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The new Stampin Up pads are so much nicer than the old ones, and I do love how juicy the pads are, you get great ink coverage. My others faves are GinaK and Lawn Fawn.
I recently sold all my new Altenew and Fun Stampers Journey pads as I didn't care for either of them. Altenew inks just didn't give me the bold coverage I was hoping for and FSJ inks are blotchy and I don't care for the texture of the pad at all. They were expensive, so I was bummed about that.
I'm a huge Ranger fan. They now have their own Dye ink pads which I use and sell. I also have Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink and Distress Ink which I use and sell in my store.
The Ranger Dye ink pads are better than distress inks for stamping because the distress inks tend to bead up. They are dye inks that are water proof. I've had good results so far but I haven't been using them for a very long time.
The Wendy Vecchi Archival Inks are water proof and permanent on multiple surfaces including non porous . She has her own ever expanding palette of colors.
Distress inks are good for techniques on paper and there's many unique colors in the palette. They are water reactive and there's no other ink like them. Getting the mini's is a money saver too. I prefer the full size ones though. Stamping with them can give varied results and they have a tendency to bead up on stamps.
I posted this elsewhere but so far the WPlus9 dye inks are proving to be very very good. They seem to stamp like the Hero Arts shadow inks and darken and fill in as they dry. The good thing is that they have reinkers. I have Memento, PTI, some Shadow inks, Lawn Fawn dye inks in some colors, a few SSS, and Distress of course. WPlus9 is my 2016 favorite. I agree that the MISTI makes less than great inks tolerable.
I have really old S Up pads that I still use and re-ink ((199. The next newest style dried up continuously and I had to re-ink a lot and I am not a full time stamper. The newest style of S up is better and juicy but I have a lot of the inks in an older style.
My favorite right now is Gina K and after several years, I may need to invest in a few re-inkers of just a few colors. They cover well, have great colors and LAST!
I own a rather large variety of inks, including Simon Says Stamp and WPlus9. So, I thought I'd share a couple of tips I've learned through trial and practice.
First - and I don't think I've heard any big crafters mention this but it has consistently been my experience - darker colors give more/better coverage, especially with inks like Simon Says Stamp or Hero Arts Shadow line that go on splotchy but even out over time. Lighter-colored inks are more difficult to work with. I suspect it has to do with how we ink stamps -- it's easy to see when a stamp has been inked with a dark color and stop inking. It's not so easy with a light color, which leads to "over-inking" and having bubbles of pooled ink on the stamp that create a splotchy look.
Secondly, the paper you're stamping on is a really big factor in how well your stamping will come out. I've tested a lot of cardstock with different stamping mediums, different coloring mediums and several techniques, and here's what I found:
- If you want a "one-in-all" type of cardstock that will perform well with color stamping, but still be useful for coloring, go with Neenah Solar White. It comes in an 80lbs (great for general stamping) or 110lbs (great for sturdy card bases).
- If you want a white cardstock that's really good for stamping and soaking up dye ink, go with Bazzill Marshmallow (heavy weight). It has a softer finish, and it's very sturdy (I believe it's 100lbs). It does not work with Copics - lots of feathering and bleeding. But it's great for dry mediums like color pencils.
- My experience with SU Whisper White has not been stellar. I know there's a special coating on it that's supposed to work great for stamping, but I found it challenging to work with. It cannot be used with Copics -- it will ruin the marker tip, and since I color a lot, that was a downside. And, while it worked fine for SU inks, I had a lot more splotchiness with my other dye inks. The way they absorbed into the paper was different, and that just didn't work for some of the even-out inks. So, if you're having some issues with your inks on Whisper White, try a cardstock that doesn't have a coating on it and see if that helps.
Next, make sure your stamp is primed. Ink the stamp and stamp it off on a scrap of paper a few times. This will ensure that the ink is getting into all the little grooves and spots on the stamp, and also show you if there are any problem spots (parts that don't get inked). If it's a larger solid stamp, consider using a foam pad under your cardstock (mouse pad, stack of magazines etc). It's a small step, but I think it makes a big difference - especially with lightly-colored inks.
Since there was a question about WPlus9 in particular, I will vouch for their quality. The inks have a nice coverage and they're easy to work with. The refills are a great bonus. And - most importantly - they have some really unique colors that I haven't seen in other ink lines. Initially, I tried their inks because of those colors, but I've purchased several more over time because of their great quality.
Lastly, I wanted to share a little tidbit I found very interesting about stamps getting stained. I spoke with a friend who's a chemist (more specifically, specializes in plastics and polymers) and he confirmed that photo-polymer stamps getting stained was a sign they were a good quality. Unlike solid enclosed plastics, quality photo-polymer is very slightly porous. This, along with microscopic surface grooves, allows it to hold onto ink better to give you a more solid and even coverage -- dye ink does not bead up like it does on acrylic stamps. If you're using a heavily pigmented ink (higher quality inks have a heavier pigment, particularly red), the ink can seep through said grooves and stain the stamp. It doesn't affect the integrity of the stamp, but it does make it look pigmented.
