Since you really enjoyed last week's article, I thought I’d put together a small guide to the most common inks.
In the world of scrapbooking, art journaling, mixed media, and crafting in general, inks are one of the most fundamental and exciting tools. Choosing the right ink can transform your creations, giving them vibrancy, durability, and unique effects.
In this brief guide, I’ll introduce you to all the inks we have, use, and love at SnP—with just 2-3 sentences for each—to highlight what sets them apart and their special characteristics.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced creator, this article will help you better understand inks and choose the ones that perfectly suit your needs and style.
✅ Ideal for: Backgrounds, paper distressing, blending
➡️ They are: Water-soluble dye inks, ιδανικά για τεχνικές με νερό, vintage εφέ, blending brushes και distressing edges.
2Tim Holtz Distress Oxide
✅ Ideal for: Backgrounds with fog/mist or chalk, layering, stamping with a unique texture.
➡️ They are: A combination of dye & pigment ink. They produce a more opaque and "oxidized" look, blend easily, and react nicely with water.
3. Ranger Archival Inks
✅ Ideal for: Steady stamping
➡️ They are: Permanent inks, don't react with water once they dries. Ideal if you plan to paint over the stamped image with watercolors or sprays.
4. Tsukineko Versafine Clair
✅ Ideal for: Detail stamping, fine motifs
➡️ They are: Pigment inks with clear imprints. Dry quickly and shares high clarity.
5. Tsukineko Versamark
✅ Ideal for: Heat embossing, watermark stamping
➡️ It is: A clear, sticky ink. Perfect for embossing powders or for subtle watermarks in your projects.
6. Tsukineko Versacolor
✅ Ideal for: Vivid, opaque colors on paper
➡️ They are: Pigment ink pads, produce a vivid color and are used during stamping, embossing and paper crafts.
7. Pinkfresh Inks
✅ Ideal for: Layered stamping, blending, beautiful gradients
➡️ They are: Dye inks with fancy colors, ideal for card making and floral stamps.
8. Alcohol Inks
✅ Ideal for: Non-porous surfaces (Yupo, acetates, metal)
➡️ They are: Alcohol-based inks that dry quickly and produce a unique, abstract effect.
9. Metallic Inks
✅ Ideal for: Highlights, shimmering details
➡️ They are: Metallic pigment inks, used at mixed media, embellishments and accents.
10. Hybrid Inks
✅ Ideal for: Projects that require resistance and quick drying
➡️ They are: A combination of dye and pigment properties. They dry quickly, are intense and often waterproof when dry.
To sum up...
Which one is used where?
| Ink | Ideal for... |
|---|---|
| Distress | 🎨 Backgrounds, 🎚️ Blending |
| Distress Oxide | 🎨 Backgrounds, 🎚️ Blending, ✍️ Basic stamping |
| Archival | 💧 Water resistance, ✍️ Stamping |
| Versafine Clair | ✍️ Details, 💧 Water resistance, ✨ Embossing |
| Versamark | ✨ Embossing (powder), clear ink |
| Versacolor | 🌈 Vivid colors, ✨ Embossing, ✍️ Stamping |
| Pinkfresh | 🧩 Layered stamping, ✍️ Clear stamps, 🌈 Beautiful colors |
| Alcohol Inks | 🧪 Effects on non-porous surfaces (Yupo, glass), ✨ Metallic outcome |
| Metallic | ✨ Shimmer, 💎 Accents, 🎨 Effect on smooth surfaces |
| Hybrid | ✅ All-in-one: ✍️ Stamping, 🎨 Backgrounds, ✨ Embossing, 💧 Water resistance and more |
So, which one is the optimum choice if you want...
✔️ quick and clear stamping → Archival, Versafine Clair, Pinkfresh
✔️ vintage, blending or water techniques → Distress or Distress Oxide
✔️ embossing → Versamark, Versacolor, Versafine Clair
✔️ to color on non-porous surfaces → Alcohol inks
💡 Tip: If you're not sure, start with Archival or Versafine Clair for stamping, and Distress for backgrounds. They are the most versatile bases for art journaling and scrapbooking.
I hope this concise guide has helped you better understand the amazing world of inks and inspired you to try new techniques and materials in your creations. At ScrapsNPieces.gr, you'll find all the types of inks you need to take each of your projects to the next level. Don't hesitate to experiment and feel free to contact us if you have any questions!
That’s all for this week!
Happy creating, and artistic kisses!
