How do they react with water... and when blending, which one is better?
... and finally: Do I really need both?
Here we go!
Even though they might seem the same, in reality, they are not!
Distress Inks:
These are water-based inks that are perfect for giving a vintage look to your papers and creations. They dry slowly, making them ideal for embossing. You can spray them with water for watercolor techniques, distress your paper edges, and use them in countless other techniques thanks to their special formulation. Their major advantage is that they practically stay active indefinitely. You can reactivate them even months later and continue your project from where you left off, simply by adding water!
On the other side, Distress Oxides:
These combine pigment and dye inks, creating an oxidized effect when contacted with water, resulting in a chalky texture. They come in many vibrant, beautiful colors, and while they have all the well-known properties of Distress products, they also have new unique properties:
- They react with water! The more water you add, the more the ingredients transform, and the more your creation "oxidizes."
- They are opaque, which makes them perfect for dark backgrounds! Their opacity allows you to use them in multiple layers, as long as you dry each layer with a heat gun first! Whatever colors you apply, those colors will remain intact without having an unpleasant brown smudge! Incredible but true, thanks to Tim!
- You can also use them as watercolor paints.
The following photos mark their differences...
Distress Oxides "oxidize" immediately when added on paper, giving them a chalky appearance, even though they contain no chalk! Due to this "oxidation" and the fact that they are pigment inks, which makes them more opaque, they tend to cover the background, such as white cardstock, more effectively. This characteristic makes Distress Inks appear brighter and more vibrant when used on a white background.
On a dark background, whether it's kraft paper or black cardstock, the outcome is different. You'll notice that distress oxides have a greater coverage on the dark background than distress inks...
Distress inks maintain their transparent texture, allowing you to see throughout your paper base. In contrast, distress oxides have a more opaque coverage, letting the layers of ink produce a stunning outcome!
And now we come to the last and most frequently asked question... which of the two inks blends better?
Before we answer your question, it's important to stress that the most important tool for successful blending is your blending sponge! Once you've chosen your sponge, let's see which of the two inks is better for blending...
Blending with distress inks doesn't completely cover your base, giving it a worn or aged look.
On the other hand, blending with distress oxides is a true pleasure!
To sum up:
- Distress inks are dye inks.
- Distress oxides are a unique combination of pigment and dye inks.
- Distress inks are more transparent.
- Distress oxides are opaque.
- Distress inks appear brighter than distress oxides when used on white paper.
- Distress oxides appear brighter than distress inks when used on a dark background.
- Distress inks dry faster than distress oxides.
- Both distress inks and distress oxides can be used as watercolors.
- Distress inks blend less smoothly compared to distress oxides.
- When blended, distress oxides produce an even result.
- You can do embossing with both of these inks!
So, there you have it!
