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If you read this entire post, I'd reach for the aspirin.
So here it is after 3 am and I'm going mad researching different ink pads for stamping... yet again.
Today I practiced with 3 kinds of ink on my clear stamps and wooden rubber stamps: "Versafine" (Onyx Black), "Memento" (a few pretty colors), and one "Stampabilities" (a really light blue color). All were dye inks, so I took the advice I read in several places; rubbing a white eraser over the clear stamps.
It looked absolutely dreadful. We're talking the dog's breakfast here. :( No matter the stamp - rubber or clear - the ink looked watery/beaded. Only on one large rubber stamp did the "Versafine" black ink look perfect. (I didn't experiment with that stamp via the other ink pads).
I even saw a YouTube video where they used "Memento" ink on their cuttlebug folder. I tried that today and it, too, looked a little watery. The brighter colors looked horrible. The pale colors looked better, but as I said... watery.
Will using a pigment ink work better on the cuttlebug folders and clear stamps both? If so, which brands do you prefer? (I've watched so many videos and read so many articles and blogs that I'm overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed and I just cannot continue spending money on inks that aren't working right, so any advice is appreciated. After reading your replies, I'm giving up on all my research). I almost bought some pigment inks today, but erroneously thought my mother already had some that I could experiment with.
And is it true that pigment inks on the regular wooden rubber stamps are a bad idea? If so, I'm at a loss because the "Versafine" dye ink I used on those today didn't look too great. Some of them were okay, but I've seen better results elsewhere.
Also, do pigment inks HAVE to be heat set in order to dry? (Please say no because I don't have a heat tool yet :confused: ). If not, just how long will it take?
__________________
*~"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." ~*
Click HERE If Bored
The title of your post cracked me up, as I have soooo many ink pads that I think they are evil because I have to have all of them.
I am not sure what is causing your problem. I use dye, pigment and distress inkpads as well as versafine,memento and archival etc. I see you used the eraser trick on the new stamps. That helps me. Sometimes the coating takes a bit to get off...but it will eventually.. You don't need to heat set pigment ink with a heat tool, you can let it sit, but it takes a long time that way. But it can be done. (I would suggest a heat tool if you are going to stamp often, as they come in handy to emboss and dry watercoloring etc..)
My favorite dye inks are Adirondack by Ranger. I found I got great coverage and even detail on my Thomas Kindcaid stamps that are very detailed. I use Stampin Up too with no problems.
I use my brayer when I ink up my cuttlebug folders. i found that helped me.
I am not sure if you are a new stamper, but if you are, just keep using what you have and you will learn what works for you... It is a great hobby and I find even my mistakes can be used in some way. Cut them up, and use them on cards.
Take care and enjoy.
I guess the most important question here is what brand of clear stamps are you using? Not all clear stamps are created equal, some work great with most types of inks, some others are just horrid no matter what you do.
I'm kind of surprised that Versafine didn't work well with your stamps. I have yet to find a stamp Versafine doesn't work with.
Pigment ink will take FOREVER and a day to dry, depending on which paper you are using, it might never dry. Heat tool is a must if you are to work with pigment inks.
Chalk ink is a good option. Lots of colors, good coverage, works with the flimsiest of stamps. You can get those little petal shaped stacks in lots of colors for a good price with your coupon. HTH.
I won't be much help with your clear stamps, because I hardly ever use them. I know that they don't play nice with dye inks in general, though. One set that I have, though, has an area of solid color and the ONLY ink I could make work with it was Palette in Black Noir. Couldn't believe my Versafine let me down.
And I honestly thought that Versafine was a fast-drying pigment ink. I usually have pretty good luck with that one, unless I'm going to be coloring the image with OMS & colored pencil - then the outline smears with the OMS. Otherwise, that is usually the first ink I grab because it gives such a nice image.
As far as using pigment inks with your wood-mounted rubber stamps, go right ahead. I've never heard that it was bad for the stamps. The only thing that I have noticed is that my VersaMagic pads (pigment inks, chalk finish) tend to stain the rubber more than any other ink. It doesn't transfer to the next image, though, so I don't worry about it.
