Ink guide: which one to use and when
Dye, pigment, archival, distress, hybrid and embossing inks explained by what they do, not by their brand names.
Choosing the wrong ink is the number one cause of images that smear when coloured. Brand names confuse the issue, but really there are only two questions: will this image get wet, and what surface am I stamping on?
Supplies
- Fast-drying dye ink
- Opaque pigment ink
- Archival or permanent ink
- Distress-style ink for blending
- Clear embossing ink — Tinta transparente para embossing
Step by step
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Dye ink: the everyday choice
Dries fast, gives crisp lines and sinks into the paper. This is what you will use for most sentiments and motifs. It reactivates with water, so it is no good if you plan to watercolour on top.
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Pigment ink: opaque, covering colour
Thick and creamy, it sits on the surface instead of soaking in. It is what makes stamping white on dark paper possible. It takes much longer to dry and will smudge if you touch it.
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Archival or permanent: the one that holds up
Water and alcohol resistant once dry. Essential if you are going to colour with alcohol markers or watercolour afterwards: any other ink would dissolve and drag black through your artwork.
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Distress-style: made for blending
Deliberately slow drying and reactivatable with water, so you can apply it with a sponge or blending tool to build gradient backgrounds, age edges and paint skies.
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Embossing ink: clear and tacky
It has no colour; its job is to leave a wet layer that embossing powder sticks to. It is always part of the heat embossing process.
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Solvent ink: for non-porous surfaces
If you are stamping on acetate, metal, plastic or coated fabric you need solvent ink. Water-based inks bead up and never dry.
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The golden rule before colouring
Before reaching for markers, test on a scrap: stamp, let it dry and run the marker over it. If the black bleeds, switch inks or emboss the image in black instead.
Practical tips
- Store raised-felt pads upside down: the ink stays at the surface and inks up better.
- Refresh dry pads with their reinker rather than replacing them, it is far cheaper.
- Close the lids properly. A badly closed pad dries out within weeks.
FAQ
Which one should I buy if I can only have one?
A black archival. Crisp lines, no bleeding, and it leaves you free to colour with whatever you like afterwards.
Why is my white ink barely visible?
It needs to be pigment ink, well loaded, and even then it usually takes two passes. On very porous paper white loses opacity as it soaks in.
Related products
A few products from the shop to practise what this tutorial covers:
