Replacing ink pads

[Skinnylatte2go]

Guess it is time to start replacing my ink pads. They are starting to shed. Had a real mess today. I prefer the smaller pads as they are easier to handle. Excluding SU and CTMH, what are some good inks? I use both red rubber and clear stamps. So many of my inks do not give coverage on the clear stamps. I have been looking at Altenew, Gina K, color box. Sure could use your wisdom and help. Thanks for any guidance you can give me. Joan

[bjeans]

Do you prep your photopolymer stamps before using the first time? That may take care of the problem. In case you don't, people have different methods. Some "erase" the stamp with a pencil eraser to get any oils off. You can first stamp with Versamark to make them more sticky. You can rub them with a soft microfiber cloth. There are other methods.

I generally do nothing, just re-ink a few times if needed, and if that's not enough use either a pencil eraser (at the end of a pencil) or Versamark. I've only had one clear stamp ever not take ink no matter what I did with it, and it was cheap acrylic, not photopolymer (from HSN).


For stamping I like inks from Hero Arts, IO, SSS, Versafine, Studio Calico, Ranger Archival, and my desert island inks - Distress Oxides. Altenew is okay too though the minis that I have have seemed a bit dry, and lids are very loose. The writing on their minis is also sometimes difficult for me to decipher, in very tiny script.


Dye inks from Hero Arts, MFT, IO, SSS and maybe others (?) are all from the same manufacturer, just branded differently. Lately I've enjoyed some IO inks that have light to dark of the same hue.

[howdyheidi]

If you mean the non-photopolymer clear stamps, I totally recommend the Versafine cubes for those. I have rarely met a stamp that doesn’t look great stamped in Versafine. There are only 12 colors, though.

I have some of the Gina K and Hero Arts ink cubes and they both work pretty well. Gina K ones are a bit more crisp than the Hero Arts, but those ones are shadow inks, so it is a different formulation, I am sure.

[bjeans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by howdyheidi

If you mean the non-photopolymer clear stamps, I totally recommend the Versafine cubes for those. I have rarely met a stamp that doesn�t look great stamped in Versafine. There are only 12 colors, though.

I have some of the Gina K and Hero Arts ink cubes and they both work pretty well. Gina K ones are a bit more crisp than the Hero Arts, but those ones are shadow inks, so it is a different formulation, I am sure.

Shadow ink is simply the name Hero Arts uses to refer to some of their softer colors. They're dye inks like those from some other companies made by Stewart Superior. It gets confusing!

[howdyheidi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjeans

Shadow ink is simply the name Hero Arts uses to refer to some of their softer colors. They're dye inks like those from some other companies made by Stewart Superior. It gets confusing!

I thought I recalled Jennifer McGuire saying they were different because they look blotchy when they are wet but then smooth out as they dry. I feel they also smooth out to be not as crisp as they dry, unlike regular dye inks like Gina�s line. Just my opinion about how they work for me.

[bjeans]

Yes, she says Hero Arts (in general I thought) smooth out. I think she's the first person I learned from that Hero Arts and some of the other companies had the same formulation of dye inks by Stewart. Then I read it in other places including here - maybe Dini wrote a post about it? I just happen to go to Hero Arts colors a lot and love their cubes. (I do not love that they don't have re-inkers!) Okay, off to the vet with one of our cats... fingers crossed.

ETA BTW, when I started using Hero Arts inks, I had wondered if Shadow inks were a different formulation than their other dye inks, and someone at Hero Arts told me it just referred to color.

[shazsilverwolf]

I'm also a fan of Versafine for no problems with inking. Only a limited colour range though.

[Hoboken Paper]

Love Hero Arts and Wplus9 inks (same formula/manufacturer?).

One caveat -- HA black stains badly. This doesn't bother me, but you should be aware.

[Phantom]

I recommend Memento Luxe. Beautiful colors and smooth chalk-like finish. Of course regular Memento black and brown at least especially for coloring with alcohol markers.

[shazsilverwolf]

Quick update to my previous Versafine comment. Versafine have a new range of inkpads to be launched in the USA soon- Versafine Clair. They perform as well as the old Versafine, but with a larger range of 24 colours. They've been available in the UK for a while, which is most unusual, and there is a thread on here in the Tool & Product section if you are interested in them. Just had a notification from that thread- apparently they are now available. Video and info at this link: (https://imaginecraftsblog.com/2018/0...clair-inkpads/)
My only gripe- the Fallen Leaves is not the Brown it looks in the colour chart, it's pretty much black. That was part of the thread mentioned earlier.

[MissyO]

Have you checked out Cathering Pooler Designs? She has great ink pads and she is adding colors all of the time. Just my two cents. I am a HUGE Stewart Superior Palette Ink pad person, I honestly don't know where to get them anymore. :(:(