Memento Inks - I love 'em and have every color in the dewdrop size and am slowly accumulating the full-size pads. I have noticed that my London Fog full-size pad stamps kind of mottled if I use it on a stamp with a large solid area. And I'm talking a rubber stamp here, not clear. Almost like it's overinked or something. The dewdrop does the same thing, but less noticeable. The other colors (other than black) kind of seem the same way, but with those the color evens out after the ink dries. The London Fog stays mottled.
Will pigment inks ever dry - yes, but not on glossy paper. Zapping them with a heat gun speeds up the process, but they will dry without it. Depending on the humidity where you're at, it can take some time, though. There are some pigment inks that dry faster - Brilliance is one of them. If you're looking for a kind of chalk finish, the VersaMagic pads are really nice. They give great coverage even on solid stamps and dry fast.
I use a lot of pigment inks -- they differ a lot and some dry really quickly. They provide excellent coverage with all stamps, but they have drawbacks.
The craft inks from SU are very wet and have to be heat set or used as embossing inks or they will not dry (at least not in the humid east coast...)
The ones I use are from A Muse Studio and they appear to be identical to the ones some by Impress Rubber Stamps and marketed as Fresh Ink.
These dry to a chalk like finish and dry rather quickly -- as in less than a minute, sometimes almost immediately (depending on color and the juiciness of my ink pad). However, they dry faster on A Muse or Memory Box or Hero Arts cardstocks compared to other brands - -Have no idea why. Excellent smooth deep coverage of even a solid image. Yum.
And because they dry to a chalk finish, I use Versafine black to stamp sentiments over them. Memento does not look good stamped over this ink.
But I would not use these inks for anything other than stamping an image. A little sponging is fine, but they are not great for distressing a background (Ranger distress inks are my fave for that).
Don't give up and don't buy a lot of one company's inks at first -- you are eventually going to find an ink that works for YOU and then you can buy up a bunch!
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
You've gotten some very good advice here. All I can add is that the paper you are using also makes a big difference. I find that if I stamp on smooth, quality paper, I get a better impression. I love Gina K's and TAC's (The Angel Company's) heavyweight paper for this. As far as the clear stamps go, I agree with a previous poster who said that "all clear stamps are not created equal." So true. I stick with CTMH (Close To My Heart) and other brand names. Hope this helps, and don't give up or lose sleep over it.
The only thing I can add is to take notes of what ink worked (or didn't) with which stamp so you don't have to repeat the process.
There is much trial-and-error involved with this hobby. I always loved Brilliance ink (sticking mostly to the pearlescent shades) but became a fan of Memento when it saved me from throwing away (probably through a closed window!) a rubber stamp from a well-known/well-respected company because I could not get a crisp image.
The only thing I can add is to take notes of what ink worked (or didn't) with which stamp so you don't have to repeat the process.
There is much trial-and-error involved with this hobby. I always loved Brilliance ink (sticking mostly to the pearlescent shades) but became a fan of Memento when it saved me from throwing away (probably through a closed window!) a rubber stamp from a well-known/well-respected company because I could not get a crisp image.
Happy crafting!
Tina aka TeeGeeDee
Agree with the keeping notes. And I can throw my stamps if I want - I work with unmounteds, so they'll just stick to the window, not break it
Thanks for the advice. I guess I need to just break down and buy 1 of each of the pigment inks. I'll only try black first and will buy the heat tool later. I figure I will need one though, as this is Texas; land of humidity and dinosaur-sized mosquitoes. (I really could see mass suicides in the mosquito world from drowning in my ink pads. :???: We get a lot of them until the spraying truck rolls around).
I can only try the stamp pads available through places like Hobby Lobby and Michael's, so I guess that leaves out the SU pads. (Our mailman is always delivering packages to the wrong house).
The cardstock I'm using is just the regular packs of cardstock you'll find in all craft stores. When I do give embossing a try - likely over the holidays - I'll be forced to break down and buy the heavy baseweight cardstock online I guess. I've yet to have found it in a regular store.