So, take that stained stamp as a sign you're using good supplies.
Creative Cardsea I found your post to be extremely helpful. Actually I can see where I'm stamping a lot better once the stamp is stained. Glad to know that's a positive. I will definitely buy more WPlus9 knowing that it's not a fluke that my few work so well. I'm wondering about PTI cardstock. How does it compare? I use it pretty exclusively because it's reasonably priced. If Neenah gives a better image it would be easy to convert.
I found PTI to be somewhere in between Neenah and Bazzill. It soaks up ink in the same way that Bazzill does, and gives you an even result with a solid image. But if you have a stamp that has a more intricate design (for example, a solid image with white swirls), Neenah gives a much crisper result. Copics don't feather as badly on PTI, but they still soak a bit much for my liking. So, if you want a more crisp/detailed image, I'd still recommend Neenah.
That said, I still have a ton of PTI cardstock because it's a great quality and great weight. Stamper Select White and Kraft are my go-to cardstocks to use for card bases, and the price is excellent. They have a really solid selection of colored cardstock, too, so I've invested into quite a few of them and I've been happy with the quality.
This topic has been very helpful! I have not been using my stamp pads for a while and many are dried out. I did not buy refills for most either.I loved my Vick Bantock ink pads but cannot seem to find them anywhere anymore. I think they were made by Ranger. I do have an ink refill for the black but the actual pad is quite worn now :(
Great discussion! I wanted to add that SU now carries uninked ink cubes (like the Stampin' Spots we used to sell). You can buy a bunch of them, and ink them up in whatever colors you'd like - great for direct-to-paper as they are the linen-type pads, not the firm foam ones. Hope this helps someone! :-)
__________________ ~ Susan - Celebrating 19 years as an SU demo! Grammy to Anna 15, Elizabeth 14, Nora 12, Abigail 12, Kendall 10 , Isaac 10, Evan 7, and Hudson 3 with me in my avatar Proud to be SCS Fan Club Member since the beginning!
This topic has been very helpful! I have not been using my stamp pads for a while and many are dried out. I did not buy refills for most either.I loved my Vick Bantock ink pads but cannot seem to find them anywhere anymore. I think they were made by Ranger. I do have an ink refill for the black but the actual pad is quite worn now :(
I know! I have an old Van Dyke Brown Nick Bantock pad and refill and it produces a bolder better impression than any of my other various brand black inkpads. Nick Bantock was made by Ranger but I can't find them anymore either, darnit. I think Nick got replaced by a guy named Tim. ;)
I now have all of Gina K's ink pads and have never had to reink even after several years. The colors are beautiful and cover wonderfully. I have LOTS of Stampin Up and found I needed to buy re-inkers for them and re-ink often. The newest foam pads seem to be better but the oldest flip top's I've had for 18 years and only re-inked a few times. The next style they came up with I had to re-ink almost every time I used them. That is why I switched to Gina K. I can match my Stampin Up markers easily with Gina K. Not exact but I do not need "exact." Same with S Up cardstock with Gina K.
Sue
I've been slowly buying Gina K ink and paper (after having all SU) and I love the quality! Many of the colors are similar.
I have a full set of SU's new foam pads, and really wish I didn't. First, the locking lids make me crazy. It's like someone childproofed the ink pads and I really didn't need or want that.
Second, the foam pads are a vast improvement over the old linen pads, but I still don't like them. They need reinking a lot, and I don't have time for that.
Third, now that I have a MISTI, I'm finding that I prefer the smaller pads to full size ones, since I'm always stamping upside down on the MISTI. I've been using my memento dewdrops, and thinking about ditching my entire line of SU pads for the new MFT dye ink cubes and/or the distress ink cubes. I've discovered that I like the MFT cardstock as well, because they have a fantastic selection of colors and I don't have to worry about something retiring like I do with SU, so I may go that way.
__________________ aka Sue. Or Sue-odd.
No blog for me. My gallery chronicles my card-making successes and mishaps.
I like cubes too. Even Distress cubes can be used even though they aren't designed for stamping. Reinking and repeat stamping with the MISTI gets you there though and they have great colors. With cubes I really need a brand that makes refills. I like Versafine cubes also since they are so much tidier to use with the MISTI.
I am so glad this thread got bumped. I am upgrading my supplies right now. I am trying to figure out what to do with my ink pads. I swear ink pads are the worst in this hobby. It is so darn complicated.
I have all the major black inks for their special stamping purposes.
I have all of SU's old ink pads. I think it is the 2010 line. I am happy with them. I have a few Brilliance because I love shimmery. I have StudioG pigment ink pads. They were cheap but I actually do love them.
