Jan 21 2009
All about Stamp Inks
When I first began stamping cards, I was under the assumption that ink was ink was ink. There really was no difference between any of them and there was no reason to worry about it. I could easily get the same techniques using straight ink but unfortunately, that was not true. There is a difference between the different types of stamp inks that you can purchase and they all have their different uses.
Stamp Ink:
The first ink that I am going to look at is regular stamp ink. Many, and I mean many, companies produce this ink and you can find it in almost every color that you can imagine. My favorite inks tend to be Chocolate Chip and Night of Navy, both of which are Stampin’ Up Inks. I find that you can do just about anything with the inks from sponging, stamping, and using to color with so this is the more versatile of inks since there are many different uses for it.
Craft Ink:
Also known as pigment ink, this is a thicker ink that has a lot of color. I often use craft ink to add a bit more punch and the white craft ink on black creates amazing results. One of the best traits about craft ink is that it takes longer to dry than regular stamp ink. This may seem like a pain but in actuality, it can allow you to create some pretty amazing effects with it. Since you have some time until it dries, you can add sparkles or you can add embossing powder to create beautiful craft inked and embossed images.
Since this ink does take a bit longer to dry, I try to avoid using it for everyday stamping needs and only pull it out when I want to create an effect or I want to stamp white onto a surface.
Versa Mark:
This isn’t actually an ink as we would commonly know it but I have overused my versa mark to the point where I needed to purchase a new one. Versa Marks are clear ink that can be used for a variety of effects. It is a wonderful ink to use since it resists color and it can create beautiful watermarked images. The main use of versa mark has to be with embossing. Since it takes a bit longer to dry and it is clear, many people will stamp an image in versa mark before coating it in embossing powder, which they melt. The end result is a stunningly embossed image.
Staze-On:
The last type of ink that I will look at is staze-on. This is actually a permanent ink, instead of a waterbased ink. This means that without a proper spray, your stamps will become stained by this ink. If you are overly conscious of your stamps and hate having stained stamps, then I would recommend that you avoid staze-on. If you don’t then you can do a lot of things with staze-on. This has actually become one of my favorite inks since the colors come out a bit more vibrantly than regular stamp ink. It is also an excellent ink to use if you are stamping anything besides a card or scrapbook page. I like to use staze-on when I am stamping plates or tiles but it can be used for a lot more.
Although I would love to say that you only need one or two stamp inks, there is always a purpose for all of the inks, and if you are like me, you will quickly reach the dozens when it comes to ink pads.
Happy Stamping,
Sirena Van Schaik
Photo credit: © Pakowacz | Dreamstime.com
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