The clear stamps are a bunch of different brands. The one I bought yesterday was 'The Girls Paperie' brand, and it is ADORABLE. Others are sentiments, which came from Michael's craft store and weren't the cheapy type either. The wood mounted rubber stamps were all from Hobby Lobby, and again... not from some cheapy $1 bin although I do have just a couple of those.
Sigh...
If the pigment inks don't end up working, I guess I'm just cursed. Time will tell.
__________________
*~"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." ~*
Click HERE If Bored
Last edited by Kristin_Tx; 06-16-2011 at 06:49 AM..
Yikes! No wonder you need some aspirin. I'd be taking a couple myself. I only use rubber stamps so I can't even suggest anything. I wonder if inking the stamp with Versamark before inking would help. Read that somewhere but I'm just not sure if it applied to clear and/or rubber. Worth a shot.
If you're having so much trouble using rubber and good quality ink then make sure your problem is not from your paper. Always use good quality paper and I do not include the J's brand of paper in this--I think it's terrible quality!
I like to use PTI, Gina K, SU and a|s papers. When I have trouble getting a solid image to stamp I usually can get satisfaction when I use a chalk ink.
I also love the coverage I get with the new a|s inks which are similar to a chalk ink. (just an fyi--a|s ink is a pigment ink so it won't dry on some papers including the SU white paper for some reason.) It will dry without heat-setting but depending on the humidity and particular pad it can take a long time to completely dry (overnight to be completely sure). Also some colors leave a chalky residue that can rub off on your fingers so be aware of this when planning your projects.
Honestly I think there are different inks that work best for particular projects, paper, and stamp types (acrylic or rubber) so you just have to experiment. I think that's probably why I have over 200 ink pads at home, LOL!
The only clear stamps I have are from Stampendous, and the Versafine works beautifully with these!
But, I use Palette ink for almost everything... it is a blend of pigment and dye inks, dries instantly on paper, and has worked with all of my stamps. I get a nice crisp stamped image with this ink.
I recently started collecting the Memento ink pads. At first, I was getting the marbled/watery impressions like you described, until someone told me I should store the ink pads upside down, that way all the ink settles evenly to the top of the pad. It made all the difference with my Memento pads!
If you can, buy the dew drops, or smaller size pads to try out, until you find what you like, and then you can upgrade to the full size pad later. It might save a little money while you experiment. Don't give up!
PS--looks like you posted while I was writing so I wanted to add that you really need to get better paper!
Also, a|s ships using UPS so your mail carrier will never have to get involved, LOL!
I bet SU also uses UPS or if you have a local consultant she can ship it to herself and deliver by hand! While I love my local M's and J's but for particular items you really need to go mail order or find a LSS who can special order for you. To me, good carstock is the basis of a good stamping experience so I get almost all mine from the companies I listed above so I don't have any disappointments.
Just the other evening, I was using CTMH inks with an Inkadinkado clear set and even using the eraser method, I couldn't get a good image with some of the colours I was testing. The paper I was using wasn't top quality and the lighter colours came out quite blotchy but the darker brown (cocoa I think) seemed work better than the others. One batch was on good paper and the other no so good paper so I think that was part of my problem as well. Some of the cheaper clear stamps I bought when I first started out do not work very well even using CTMH ink which is endorsed to be for clear stamps. Not that this helps, but I wanted to let you know I share your pain.
__________________ Leslie Harnish
Sambro, Nova Scotia
Canada
Kristin, welcome to Splitcoast (and stamping!). You've gotten all kinds of great advice here. The one thing I haven't seen mentioned is "seasoning" your stamps.
Once you've done your eraser trick on the stamp, grab a piece of cheap paper and start stamping the image over and over, reinking each time without cleaning the stamp. You will start to see better results.
On solid stamps you could even try using a very fine sandpaper to gently buff your stamp, but try all the other suggestions first.
Try not to get frustrated...I know that's easy to say, but just keep in mind that rubber stamping wouldn't be nearly as popular as it is if it were truly difficult. You'll get the hang of it in no time.
Oh, and Stampin' Up does deliver via UPS (smile)...
