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I've had no success using the current inks I have with Hobby Lobby's heavyweight cardstock (cream). The image is all fuzzy. So far I've tried stamping the image with Colorbox and Gina K brand dye inks. I've also try to stamp on shiny cardstock with no good results either. What am I doing wrong? How can I tell what is the best ink for a given brand of cardstock?
Some cardstocks just tend to wick the ink into the fibers of the paper, thus making your stamped images less sharp. You could likely get around this by trying a pigment ink, since pigment ink dries on top of the paper instead of soaking in.
Try Versafine or any other pigment brand.
Glossy paper requires a very steady hand, and I usually use Staz On or Archival on that.
OR, you can always decide to embrace the look that you get with the other inks. There is no law that says all stamping has to be super crisp. ;) You could get a very dreamy look that would be really nice!
Sounds like you have tried regular and pigment inks as well as regular and glossy paper so my guess would be it is the stamp or stamping that is the issue.
Thing to consider:
1)Is the image supposed to be crisp or fuzzy, is the stamp clean & free of lint etc or maybe the stamp is defective.
2)Are you maybe jiggling / moving a bit as you stamp or lift up and are you working on a steady surface-aka the table isn't moving as you stamp.
If you press too hard (some people call it giving your stamp "chest compressions"), especially with clear stamps, you can end up with a fuzzy image. Also, are you using a soft mat under your paper like a mouse pad? There any number of places that sell mats, like the stamper's secret wearpon.
You might (?) also want to think of it the other way around: what is the best paper for your inks? That's a frequent conversation in the world of stamping.
That said, if others have successfully stamped on the cardstock you're using (?), it could be a little technique change would help, like Kerry and Stacy mentioned. I'd be curious about the cardstock too, though.
Thank you for all the tips ladies!
I was using a sentiment stamp from Verve Stamps (which I love ;0), so they are of a pretty good quality. Unfortunately, I need to find a way to use an ink with HB heavyweight cardstock as they are the only ones I can currently afford to give free classes to a church group! (if you know of any other options, please let me know). After I posted I tried with different pigment inks instead and got better results. So far the Versafine (black) is the best, I hope they have in the color that I need ('blood' red). Thank you SO very much for all the tips again. I know that buying other quality papers would make my job easier since most of them have matching inks, but for now I have to stick with HB ones ;0).
I love Versafine and bet you'll do fine. : ) They have crimson red and satin. Crimson red is dark and with a brown undertone. Satin is very bright and I'd categorize it as a warm red rather than a blue-red. IOW, not like a red delicious apple, which is a cooler red. Versafine is terrific for details and sentiments (which often are detailed!).
In terms of paper and ink playing nice together, I was referring to how the paper absorbs the ink, so unrelated to color or matching. For instance the Neenah Classic Crest (which is on the spendy side) that I use for stamping is mostly solar white, with some exceptions.
I found this video that may help, the Scraperfect printing pouch. Some stampers use an embossing pouch, embossing buddy, cornstarch, baby powder to reduce static, but I am not sure if it produces the same results with ink as this printing pouch. You may want to try some of these to see if it works the way you would like.
I will try to link the video, maybe I will give you an option.
I just wanted to report back! I had to pre-cut and stamp about 30+ cards for this activity and I discovered that besides the Versafine inks (I did not have the time to order it), Hero Arts inks also worked great on the Hobby Lobby cream cardstock. I used the Crimson Red and it saved the day! No fuzzy lines on the sentiment I used. I found it at my local craft store. Thanks again for all the wonderful tips. Gia
Hi Gia, might be worth creating some tags from a sheet of your cardstock, then stamping the same stamp with different inks on each one. Then label on the back with cardstock brand, and ink used. As you acquire other inks/cardstock, you can add to your tag library,so you can always find at a glance the perfect match for the effect you want to achieve.
I found this video that may help,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9644KPeHfjc the Scraperfect printing pouch. Some stampers use an embossing pouch, embossing buddy, cornstarch, baby powder to reduce static, but I am not sure if it produces the same results with ink as this printing pouch. You may want to try some of these to see if it works the way you would like.
I will try to link the video, maybe I will give you an option.
Happy stamping!
I've had this thing for many years, purchased for embossing powders. I've tried other things for embossing powders but found this does the best job (as mine's gotten older its been leaving a lot of powdery residue so the paper needs to be really brushed off well). I had no idea it could be used for all this, I'll have to buy another one. Thanks for posting!!
Hi Gia, might be worth creating some tags from a sheet of your cardstock, then stamping the same stamp with different inks on each one. Then label on the back with cardstock brand, and ink used. As you acquire other inks/cardstock, you can add to your tag library,so you can always find at a glance the perfect match for the effect you want to achieve.
Help! Best ink for cardstock
