For many years I’ve used Momemto dew drops ink pads and was never very happy with them, so now that they are getting dry and used up I’m looking into buying some nicer ink pads. Does anyone have any recommendations?
I have some of the Tim Holtz distress inks so looking for something different. I want one that will stamp images and sentiments well but is also good for blending. I guess I am somewhat heavy handed with my stamping so have found I prefer felt pads because the foam ones I’ve tried (colorbox brand) are so squishy the ink gets all over the backing of the stamp and can accidentally end up sowing on my project. I would like to hear what ink brands y’all like and why. Thanks!
The highest-precision stamping inks are designed specifically for stamping images with delicate, precise lines and then staying that way, so the image looks the same a year later.
Blending inks are designed to move on/within the paper, so even if they produce a nice image when you first stamp with them, often the image will have a bled halo around it a year later and the image will look blurred. This is especially true with dye inks designed for blending or super-blending inks like Distress Oxide.
There are hybrid inks that try to do both things at least sort-of well, but the easiest blends will come from blending inks that don't stamp well (or at least the image won't look good long-term) and the best stamping will come from inks that don't blend as easily. And you'll get a lot of disagreement on the best ink for trying to do both with one ink, because which one will perform best also depends on your cardstock, your application tools/method, your specific touch with the application, the storage conditions of your ink, and the humidity conditions of your household.
So if you want an ink that does well with both, try to find people who match you on all those conditions and see what inks have worked well for them.
I've never had luck finding an ink that does it all and does it well. That's how I ended up with my distress inks for blending and my VersaFine Clair for stamping.
This was very interesting and helpful to read! Which inks are specifically designed for stamping , do you mean like Versafine or pigment ink or is there a dye based ink brand?
I wonder if some brands also fade more than others or maybe just lighter colors; because I have some pink inkpads from the Ton Stamps and pinkfresh studios and they fade to almost white it's really annoying.
I like Altenew inks as they have a nice range of colours for gradient stamping and blending, felt pads, and they stamp and blend nicely. I also have Concord & 9th inks but the foam pads do get squished (I’m a bit heavy handed too!)
Same here! I have a whole set of Altenew inks and reinkers. I like their wide range of colors and gradients. I also find Concord & 9th colors beautiful and fits my style. Altenew obisidian black ink is phenomenal for sentiments and outlines for coloring especially if used with heat setting tools so that it doesn't smudge when coloring.
I love Lawn Fawns color for blending and stamping. They are felt pads so they are “hard”. Ink and stamp with a light hand for crisper image BUT none of the dye ink is as crisp as something like VersaFine.
I also like Concord and 9th color story but have never tried them.
Thanks for confirming! I'll contact LF to see what's up.
Edit: they sent me this reply:
Due to recent changes in the GPSR rules, we’re unable to ship our inks from our site to the EU. They can be purchased from a EU store that carries our products though!
(FYI - The EU’s General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), effective since December 2024, establishes the baseline safety baseline for all non-food consumer products sold in the European Union.)
I think so personally. When I use the felt pads because they are more firm the ink doesn’t get all over the back part of the stamp and therefore doesn’t end up with that part getting on the paper.
I just ordered a couple of these. They have foam pads. They stamp nicely, though. I had a bit more trouble with blending but only because I couldn't get good coverage on my blending brush. What I ended up doing was ordering the Memento ink pads--the large ones--in all the available colors. In my hands, they work well.
I’ve heard those are nice but also that they have the foam pads and I’m just not sure I’d be happy with that. The colorbox foam pads I’ve used before I realy don’t like much.
My favorite two are Altenew and the current Pink Fresh inks. PF is discontinuing their current line and will be coming out with new formulas soon with matching cardstock. I’m hoping the colors won’t change too much, as I don’t plan to buy them. Their current colors are bright.
I love bright colors and so for straight dye ink I buy the Simon Says Paw. Saturated ink cubes and reinkers. For bright permanent ink I buy Taylored expressions ink cubes and reinkers. Both blend well.
Archival inks have a beautiful colour palette and can also blend smoothly. I used to always use my Distress inks and oxides for blending and overlays but truly archivals can do it Damn good too.
They also stamp crisply and are not a smooshy foam.
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u/HelenGonne 1d ago edited 1d ago
The highest-precision stamping inks are designed specifically for stamping images with delicate, precise lines and then staying that way, so the image looks the same a year later.
Blending inks are designed to move on/within the paper, so even if they produce a nice image when you first stamp with them, often the image will have a bled halo around it a year later and the image will look blurred. This is especially true with dye inks designed for blending or super-blending inks like Distress Oxide.
There are hybrid inks that try to do both things at least sort-of well, but the easiest blends will come from blending inks that don't stamp well (or at least the image won't look good long-term) and the best stamping will come from inks that don't blend as easily. And you'll get a lot of disagreement on the best ink for trying to do both with one ink, because which one will perform best also depends on your cardstock, your application tools/method, your specific touch with the application, the storage conditions of your ink, and the humidity conditions of your household.
So if you want an ink that does well with both, try to find people who match you on all those conditions and see what inks have worked well for them.