I would be happy to send you some paper samples from the various vendors that have already been mentioned so you can try them with your current ink pads. Just send me a pm with your name and address.
One more tip I have is to make sure when you're applying the stamp to the paper is to hold it there for a few seconds. I know when I first started stamping, I would just put the stamp to the paper for just a second and quickly take it away. I wasn't getting very good images. Once I figured out to leave the stamp in place a little longer, it allowed all the ink to transfer to the paper evenly and I have way better results.
I'll admit I just glanced over most of the answers given so far, so I apologize if this has been said already but what kind of surface are you stamping on? I find that putting a piece of fun foam, magazine, or even mouse pad under your paper can make a difference. Wood mounted rubber stamps have that cushion between the stamp and the wood block for that extra "give" where clear stamps are mounted right to the clear block. Sometimes they just need that extra cushion to stamp right so placing something softer under the paper can help. Hope that makes sense! Good luck Kristin!
I use clear stamps the most and love using Memento and a ranger one, just cant remember the name at this moment.
I use GP white paper and sometimes staples cardstock too and it works fine for me ;)
hope you find the good each for you.
I also have a lot of CTMH ones and love them too.
OK before you buy anything else - get the moisture out of your current paper (and this might be an ongoing process) I have heard people that heat up their paper in the oven just to get the moisture out, obviously not too hot or long you don't want to burn the cardstock/paper.
I know its an investment but seriously consider getting a heat gun.
Also I got my cardstock from Xpedx not a craft store. I did wait for a sale and got two reams of white Neenah Classic Crest. It is my "final" use cardstock not my practice cardstock - that is Georgia Pacific.
Even with my lovely nice cardstock sometimes the humity here is high and I have to pre-blast the cardstock with my heat gun to get a good image.
I use Versafine Onyx quick dry pigment ink with rubber and clear stamps for images and get very good results on both types of stamps. Some of my clear stamps are pricey, like Papertrey, and some are not. I'm pretty pleased with them all.
I know everyone has their favorite type of paper for stamping images, some of it pretty expensive, and I'm not knocking personal choice.
However, I want to play devil's advocate and speak for those of us who either cannot, or don't want to, spend a lot of money for white cardstock for our cardmaking.
I think papercrafting is like most anything in life - yes, you get what you pay for.....up to a point. Sometimes we pay for marketing and advertising of the product. Sometimes we simply think if we pay more, it just has to be better, somehow, and it will magically make our projects better.
There are almost always alternatives that will work for your purposes, no matter what you are buying. I just don't want anyone fairly new to this wonderful hobby to feel like "I just can't ever make pretty cards until I can buy "X" brand of cardstock.
Once again, not knocking anyone's choice or preference. We all have our favorites.
I've used different brands and have settled on this inexpensive option. It works well for card bases and for stamped images. You get a whole bunch for not very much money, which I like a lot.
I use Versafine Onyx quick dry pigment ink with rubber and clear stamps for images and get very good results on both types of stamps. Some of my clear stamps are pricey, like Papertrey, and some are not. I'm pretty pleased with them all.
I know everyone has their favorite type of paper for stamping images, some of it pretty expensive, and I'm not knocking personal choice.
However, I want to play devil's advocate and speak for those of us who either cannot, or don't want to, spend a lot of money for white cardstock for our cardmaking.
I think papercrafting is like most anything in life - yes, you get what you pay for.....up to a point. Sometimes we pay for marketing and advertising of the product. Sometimes we simply think if we pay more, it just has to be better, somehow, and it will magically make our projects better.
There are almost always alternatives that will work for your purposes, no matter what you are buying. I just don't want anyone fairly new to this wonderful hobby to feel like "I just can't ever make pretty cards until I can buy "X" brand of cardstock.
Once again, not knocking anyone's choice or preference. We all have our favorites.
I've used different brands and have settled on this inexpensive option. It works well for card bases and for stamped images. You get a whole bunch for not very much money, which I like a lot.
