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Another Versafine Onyx Black lover here... although I always emboss with clear detail fine embossing fine when I use my Copics since it really makes the Copic colors pop. I also like Palette Noir Black when I don't emboss.
I just got some Memento Tuxedo Black and have been sick so I haven't tried it yet.
I am definitely interested in the new PTI Palette black since I jsut ordered their white and cream versions.
I haven't seen Memento inks at Michael's or Archiver's, Boss, and I've been to both in the last couple of days. I purchased mine online, as no place nearby carries it. JoAnn.com had some at one time, as did Overstock.com.
HTH!
Thanks for the tip, StampingSpud, it will save me some driving around time in Boise. I'll go check out both of the places you mentioned.
My favorite blacks are versfine, India Ink, adirondak, archivers, brillaince, and stazon as a last resort. The are all really black. I use the Archivers the most because the pad is really, really big.
I guess I'm the only one, but I love India Ink Black. It's made by Superior and is really crisp and black. I have ten or eleven black inks and I always go to this one.
My customer just gave me an India Ink Black the other day. She swore by it. Now I am sold on it as well. It is a true black. You can watercolor with it and it dries instantly (really!). It cleans up beautifully and I have not found that it stains the rubber either.
I am really surprised more stores don't carry this brand. I have only found one store locally (okay not really local; about 40 minutes away) that carries it.
__________________ Beth Anne SAHM of two very spoiled Bichons
Hi, I use a Product called India Ink that I get through Judikins or the Making Memories archival Ink pad - both are acid free and fade resistant. What I also like about these products is that you do not have the high vapours that you get with the stazon also when using the stazon it is suggested that you constantly keep the plastic inner sealer together with lid on as the pad dries out very quickly...hence the vapours ( I get a headache from using it after awhile). these products are also great because they dry very quickly and a great to use with all types of colouring especially when using a whet agent like water or rubbing alcohol.
don't be afraid of the staining...my understanding is that all archival ink will stain because it is a permanent type of ink - it is not waterbased giving you the ability to use with watercolouring and the like. If you like to keep you stamps clean there are many great stamp cleaners out in the market (Stampin Up product my favorite) and they also help to condition the stamp....though I am not sure about clear stamps as I don't use them - don't think they are as durable as the rubber ones. I am sure if you contact Stampin Up they will be able to advise you.
If you don't want to be colouring .... Vivid produce a fantastic Black ink but remember it is waterbased and not suitable for colouring with wet mediums.
I prefer not to have so many of the same colour ink in my tool kit so I will opt for an an archival ink where ever I can so that I have the best of both worlds!:-D Happy Crafting! Louise from DownUnder!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Versafine pad in Onyx Black. It's true you do need to heat set it but I don't mind since it leaves a super crisp image. Gives good coverage on acrylic stamps as well, which I don't find I get when I use a dye based ink on my clear stamps. Although I don't own copics, I don't get any bleeding when I colour with my SU markers.
HTH
You may also want to visit Nichole's blog who is one of the owners of Papertrey Ink. She offers lots of information as well as projects using PTI products so you can see how they look and perform before buying.
I find that I reach for my Versafine black..and then emboss with clear powder. As some of the others have mentioned it makes it just POP off the page.... absolutely the best for Copic coloring too. I have also used Pallete Noir - but noticed it does bleed/smudge if I decide to color with markers. Memento actually appears 'blacker' to me than the Pallete Noir. So when I don't want to clear emboss I grab the Memento. Versafine is fairly easy to find at a Michaels or JoAnns and I never buy it without my coupons!! The other colors of Versafine (such as the brown or ocean/teal?) are also very strong colors and create a sharp image.
I just switched from Stazon Black to Momento Tuxedo Black. I switched because when I used Stazon with my Prismacolor pencils - I experienced smudging. The black would run into the color of the pencils, especially with lighter colors. This isn't supposed to happen - but it was my experience. I tried the Momento and am much happier with it.
I love Versafine ink pads...have most of their colors. They seem expensive at first (although if you use a coupon they're not) but they last much longer than any other ink pad I've tried. I've had some of mine for a few years and they still ink your stamp very well and provide awesome coverage and are wonderful for detailed stamps. I haven't tried Memento but if my Versafine ever dries up perhaps I will.
Ranger Archival Jet Black all the way for me. Works great on clear stamps, gives a crisp image, doesn't bleed, dries really fast. I bought the Palette Noir because of recommendations here (you bad, bad people!), but haven't used it yet.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
Location: Brandon, South Dakota*in my color studio
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I like my Stazon Black. I also clean it with the Stazon cleaner. I even used it on my pots for outdoor plants to add some fun detail.
