It’s true there is so much choice, that selecting the right ink seems more difficult than choosing a stamp to use. Hopefully, then this article will shed a bit more light on the subject.

Dye Ink

Probably the most widely used ink, and available in a wide selection of colours.

• They are quick drying on most papers, and are usually acid free.
• Darker colours tend to create opaque images, whilst lighter colours can be overlapped for
interesting effects.
• Not to be used for embossing.

Other inks in this group are:

Shadow Inks –
by Hero, which come in a soft palette of colours; acid-free; are semi-opaque and best used on non-glossy paper.

Chalk Inks –
by Hero, Ranger and Tsukineko – which give a subtle powdery finish that can be blended on the stamp, or when stamped on the paper before it dries. Also are acid free and archival; colour is opaque, even on darker paper; stamp detail remains crisp.

Fabrico ™ (now called Versacraft) - Tsukineko
Another dye based one, which can be used on many surfaces, but I particularly like to use on fabric, leather, un-glazed ceramics, paper mache. Also, it can be used on shrink plastic, because it needs to be heat set. The only thing you must remember is to pre-wash any fabric that you intend to use (to get rid of any sizing). Because of its opacity, permanence and archival quality it is good to use on scrapbook projects.

Distress Ink ™ -
have recently introduced by Ranger, and have become more available here in the UK. They are from the Tim Holtz (the man is a god by the way) range. I am proud to say that I own all 12 colours, and use them a lot, but the two that I seem to be drawn to over and over again - Tattered Rose and Milled Lavender. Since I got them about 8 weeks ago, I have used them everyday, and am finding more and more things to do with them. Check out Tim’s DVD (An Altered Journey).

There are also Distress embossing powders to go along with them, but I’ve only used mine a few times and can’t really comment on them at the moment.

Vintage Scented Inks ™ -
also by Ranger have recently come into my hands. They have a perfume, but I can’t say that I have noticed it staying around once stamped for too long.

Although they are a dye based ink (non toxic by the way), it is claimed by Ranger that they are embossable. I haven’t tried out this claim yet, but I do like them – recently I completed an entire gift album for Lydia’s swimming teacher in one afternoon using them. I really do like the lovely vintage images on the tins, and the names: Starry Night, Season’s Greetings, Pumpkin Pie, Hot Cocoa and Sugar Plum of the 12 colours. What I most definitely DO NOT LIKE Ranger are the way the tins keep coming open at the drop of a hat – please, please, fix this problem. Other than that I can find nothing wrong with them, and will be genuinely upset if the lid problem causes them to dry up.

Pigment Inks

These are the little beauties to use for embossing projects, and they are made from pigments rather than dyes, and come in many guises by many manufacturers, but the ones I have covered are the ones I tend to use:

Versamark ™ Ink -
This is the one that I use the most, and I carry around in my great purple Tote, which when I am not on the move sits on my desk. With it I can:

• Emboss with it using coloured embossing powder, where it’s not important that I use a coloured ink underneath.
• Create a watermark tone on tone image on cardstock.
• Stamp an image behind another inked image to give a shadow effect.
• Use it for resist technique - either with or without clear embossing powder if I zap it with the heat gun first.
• Use it with both chalks and pearly powders.
• It’s Acid-free, and can be used on glossy cardstock.

Staz-on ™ -
Again, this is always in my Tote It’s a fast drying and permanent solvent based ink and can be used on just about every surface. It is acid free and fast drying, but if you’re quick you can emboss with it.

Once upon a time we could only get it in black, but there is now a wide choice of colours, including white the new white that comes with a blank felt pad and re-inker and you need to add approximately 3/rd of the re-inker to activate.

The only drawbacks are:

• It does mark your stamps, and Staz-on cleaner is needed to get it off. Sir Tim doesn’t clean his stamps anyway, so maybe I shouldn’t worry.
• It can be tricky to get the hang of stamping with it on a slick surface, but it’s not impossible and just needs a bit of practice to stop the stamp sliding around and blurring the image.

Versafine ™ -
If you are looking for a pigment ink for fine detail, especially useful for all the new photo image stamps (watch this space for some coming your way from SG-me!), then choose this would be the one to go for. Not only does it do the job excellently, but the pads have lovely names to go with the yummy colours, like Spanish Moss, Imperial Purple, Blue Lagoon, etc. Although it is a pigment ink it is waterproof.

The only drawback is that you have to be lightening fast to attempt to emboss with this baby – it is doable though.

Brilliance ™ -
These archival pigment ink pads from Tsukineko, and come in wonderful metallic colours. In my personal opinion, the Starlite Silver is possibly the best in the way of silver colouration out in the market at the current time.

It is a fast drying, comes in pearlescent colours that don’t tend to smudge, and is ideal to be used on vellum, mica, acetate, shrink plastic, sculpey clay and many other things. Try using the “mineral” three slab colour selection on the back of acetate, and you will get a stunning effect.

Another nice little animal from the Tsukineko stable is Opalite. Again, it’s acid free (I think from memory all their products are though), and is a reflective interference pigment ink.

Another running mate in the ink pad market in 2005 has been the Hybrid Palette ™ and has been billed as the first all-purpose craft ink – blending the best of both pigment and dye inkpads into one:

• Acid free and non-fading.
• Fine art colours that look and act like pigment, but dry like dye.
• Give crisp and non-bleeding impressions.
• For all paper surfaces, heat set on glass, fabric, wood, plastic, metal and clay.
• Fast drying and waterproof.

I only own one of these, and have to admit to my shame that I haven’t really used it, so I can’t comment too much on the claims. A resolution for 2006 will be to try it out fully and comment further.

Please remember that all of the above are not a definitive list by any means, there are more manufacturers and other items made by the ones I have mentioned. I will make sure that I keep this article updated as and when I have tried/investigated others.

I have cleared up the inky waters of doubt a bit more for you. Go on, get out there and stamp, stamp, stamp.

Galaxy Girl


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