on paper, chipboard, wood
• Can be used with stencils, including masks made with paper punches
• Great for creating backgrounds
• Can be sprayed over a colored, stamped image
Watermark Inks
• Water-based, non-toxic inks on foam pads
• Slow-drying and permanent when heat set
• Acid-free
• Great for creating tone-on-tone effect
• Perfect for making background patterns on plain uncoated paper
• Can also be used for resist techniques on coated paper.
• Heat setting recommended