Distress Inks- I have a bunch. I don't know what to do with them. I love Tim but I am not into that stamping style. Watercolors- I am a traditional watercolor girl. I never use his ink pads for watercolor. Techniques or shading die cuts I use other methods. I am flummoxed and don't know what to do with them. I like the idea of repeat stamping.
This week Ranger announced that their Archival line of ink will be available in minis. I believe there are 24 colors. I know I'll be buying some of these.
I always expect one brand of ink to be great in every color and it just isn't turning out that way. After buying a few more Lawn Fawn inks I found that about a fourth of the colors didn't stamp all that well, particularly the yellow called Butter. Some of my PTI inks do very well and a few are not good at all. Hero Arts Shadow and WPlus9 are giving good coverage overall but sometimes at the expense of not giving a crisp image on fine lined stamp. Maybe only Versafine does that. I wish they would come out with more colors. Seems like it depends on the paper, the stamp, the ink, and probably other variables as well. I agree that if you have to repeat stamp much more than twice with the MISTI you are not going to get a lot of definition with a complex stamp. If an ink won't lay down after two rounds with the MISTI I give up on it. My problem is having to buy inks online and ending up getting duplicate colors in different brands. If it brands itself with color names like guava, nectar, or peach I'll buy it and I end up with six brands of the same color.
Creative Cardsea I found your post to be extremely helpful. Actually I can see where I'm stamping a lot better once the stamp is stained. Glad to know that's a positive. I will definitely buy more WPlus9 knowing that it's not a fluke that my few work so well. I'm wondering about PTI cardstock. How does it compare? I use it pretty exclusively because it's reasonably priced. If Neenah gives a better image it would be easy to convert.
Jennifer McGuire has mentioned many times that a stained photopolymer stamp is a sign of a high qualty stamp - as Shaz pointed out. Jennifer isn't a chemist; she's an engineer, but has a logical and scientific approach to many things crafty. : )
This may have already been mentioned, but if a clear stamp, especially a lower quality acrylic one - is not stamping well, inking it with Versamark to it first can help it take ink. After inking with Versamark, I either gently stamp onto scrap paper or press it onto my hand, and then ink it up.
BTW, Neenah's line that works so well is their Classic Crest line, not Exact Index, which is sold at big box office supply stores.
So Neenah Solar white is part of the classic crest line?
Solarwhite is a color - one of quite a few colors Neenah has in the Classic Crest line as well as in other lines. So you'd want Neenah Classic Crest in Solar White.
They have Classic Crest in different colors, weights and finishes. If you contact them, they'll send you a little bound booklet with their different lines, finishes and colors.
I agree that conditioning stamps really helps. I have a small tag stamp that I use to make all my color charts. I stamp down the color several times on scrap to make sure it's well inked. I don't ink more than once on my chart because I want to see which colors will need more priming or some MISTI aide. I also sometimes search for an alternate brand in that color. I am amazed at Jennifer Mcguire's color charts. Every color of every brand looks great. Maybe I need to break out the Neenah instead of the PTI cardstock for my color charts.
I agree that conditioning stamps really helps. I have a small tag stamp that I use to make all my color charts. I stamp down the color several times on scrap to make sure it's well inked. I don't ink more than once on my chart because I want to see which colors will need more priming or some MISTI aide. I also sometimes search for an alternate brand in that color. I am amazed at Jennifer Mcguire's color charts. Every color of every brand looks great. Maybe I need to break out the Neenah instead of the PTI cardstock for my color charts.
I'd be interested in what difference you see, if any. When I took an inking class at The Queen's Ink (Savage, MD), we were given about six small pieces of different types of papers in our kits to stamp the same image on, to see how much difference paper makes. I had been stamping a while, but it was an eye opener!
With Distress inks, using Tim's color chart, I used a finger dauber to pounce a color circle once, then re-inked the dauber and pounced a circle twice next to the first circle, the second time with a little more force/twist. So there's a lighter and a stronger ink sample for each color.
I'm doing something similar for my other inks on 2x2 squares in coin pockets, but using a stamp: stamp once, and next to it stamp twice, with a bit of white space in between. On the back of the square I'm stamping a detailed stamp.
I just got a bunch of mini Versafine inks and it's astounding how vivid every color is. I won't be double-stamping them.
I have to agree with Sue regarding the new SU foam ink pads. I really wish that I didn't have so many of them. They dry out too quickly, and I find that re-inking them is not effortless. It may be due to my own incompetence, but I find that the re-inked pads are splotchy and difficult to work with. The basic gray pad is probably ready for the trash now. It doesn't seem to work even after being re-inked. The pads are huge and take up a lot of space.
I'm seriously considering selling all of my SU foam pads.
