Post by Emily on Oct 17, 2006 12:15:44 GMT -5
DYE INKS
Dye inks are the closest to the original office type ink, though the quality has improved tenfold. Rich, bright colors offer a lot of versatility and they stamp well on glossy as well as matte papers. They dry quickly which can make them unsuitable for embossing. Their strong point is a sharp detailed image, especially suited to finely detailed stamps.
They are generally offered on two types of pads, depending on the manufacturer; either raised felt or the old standby felt pad which resembles the office type pad with an attached foldback lid. The raised felt pad offers the advantage of beind able to be used for any sized stamp, as the inked surface sits slightly above the height of the case. These types of pads usually have a removable lid and resemble most pigment ink pads. You will usually see "Dye Ink" printed somewhere on the packaging. Dye inks are sometimes available in "rainbow pads", which have many colors side by side in the same pad, as well as single color pads.
PIGMENT INKS
Pigment Inks are much thicker than dye inks, however they will still clean up with plain water. With a wide variety of uses, they take to embossing powder quite well. They do not dry as quickly as dye inks and this makes creativity much easier.
Pigment inks stamp well on matte paper and cardstock. If you are using glossy paper they must be embossed, because they will not simply air dry at all. (personal note: I have had a little success with simply using a heat tool to dry these inks on glossy surfaces.)
Pigment inks are almost always found on a raised foam - type pad. You can also find them on "mini" style pads, which makes them quite affordable, so you can have a variety of colors at lower cost. Re-inkers for pigment pads are available and are a sound investment. You can re-ink the same pad many times before the surface looses it's "bounce back" qualities. If you get brave, which we all should do!, you can buy plain, un - inked pads and make your own color pads.
EMBOSSING INK
Embossing ink is a specialty ink, designed strictly for use with embossing powders. More about this in the section about embossing,
which you will find in Ideas and Techniques.
WASHABLE INK PADS
When you are thinking creatively, you may decide to share this wonderful craft with children, your own or others! Well, thank goodness, there are now inkpads that are labled "Washable" or "Suitable for Children". They are formulated to wash off of hands and out of clothing. You may find that some colors are somewhat more "washable" than others, though, so I would be a little cautious. I would not use these where colorfastness is advised.
WATERCOLOR INKS
These inks are usually presented as markers and are just wonderful for coloring in an already stamped image, but you can also
apply as ink, directly on your rubber stamp. This give you the ability to emphasize detail that might get lost in just stamping. You will find these useful markers with many companies and both fine and wide tips that give you some great control over placement. You can use more than one color on a single stamp, and there are several techniques for applying the marker to achieve different effects. There are lots of sources for this information. Here are a few suggestions:
Ideas For Use Of The Marvelous Markers
FABRIC INKS
Fabric inks for stamping uses come in two types of applicators; pads and dauber bottles. Good quality inks and several colors are available. Not limited to just fabric stamping, these inks can be used for many different surfaces. Wood, glass, plastic, shrink plastic, clay .....these are just a few of your options! Let your imagination run wild here. You will develop your own ideas and methods after just a short time. I have only played with this a little, but I am looking forward to learning more and when I do, I will be happy to share anything you can use.
Remember, fabric inks require a special solvent cleaner and it is absolutely necessary to clean your stamps immediately after stamping with them. Some of the fabric inks must be heat set and others simply require a little setting time to become permanent. Remember to read your ink requirements before deciding on the surface to stamp.
PERMANENT STAMPING INK
This ink is very similar to fabric ink, but is used and sold for different purposes. Is is usually sold through office supply stores and is best used in a good quality felt pad. It makes an excellent impression when stamping on smooth surface plastic like shrink plastic. Try it on matte and glossy papers. It also makes a strong detailed impression on paper and does not bleed when colored markers or watercolor pencils are used with it.
These next two categories are considered permanent inks and are cleanable with solvent cleaners only. You must use care when using them in stamping and cleaning afterward. The inks and the cleaners both give off fumes, sometimes strong and noxious.
Always, always use in well ventilated areas (Open those windows!). Many people react to these fumes with headaches or light-headedness, even other reactions when breathing them. This is supposed to be fun, so be careful!