Well said - I probably should have added that I got the Neenah after I had been stamping for at least 4-5 years and to use with Copics. I use GP for a lot of my other stamping needs. It isn't quite as bright but I still love it. Also I wanted to add that I also have just plain ol copier/printer paper to play with colors and designs and ink if I feel the need.
You've got a lot of great advice here. The most important one is that not all clear stamps are the same. There are Photopolymer stamps and Silicone stamps.
I find that Versafine (hybrid), Brilliance (pigment), and Marvy (dye) ink work the best with Photopolymer stamps. All three seem to have more pigment and less water in them which makes them less likely to bead up.
That being said, Photopolymer stamps, which are made in the US, are just like rubber stamps, and need to be "tempered" when you first get them. That's ink, stamp and repeat, on scratch paper to get the surface conditioned to take the ink. Just like rubber, the more you stamp, the better the image.
Silicone stamps are usually made outside the US and IMHO don't stamp well at all. Silicone, is made to repel water, which is why ink beads up on it. I'm not sure why they make stamps out of it, but I can only assume whoever developed the first silicone stamp, wasn't a stamper.
You've got a lot of great advice here. The most important one is that not all clear stamps are the same. There are Photopolymer stamps and Silicone stamps.
I find that Versafine (hybrid), Brilliance (pigment), and Marvy (dye) ink work the best with Photopolymer stamps. All three seem to have more pigment and less water in them which makes them less likely to bead up.
That being said, Photopolymer stamps, which are made in the US, are just like rubber stamps, and need to be "tempered" when you first get them. That's ink, stamp and repeat, on scratch paper to get the surface conditioned to take the ink. Just like rubber, the more you stamp, the better the image.
Silicone stamps are usually made outside the US and IMHO don't stamp well at all. Silicone, is made to repel water, which is why ink beads up on it. I'm not sure why they make stamps out of it, but I can only assume whoever developed the first silicone stamp, wasn't a stamper.
Not all polymer stamps are made in the US. There are plenty of reputable stamps companies from all over the world that provide good quality photopolymer stamps. There are also US stamp companies that produce silicone stamps along with other companies in other countries. The US is not the only country that produces quality products...
I've used pigment ink on some on my stamps for almost 20 years with no problems. As others have said, not all clear stamps are made the same; I've had some that have never given me the results I want. I use both Memento and Versafine and I usually use the cardstock I buy at Michaels or Joanns and get good results. You do need to use a foam pad or a magazine under your cardstock when you use clear stamps and you do need to keep them on the paper for a little longer for a good image. I lived in TX for 11 years and even with the humidity there I was able to get good images with my stamps without using expensive paper. Keep trying, you'll find what works for you.
Gosh, lots of great advice. Just an FYI that I found very helpful with photopolymer stamps--I use my Adhesive Pick-up Square (therm-o-web's "eraser" that picks up excess adhesive from paper) to season my stamps. It seems so much better than any "eraser" eraser that I've used. It was amazing the difference it made for me!
I don't have a lot of clear stamps, but have found that what inks they work best with really does vary from stamp brand to stamp brand. Having said that, I've found that Stampabilities dye ink is really, really, really wet compared to other dye inks, almost as wet as the Ranger Distress inks. If I were you, I'd save any Stampabilities inks for rubber only.
So far I have found that Ranger Archival ink works really well with Fiskars and Inkadinkado clear stamps. It makes clear, complete images and cleans off those stamps easily. It doesn't work so well with the clear Stamper's Anonymous stamps. I've had inconsistent results with Colorbox chalk inks, also. I prefer using the chalk ink with rubber, but others say they love them with clear stamps. Vivid dye inks from Clearsnap have worked well on all of my clear stamps, no matter what brand. Distress inks are very wet, and don't work too well with clear stamps, unless you want a distressed look, of course.
ETA: As others have said, put a magazine or an old mouse pad--the cushiony kind, not one of those hard plastic ones-- under your cardstock. That extra cushion will help with getting a good impression.
Last edited by StampinHoosier; 06-16-2011 at 03:29 PM..
Reason: More information
The ones I use are from A Muse Studio and they appear to be identical to the ones some by Impress Rubber Stamps and marketed as Fresh Ink.