I'm waiting on an order with some PTI inks, so I can't report yet...
But I LOVE the wplus9 inks! They are fabulous. To my eye they dry a little lighter than they appear when first stamped. The tone evens out beautifully. I even have the pig color, and it's fabulous. I bought these used from someone else, and they're just fantastic. I love the Hero Arts shadow inks too. Wplus9 and HA seems to be almost the same, but wplus9 pads all come with re-inkers. I find the colors of both to be fabulous too, ranging from subtle to vibrant. HA Raspberry Jam is yummy, and Bubble Gum is nice solid, happy pink. Wplus9 Cockleshell, Beanstalk, Little Piggy and Miami Spice are making me very happy.
Some of the SU colors are very sad -- it's one of the reasons that I started searching for other ink brands. The purples -- wisteria wonder, perfect plum and elegant eggplant -- are pretty dull. I've used them on sympathy cards, because they seem appropriately somber.
I'm enjoying Lawn Fawn's Fresh Lavender, HA Grape Juice, Studio Calico's Purple Rain and the above-mentioned wplus9 Cockleshell.
It's definitely a good idea to get some cubes and see what you like before you commit to any of them.
__________________ Elizabeth in Hoboken, proud parent of a feisty and mischievous parrot who likes to chew craft supplies
Sounds like more new WPlus9 colors for me, so many endorsements and my good luck with them make me want more. Just got Miami Spice and I agree it's a good one. WPlus9 Mojito is my best green. I like the softer greens. Little Piggy is true piggy pink and stamps well. I'm always looking for an exact match for PTI's Berry Sorbet. It's a fav but doesn't stamp as well as I'd like. Hero Arts Fresh Peach comes pretty close but I haven't managed to get it exact yet. I really likes PTI's Pure Poppy and it stamps well. I also like their Soft Stone but it does not stamp well. Always looking for good grays. Simon Says Fog is pretty good but I need one more pure light gray without blue or brown tones. Wondering if Fairy Dust WPlus9 is light gray or blue. Can't tell. Any favorite light grays out there?
What is your thought for the Altenew multi layer stamps, it seems like to get a beautiful flower you need to layer the flower with slightly different color ink pads to get the right effect. Would you just buy a few of their mini cubes to get the effect and buy anther brand of dye pads for every day use? Or would you buy Altenew for every day?
__________________ Jaime Clemens
Blog:jaimescraftroom.blogspot.com
Website:Funstampersjourney.com/492
I have two sets of minis and wasn't that impressed when compared to several other brands. The pads seemed drier than other dye ink pads, and the colors didn't wow me. I got a set of green and one other shortly after they came out. Maybe they've improved, or maybe it's just personal preference.
This thread is why I LOVE SplitCoastStampers. I learn so much from all of you. Thank you for taking the time to post your experiences. Although it does end up costing me $$$$$$ I haven't tried the WPlus9 and I'm afraid of what will happen when I go there!
I belong to a monthly Stamp Club that I so enjoy and I adore my SU demo. I also try to stick with one company for inks and paper so everything matches. I am having some of the same issues mentioned with the pads and I do have a MISTI so the smaller size pads would be easier to use.
Altenew has not worked well for me, so I won't be purchasing any more of their inks.
There just isn't a perfect one stop solution so I'll continue to experiment.
FYI Close to My Heart has changed the style of their ink pads (I stopped buying them because I couldn't open them, although my 3 1/2 year old granddaughter doesn't have trouble). They're magnetic and super easy to open and close. I love the colors and coverage too.
I have some Memento Luxe but I don't like the colors as well as the Fresh Ink, Mama Elephant and Avery Elle pigment pads (the last three all made by the same company). I especially like the Fresh Ink colors. I guess I like the softer less primary colors. I find that I forget about pigment inks and gravitate toward the dye inks. Not sure why.
I love the My Favorite Things Dye Ink line. A couple of the very light colors you have to stamp more than once to get a good color saturation; however, most are very good right off. I ordered a set of the Altanew and did not like them at all. I will admit after the image set it looked better. Love Hero arts and the layering stamp sets. My new addiction. I wanted a set of ink pads (I'm that person - haha) so I ordered cubes of Hero Arts, Gina K, Altanew, & My Favorite Things. Gina K and MFT were my favs and I went with MFT because they had more colors. I am using them a lot and love the range of colors.
I like that Gina K and MFT both have cubes and reinkers. These are definitely in my future to fill out my collection. I'm trying to get really good inks in all the colors I like the best. Coral Crush and Poppy in the MFT and Asparagus in the Gina K look like good fits. Thanks for the suggestions.
I personally do Not like the SU sponge pads...I have all the felt ones and Love those..I am searching for Craft Very Vanilla ink refill is anyone knows where I might find one? Thanks
__________________ Cleo My Gallery "Was there a hobby before stampin'?"
