gold pigment pad help

[jtthjones]

I bought a gold pigment ink pad at Joann's and I tried using it on my x-mas cards and the ink still isn't dry after 24 hours. I tried to heat with a heat gun and that's not working either. The ink is still rubbing off and smearing and ruining the picture I have attached.

What am I doing wrong?? How can I fix this? Do I need to buy a different kind of ink pad?

thanks for any help. I really want to get these cards done this weekend.

[katherinevw]

I haven't used one of these pads yet, but am thinking about getting one for my Christmas cards. I was thinking about embossing with clear powder over the gold, as it would work well with my design and that's what I usually do to speed up drying for craft ink. Another idea would be to seal it with a spray before adding the pictures. Let us know what you end up doing to stop the smearing.

[Chatty Cathy 25]

Hi,

I use pigment pads all the time and would suggest that you emboss with embossing powder and then heat. The embossing powder will absorb some of the ink which will speed the drying time. Hope this works for you.

Cathy

[mrslevite]

I had a cheap pad that I bought somewhere (can't remember where) that would never dry. And when I embossed, the embossing flaked off. I have had the best luck with Brilliance pigment ink pads for metallic ink. It will dry on cardstock relatively quickly without the heat setting and all of that.

[juliepulie35]

The metallic inks just don't dry the same. I have tried a number of them and have not yet found one that will dry on its on without embossing. I guess I will have to try the brilliance.

[littlestamper87]

I emboss it with gold embossing powder.

[JulieHRR]

As mentioned, metallic inks are pigment inks. Typically they will never dry on paper and must be thermal embossed.

Exceptions: Encore is designed to dry fast on paper, however, it won't completely dry on vellum and must then be thermal embossed. Brilliance is designed to dry on all surfaces, including non-porous. Both are made by Tsukineko.

There is another ink, solvent based, called Decor-It, but it is more elusive. Brilliance is on the racks at practically every stamp store now, as well as craft chains like Michael's, due to its popularity.

[jgerwigdively]

I've found that even the Encore inks don't set well on paper- a few days later the silver still smeared. I now give them all a quick spritz with a sealer I have left over from some college art classes though I imagine hair spray would work also.