VERSAMARK
This is one brand of a "watermark" ink that is just wonderful for creating many effects. The easiest and my personal favorite is to simply stamp a solid color cardstock with the ink and let it dry. As it dries, the design slowly becomes more visible. This is a lovely method to add a pattern to a card or page without adding more color when you need a subtle touch. It is slightly sticky, but cleans from your rubber stamps easily with standard methods.
A few other suggestions for using Versamark:
* Although the VersaMark ink is sticky when applied, it dries like regular ink and loses the stickiness. It is Acid-free and therefore safe for scrapbook pages. It works perfectly on all our colored card stock.
* Use with heat & stick and add flocking, glitter or Pearl Ex powders.
* Shadowing - This is a technique that works best with Kaleidacolor pads and word stamps, but any type ink or stamp will be fine. Stamp an image with colored ink; then stamp directly over it with versa mark. Because you will seldom be exact in the placement of the second image, you will make a "shadow" that gives the initial image a 3-D effect. You can take this method a step further by embossing with a transparent powder like Pearl or Iridescent Ice.
Rainbow (or "Spectrum" or "Kalidescope") multi-color stamp pads:
This is a great new technology in inkpads. It lets you use a case that actually separates the individual colors of ink on their own small ink pad (Kalidacolor pads and Stampin’ Up! Spectrum pads have this type of inkpad). These pads are simply pushed together with the flip of a button to use for a graduated color effect in stamping. The lids of these pads will not close unless that special button separating the individual inkpads has been engaged. This means that while you are storing your rainbow inkpad, the colors will not intermingle and become "muddy". It also means that you can re-ink each separate color as necessary. And, it also means that you in fact have a number of small stamp pads in one because if you separate the individual inkpads you can ink up a small stamp with a single color.
This type of inkpad is wonderful to give you a blend of colors on a brayer, to be rolled onto a glossy paper or plain paper for use as a background. You can easily set the mood you want or design with specific seasonal colors. For instance, a pad that contains a range from light to dark such as yellow all the way to a dark blue, can give you the feeling of a sunset or a fall afternoon with shadows. A blend of blues would be beautiful behind a cluster of flowers....well, you get the idea. One more opportunity to let your creativity loose !
Dye inks are the closest to the original office type ink, though the quality has improved tenfold. Rich, bright colors offer a lot of versatility and they stamp well on glossy as well as matte papers. They dry quickly which can make them unsuitable for embossing. Their strong point is a sharp detailed image, especially suited to finely detailed stamps.
They are generally offered on two types of pads, depending on the manufacturer; either raised felt or the old standby felt pad which resembles the office type pad with an attached foldback lid. The raised felt pad offers the advantage of beind able to be used for any sized stamp, as the inked surface sits slightly above the height of the case. These types of pads usually have a removable lid and resemble most pigment ink pads. You will usually see "Dye Ink" printed somewhere on the packaging. Dye inks are sometimes available in "rainbow pads", which have many colors side by side in the same pad, as well as single color pads.
PIGMENT INKS
Pigment Inks are much thicker than dye inks, however they will still clean up with plain water. With a wide variety of uses, they take to embossing powder quite well. They do not dry as quickly as dye inks and this makes creativity much easier.
Pigment inks stamp well on matte paper and cardstock. If you are using glossy paper they must be embossed, because they will not simply air dry at all. (personal note: I have had a little success with simply using a heat tool to dry these inks on glossy surfaces.)
Pigment inks are almost always found on a raised foam - type pad. You can also find them on "mini" style pads, which makes them quite affordable, so you can have a variety of colors at lower cost. Re-inkers for pigment pads are available and are a sound investment. You can re-ink the same pad many times before the surface looses it's "bounce back" qualities. If you get brave, which we all should do!, you can buy plain, un - inked pads and make your own color pads.
EMBOSSING INK
Embossing ink is a specialty ink, designed strictly for use with embossing powders. More about this in the section about embossing,
which you will find in Ideas and Techniques.
WASHABLE INK PADS
When you are thinking creatively, you may decide to share this wonderful craft with children, your own or others! Well, thank goodness, there are now inkpads that are labled "Washable" or "Suitable for Children". They are formulated to wash off of hands and out of clothing. You may find that some colors are somewhat more "washable" than others, though, so I would be a little cautious. I would not use these where colorfastness is advised.