...
But I would not use these inks for anything other than stamping an image. A little sponging is fine, but they are not great for distressing a background (Ranger distress inks are my fave for that).
Joan, I use my A Muse Studio pigment inks to distress with all the time. I really like the Ranger distressing tool with the spongy pads and use it with my Toffee, Squash, and Nutmeg ink pads frequently. Matter of fact, I helped my son with a Generational Scrapbook and distressed the pages with the pads I mentioned and they turned out quite well, I think.
Just a tip (and another kind of ink to buy if you don't have it) on some of my pti images - solid images or exceptionally detailed line images - it helps immensely if I ink the stamp in Versamark watermark ink (which is clear) and then stamp it in my dye ink. I get great results with this. Vivid seems to stamp really well with most clear stamps although it stains the snot out of anything it touches. You can get a few vivid pads at Hobby Lobby. I LOVE memento for most things and do 90% of my stamping with that. I have the dew drops in every color and bought them all in the 4 packs at Michaels with 50% off coupons. I am anxious to try the a muse inks. I don't have the patience for normal pigment inks. And I'm in Houston, btw.
__________________ Paula "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don’t always spoil the good things, or make them unimportant. - The Eleventh Doctor
everyone has given great advice here. Personally, the paper and the ink depend on the project that I am doing. On my crafting area, right now, I have versafine because I did some embossing, memento because I was coloring with my copics and stazon because I made a little dangly out of shrink plastic to go on my card.
Paper has a huge impact on how your image comes out. Also, make sure you have a little cushion below the paper when you are stamping. Some people use a piece of fun foam from Michael's for 50 cents. It just adds a little more resistance back against the stamp to make sure you are getting an even image when you are stamping.
Smiles and best wishes! Pam
__________________ ...I'm just meandering through life; trying to have some fun along the way!!!
Wow! Lots of wonderful advice here! I like clear stamps! My favorite way to use them with color is with PIGMENT ink, and then immediately use clear embossing powders and heat seal them. If I do this, it looks pretty good!
If I use DYE inks, My clue: Use Versamark clear ink pad FIRST if you want to add color. Meaning ink up your clear stamp with clear Versamark first, then go to your favorite Dye ink color. Have your heat gun and clear embossing powder ready right after you stamp your clear image. Then heat treat it with the heat gun.
I have had good luck doing this!
__________________ Gillian W.
St Louis Missouri
Last edited by Jill with a G; 06-16-2011 at 04:52 PM..
Reason: misspelling
Not all polymer stamps are made in the US. There are plenty of reputable stamps companies from all over the world that provide good quality photopolymer stamps. There are also US stamp companies that produce silicone stamps along with other companies in other countries. The US is not the only country that produces quality products...
True. There are companies outside the US that make photopolymer stamps. But I have not seen a silicone stamp marked "Made in the US". I've seen American stamp companies that have their silicone stamps outside the US, though.
I've never had any problems with Vivid ink staining rubber or clear stamps. :confused:
Maybe it's just the shade I have? I only have the raspberry and all the clear stamps I've used it on - even with cleaning them, which I'm usually too lazy to do and just stamp off instead - are still bright pink. And it did not come off my hands despite copious amounts of scrubbing for about 2 days.
__________________ Paula "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don’t always spoil the good things, or make them unimportant. - The Eleventh Doctor
Hi Kristin in Spring, TX! There is a lot of good advice on stamping already given here so I won't repeat. I get my ink pads from the local stores here also and sometimes have this problem. Just wanted to say hi from 1960/Huffmiester TX! There are others here from Houston also, I haven't gotten together with them yet, have you? And it's not ink pads that are evil for me, it is my laptop!!!
Kristin, you can shop at Texas Art Supply for ink, too. They have some different things. And there's Archiver's if you're ever way on the other side of Houston. There's also Novel Approach in Friendswood way on this side (I'm in Pearland) and there's at least one other LSS somewhere that's still open.
__________________ Paula "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don’t always spoil the good things, or make them unimportant. - The Eleventh Doctor
Ink Pads are Evil...
