Ink Pads and Inks
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Just a small selection of what is available
Many people are put off rubber stamping by the huge array of ink pads that are available. Trying to find the right ones for what you want can be an expensive matter of trial and error so the object of this workshop is to help you to find the right type of ink for the job you want it to do. Although I've given the names of some of the brands as I've talked about the different types, this is by no means an exhaustive list of what is available and is just intended as a guideline.
DYE - WATER BASED
Adirondak, Memento, Memories, Marvy, Impress, Kaleidacolor, Big & Juicy, Ink it up
These are just some of the water based dye inks available. Most of them I have used and some not, but they all behave in similar ways. They usually dry quickly on porous surfaces and are washable should you get them on yourself. Which one to choose will come down to the job you want it to do and personal preference but they will all give a crisp, clean image. They can vary in price and for some people that can be a consideration - particularly when you are just starting out. It's worth noting that some of them are available in small as well as large sizes which can considerably reduce the initial outlay when you need a good range of colours in a short space of time.
They are available as single colours and some, such as Adirondak, Kaleidacolor and Big and Juicy also do a range of multicoloured pads which are wonderful for brayered backgrounds. (We will cover brayered backgrounds in another tutorial).
These ink pads can also be used to add colour to your images by pressing a piece of acetate, plastic or if the design of the container will allow, the lid, onto the pad then using a paint brush to pick up the colour. Any colour not used on this occasion can be left to dry and re-activated with water for use another time.
You can add colour to images stamped with these pads if the media you use is non water based such as dry chalks or pencils. Water colours etc would cause the outlines of your stamped image to 'bleed'.
DYE - PERMANENT
Stazon, Whispers
These ink pads can be used on almost any surface and, unlike the water based pads mentioned above, will dry on non-porous surfaces such as glossy and semi-glossy card and acetate too. They give a clean, crisp image and are permanent when dry. This means that they will be fade resistant and you can use any colouring medium and be confident that the outlines won't 'bleed'. They aren't water soluble so it might be a good idea to wear old clothes or an apron (although this last piece of advice might apply to just me!!)
PIGMENT
Versacolor, ColorBox, Encore, Adirondak
These ink pads come in a huge range of colours including metallic. They contain glycerine which means they will remain wet and slightly sticky for a while and this allows them to be used with embossing powders. Embossing powders give a lovely raised edge or other effect to an image and are very popular - we will cover their use in another tutorial.
Pigment ink pads can also be used just as they are and some will dry to a nice sheen but most need to be given time to dry or be dried with a heat gun. They do not give as crisp an image as dye ink pads, but can still be very effective. Also, because of the stickiness of the glycerine, the colours can be enhanced and even changed using dry chalks.
FAST DRYING PIGMENT
Brilliance, Versafine
These ink pads are gaining in popularity. They produce a crisper image than standard pigment ink pads and often have unique properties of their own.
The Brilliance range can be used with embossing powders and many of the colours have a pearleacent finish. Unlike other pigment inks they will also dry on non-porous surfaces such as acetate and glossy card etc. The Versafine pads dry very quickly on porous surfaces and give a crisp, permanent, fade resistant finish that's perfect for colouring with any medium. However, it won't dry on non-porous surfaces unless you use a heat gun or embossing powder. Unlike most of the other ranges, you won't find re-inkers for versafine - the manufacturers claim that these pads are so juicy that you will never need one, and I have to say that the black one that I've been using for the past 5 years still seems to be as juicy as the day I bought it!
CHALK
Versamagic, ColorBox
These ink pads give a beautiful, soft, matt finish and come in a wide range of colours. Again, they are fade resistant and won't 'bleed' if they come into contact with water although they can give a fuzzy outline when used on a very porous surface. They work very well with glossy card.
PENS. Quite a few of the ink pad ranges also do a pen version and there are many other types of brush pens that have been designed with rubber stampers in mind. They can be used for directly colouring the rubber stamp and are ideal if you want to be able to use several different colours in specific places on a stamp and also for colouring in a stamped image.
Versamark - in my opinion, this is something that should be in every stamper's stash, both the pad (which comes in two sizes) and the pen. It is very sticky so takes embossing powder and dry chalks well. It is also a watermark pad/pen and can be used to create lovely backgrounds as the ink dries to one shade darker that the card stock used - dark card is especially effective with this technique.
Emboss (tinted & Clear) these pads again contain glycerine and are intended for use with embossing powders but can also be used with dry chalks.
Tim Holtz Distress Embossing pad - designed for use with the Tim Holtz Distress embossing powders.
SPECIALIST PADS AND INKS
Opalite - these are 'interference' ink pads which means that as the image is moved in the light the colours will change. They work best on dark card.
Archival - these are fade resistant but are also useful for scrapbooking when the materials used are important to prevent damage to your precious photos.
Jaquard's Castaway Ink Pad (a re-inker is also available) I have not personally used this so this is the manufacturer's write up about it:
"Castaway is a truly unique stamp pad! When the stamped image is heated with an iron, the color of the paper is magically altered. Instead of adding color to the surface of the paper, the color of the paper itself is transformed! the result is a marbled or dappled antique look which is similar to batik fabric. See the exciting results Castaway has on different papers, as each will be unique."
I think I'll be giving this a go sometime! It is available in the UK from Stamping mad.
Pearlex - this is another range that I have not tried but must say that the write up sounds interesting.....this is what they say on the Stamping Mad website:
"The stamp pads are water-soluble, acid free, archival, light fast and wash fast. They are designed for use on many surfaces including paper, card, fabric, shrink plastic, clay, glass, wood and others. Clean stamps with water immediately after use.
Manufacturer's note - these inks are very permanent on most surfaces without any need for setting. On some surfaces, such as clothing that will be washed repeatedly, heat setting may be required. To set on fabric let the ink dry and then iron using a dry iron set appropriately for the type of fabric."
They come in a range of colours that include two tones of the same shade on one pad (e.g. two tone red), metallic colours and interference colours.
Fabrico - as the name suggests, this can be used on fabric. It is water soluble so mistakes can be washed out with soap and water if done quickly and is 'cured' to make it permanent and washable by ironing it on both sides.
Distress by Tim Holtz. Distress inks are dye inks with a slower drying time that have been specifically designed to make giving an aged or distressed look to paper and card easy but can also be used to stamp and/or colour and image. They are ideal if you enjoy creating 'vintage' art.
Alcohol Inks - Tim Holtz, Posh Impressions.
These only come in bottles and not ink pads and are not designed for stamping with. In fact, they are pretty much a tutorial to themselves.
As new products come on to the market or I come across some I haven't seen before, I'll add them to this tutorial. In the meantime, I hope you find it useful and have fun playing with them.
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