WATERCOLOR INKS
These inks are usually presented as markers and are just wonderful for coloring in an already stamped image, but you can also
apply as ink, directly on your rubber stamp. This give you the ability to emphasize detail that might get lost in just stamping. You will find these useful markers with many companies and both fine and wide tips that give you some great control over placement. You can use more than one color on a single stamp, and there are several techniques for applying the marker to achieve different effects. There are lots of sources for this information. Here are a few suggestions:
Ideas For Use Of The Marvelous Markers
FABRIC INKS
Fabric inks for stamping uses come in two types of applicators; pads and dauber bottles. Good quality inks and several colors are available. Not limited to just fabric stamping, these inks can be used for many different surfaces. Wood, glass, plastic, shrink plastic, clay .....these are just a few of your options! Let your imagination run wild here. You will develop your own ideas and methods after just a short time. I have only played with this a little, but I am looking forward to learning more and when I do, I will be happy to share anything you can use.
Remember, fabric inks require a special solvent cleaner and it is absolutely necessary to clean your stamps immediately after stamping with them. Some of the fabric inks must be heat set and others simply require a little setting time to become permanent. Remember to read your ink requirements before deciding on the surface to stamp.
PERMANENT STAMPING INK
This ink is very similar to fabric ink, but is used and sold for different purposes. Is is usually sold through office supply stores and is best used in a good quality felt pad. It makes an excellent impression when stamping on smooth surface plastic like shrink plastic. Try it on matte and glossy papers. It also makes a strong detailed impression on paper and does not bleed when colored markers or watercolor pencils are used with it.
These next two categories are considered permanent inks and are cleanable with solvent cleaners only. You must use care when using them in stamping and cleaning afterward. The inks and the cleaners both give off fumes, sometimes strong and noxious.
Always, always use in well ventilated areas (Open those windows!). Many people react to these fumes with headaches or light-headedness, even other reactions when breathing them. This is supposed to be fun, so be careful!
VERSAMARK
This is one brand of a "watermark" ink that is just wonderful for creating many effects. The easiest and my personal favorite is to simply stamp a solid color cardstock with the ink and let it dry. As it dries, the design slowly becomes more visible. This is a lovely method to add a pattern to a card or page without adding more color when you need a subtle touch. It is slightly sticky, but cleans from your rubber stamps easily with standard methods.
A few other suggestions for using Versamark:
* Although the VersaMark ink is sticky when applied, it dries like regular ink and loses the stickiness. It is Acid-free and therefore safe for scrapbook pages. It works perfectly on all our colored card stock.
* Use with heat & stick and add flocking, glitter or Pearl Ex powders.
* Shadowing - This is a technique that works best with Kaleidacolor pads and word stamps, but any type ink or stamp will be fine. Stamp an image with colored ink; then stamp directly over it with versa mark. Because you will seldom be exact in the placement of the second image, you will make a "shadow" that gives the initial image a 3-D effect. You can take this method a step further by embossing with a transparent powder like Pearl or Iridescent Ice.
Rainbow (or "Spectrum" or "Kalidescope") multi-color stamp pads:
This is a great new technology in inkpads. It lets you use a case that actually separates the individual colors of ink on their own small ink pad (Kalidacolor pads and Stampin’ Up! Spectrum pads have this type of inkpad). These pads are simply pushed together with the flip of a button to use for a graduated color effect in stamping. The lids of these pads will not close unless that special button separating the individual inkpads has been engaged. This means that while you are storing your rainbow inkpad, the colors will not intermingle and become "muddy". It also means that you can re-ink each separate color as necessary. And, it also means that you in fact have a number of small stamp pads in one because if you separate the individual inkpads you can ink up a small stamp with a single color.
This type of inkpad is wonderful to give you a blend of colors on a brayer, to be rolled onto a glossy paper or plain paper for use as a background. You can easily set the mood you want or design with specific seasonal colors. For instance, a pad that contains a range from light to dark such as yellow all the way to a dark blue, can give you the feeling of a sunset or a fall afternoon with shadows. A blend of blues would be beautiful behind a cluster of flowers....well, you get the idea. One more opportunity to let your creativity loose !