__________________ Renee - SU! Demonstrator [url]http://reneefick.stampinup.net[/url www.marykay.com/rfick
I love spending as much time as possible in my Color Studio
I have been pleased with Versafine Onyx and Palette Noir. But I recently bought Papertrey Ink's new Palette True Black and it is awesome! I highly recommend it. I also got their new True Black paper and it is fabulous. I already knew it would be top quality paper though because I LOVE PTI's white and vanilla paper. I've been an SU girl for a very long time but I've really fallen hard for Papertrey Ink's products. They are absolutely wonderful.
I love Nichole Heady's blog and her design team members' blogs too. A big shoutout goes to Niki Estes. I really love her style (NikeE here on SCS, check out her gorgeous gallery). Another shoutout goes to Heather Nichols who is a design team member and my favorite Papertrey stamp designer. Her sets are beautiful and so versatile. Her creations are awesome and nobody can make kraft paper look as good as she does. She also has a recent blog post on getting good coverage when stamping solid images with clear stamps that is very helpful.
Hi. Hands down I think the best black ink pad I have used is VersaFine Onyx Black. Your image willbe crisp and black. Very sharp. It is great for detailed stamps. It drys quick too. You will love it. I also have Versafine Smoke Gray for images that need a crisp image without the stark blac.
Mary
In a copic markers class I took, they insisted on using versacolor black and heat embossing with clear Ranger embossing powder. I've been doing that ever since and it is superb! The black outline does not "bleed" at all, and the clear embossing makes it really easy to stay inside the lines. I've tried other brands of clear EP, and they do not keep the lines from bleeding. I guess the ranger is somehow alcohol-proof or something. Also, I've used other black pigment inks and they do not work well either. So it's versacolor and ranger for me, for copics, anyway. Other than versafine, which I love but dries too quickly to heat emboss, I find that versacolor usually gives the crispest lines in any color you use, if that is your goal. Sometimes it's not, of course... You may want chalk finish or something, and color with another medium that copics. Hope this helps!
I was wanting to get this ink as well and none of the local stores carried it - I thought.....well, when I was at JoAnn's last weekend I noticed they had sets of the small dew drop pads by Tsukineko (makers of Memento) and one of the 4 packs had tuxedo black, rich cocoa, lady bug red & cottage ivy. They were on sale 40% off regular price of $9.99, which made them $6 or about $1.50 each. Not a bad price to be able to test four colors! :cool: By the way, the tuxedo black IS as nice as everyone has been saying and I also like the cocoa brown. :-D
Good luck finding the tuxedo blk pad - just wanted you to know that these small pads were available at a nationwide chain store!
I got some versamark on sale last week but didn't see the tuxedo black.I'll have to look tomorrow. The other three colors sound yummy!
At my JoAnn's these dew drop packs of Memento inks were hung above the racks where the regular sized ink pads are - they were well above my eye level so maybe that's why I never noticed them on previous shopping trips. Good luck finding them! (I also picked up another 4 pack that had soft yummy pastels - lulu lavender, summer sky, new sprout green and angel pink. Spring is coming, you know! )
Soooo, Memento or Versafine? What can or can't you do with them. Which is better and where can you get them in a local store?
OR????? Must it be "or"? :( I would say AND --- Memento AND Versafine! They are both dandy inks, one happens to be dye based (Memento) and the other is a quick drying pigment ink (Versa fine). Both are intensely black, both are smear resistant when dry and both stamp beautiful, clean crisp lines which is important for finely detailed images. Each does have it's own distinct features, as well, which others have covered regarding copics, etc. So I would say that both kinds of ink have a place in our stamping arsenal and to me are considered necessary basics! ;)
As to where you can find them. You may get lucky and have a LSS that has them in stock, if not check JoAnn's. They have Versafine black, though they do not carry other colors. As stated above, JoAnn's also carries the Memento pads in dew drop sized packs of four - look for the maker's name of Tsukineko on the package (Memento appears on the pad lids). Hope this helps!
No one has even mentioned my all time favorite black ink: Memories dye based. I use it for everything except when I want to emboss. It stamps well, and even though it is a dye ink there is no trouble watercoloring as with other dye inks. No nasty smell, but it does stain a bit more than other dye inks. Comes in other colors that are just as good (I hear), but I personally don't use them. I have others, but I like the true black (no purple) and reach for it every time.
I have PTI Pallette Ink Black but I just got their True Black and I cant believe the difference. It doesnt stain my clear stamps so that is an awesome benefit too! I have had a hard time finding the Momento black...but I am happy now with the True Black.
Blessings.
Black inkpads
