Issue when stamping with Distress Oxides
 

Hi everyone,

I've been stamping and cardmaking for about 8 months now and am running into an issue. I use exclusively Distress Oxide Inks, since that was what was recommended to me as a new crafter and I didn't want to waste money trying a bunch of different ones. For a while, they were just fine, but now I am finding that they are way too inky. The ink gathers on the stamp surface in little bubbles, often spilling over the edge of the stamp, and the lines from the stamps are very smudgey and not clean. Is this a stamp problem or an ink problem? This happens with multiple colors of inks (some are worse than others) and multiple stamp sizes and brands, both old and new (though I should add I only use photopolymer stamps).

I would appreciate any advice you have! Thanks!

Try massaging the pads with the back of a spoon and working the ink back into the pad. I've never had an issue like this and I've had most of my pads for at least 3 years.

Distress oxide inks are best for techniques, so although you can stamp images with them, they are not great for getting a crisp image. That being said, you can stamp with them, but I would recommend you use them for more solid types of images rather than detail images. Also, if your pad is too inky, then you won't be able to get a clear image. You can rub the ink pad over some scratch paper a few times to take some of the ink out. Try tapping very gently when you ink up your image and see if that helps. There are many great companies that offer ink pads that are better for stamping images with beautiful colors. There have been many threads about this very topic. Personally, I have found that Versafine Clair, GinaK and Pink Fresh inks work great, but you will get lots of recommendations for ink pads. Maybe consider expanding your ink collection and invest in some basic colors of other types of inks.

The ink is bubbling? Did you rub the stamp on something like your jeans a few times or a microfiber? Sometimes they have mfg stuff still on them and wont take the ink well. One should do that will all stamps-especially the clears.

I agree. Oxides to me are a special technique ink. Holtz has a line of dye inks in the same colors (they are a little different-they will be brighter) if you want to stay with the same color palette. The oxides do blend better than his dye inks. And they look cool if you spray them with water but they are also chalky. Holtz is all about the "distressed" look. I suspect they are very juicy (inky) because people are usually blending with them and not stamping. Oxides are a unique ink to me outside the norm categories.

For basic stamping I agree again about Versafine claire-esp great for detail like words or fine images. They don't come in as many colors as other companies. I have not used Gina K, but tons of people here have and loved them.

I can totally appreciate not wanting to invest a huge library of inks, but there are different kinds and depending on what you do, a couple of types may be needed. Personally, I don't go after all the colors of a line-I go for the color I want that are the same type of ink-like a dye, or a pigment or the stazon type that can used on other surfaces besides just paper. Plus companies constantly rotate colors-so they might get rid of a dozen colors out of a 100 and bring in a new dozen each year. You have to be flexible imho. Try not to get married to a color like one might a lipstick.

Lastly one might consider what they can do with the re-inkers. For example, dye inks that are water based-you can water color paint with them.

Reminder since you are semi-new to it-pigments sit on the top of the paper and stay wet longer making them excellent for heat embossing. Dyes sink into the paper and dry quickly. Both can give you a clear image. Some people feel the dyes give you the brightest colors of all. Metallics usually need to be heat dried with a gun.

Hope there is something there for you.

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I will look into different inks for stamping only.

I've not had this happen with new pads--I usually mess up when I over-ink to refresh a pad. When it happens, along with the other tips given, I usually just take a baby wipe (no fibers to leave behind like a tissue) and gently wipe off some of the extra ink. Slightly wasteful of ink, but doesn't really take more than a very gentle wipe.

Taylored Expressions, Gina K and Simon Says Stamp all offer great clean crisp dye inks.

I primarily use Catherine Pooler Inks for stamping images. The Oxides are technique inks. There are some great YouTube videos comparing these two brands. The CPI inks have worked for me for every technique I have tried, and I love having just one ink that does it all. It took me years of trying other brands on the market for me to find “the one” for me.

To use Distress Oxides for inking your stamps, ink a sponge dauber and then pat that onto your stamp. This works best if you use a stamp platform; sometimes you need to reink your stamp with the dauber.

Using a dauber also allows you to add another color in order to shade your image at the same time.