Best inks for stamping?

[StacyLee]

I’m a Catherine Pooler fan all the way when it comes to inks. The first couple of pads I purchased I thought the same as Lisa, because I was so used to felt ink pads where I really had to press the stamp firmly. CP are foam and very juicy, I had ink all over . After watching some YouTube lives and playing with them CP are what I reach for 99% of the time. You just need a light tap, tap and they stamp so crisply! If you see my ACOT gallery, you’ll see I’m a fan . 

For coloring with Copics or Triblends my preference is definitely Memento.

My friend bought the Catherine Pooler and I tried it, and “juicy” was the word I used!  Thank you for your valuable input.  I have watched MANY of your videos, now you have me sold!  I am off to see what colors I want to start with.   

If you’re looking at CP inks to decide which colors to start with I definitely have some advice for you that I really wish I’d known before I started purchasing ink pads.  CP has Spa colors with a more muted undertone and Party colors that are more vibrant. She also has neutrals and metallics, but when you’re looking at colors you might want to look at the free color wheels she has on her website. There is one for Spa and one for Party. So for example when I was first buying inks, and just looking at online images, I bought Aquatini (Party) and Sage (Spa). Not a good combo together . If you’re starting out with a few colors, I’d definitely recommend sticking with Spa or Party and build from there. Hope that make sense

[traveler]

I also use memento. I have a standard size pad of tuxedo black which is my go to black ink. Good images and good for coloring. I use the little ones for colors. They seem to last forever, I’ve never replaced one.

[SandyJay]

I have over 100 Catherine Pooler Inks. I would say I'm a huge fan of her inks. I've tried other companies like pinkfresh, simon says stamps and of course Tim Holtz. When it comes to consistent coverage and stamping. Catherine Pooler is top notch. Make sure to invest in the reinker. It's important to keep the ink pad saturated. I love my Tim Holtz for all my distress needs. You can accomplish so much in mixed media with the stain and oxides with Tim's products. It just depends on what you use the ink primarily for. Because I do a lot of clean and simple techniques and cards. Catherine Pooler inks gives the clean coverage I desire. I love pinkfresh for my pinkfresh stencils and products. But if I had to choose I will always choose the foam ink pads over the others. I love the saturation. Catherine Pooler Inks does wonderfully when used for watercoloring. Lots of versatility with her inks. Trust me I have tried everything with them.

Thank you!  I am trying 3 of the Catherine Pooler inks and an Archival ink.  I really needed lol this input!  

[SandyJay]

I also use memento. I have a standard size pad of tuxedo black which is my go to black ink. Good images and good for coloring. I use the little ones for colors. They seem to last forever, I’ve never replaced one.

I like the idea of having smaller inks for my small stamps, I will try the Memento for this.  They make for light travel.  Thanks for your input, greatly appreciated! 

[SandyJay]

I’m a Catherine Pooler fan all the way when it comes to inks. The first couple of pads I purchased I thought the same as Lisa, because I was so used to felt ink pads where I really had to press the stamp firmly. CP are foam and very juicy, I had ink all over . After watching some YouTube lives and playing with them CP are what I reach for 99% of the time. You just need a light tap, tap and they stamp so crisply! If you see my ACOT gallery, you’ll see I’m a fan . 

For coloring with Copics or Triblends my preference is definitely Memento.

My friend bought the Catherine Pooler and I tried it, and “juicy” was the word I used!  Thank you for your valuable input.  I have watched MANY of your videos, now you have me sold!  I am off to see what colors I want to start with.    

If you’re looking at CP inks to decide which colors to start with I definitely have some advice for you that I really wish I’d known before I started purchasing ink pads.  CP has Spa colors with a more muted undertone and Party colors that are more vibrant. She also has neutrals and metallics, but when you’re looking at colors you might want to look at the free color wheels she has on her website. There is one for Spa and one for Party. So for example when I was first buying inks, and just looking at online images, I bought Aquatini (Party) and Sage (Spa). Not a good combo together . If you’re starting out with a few colors, I’d definitely recommend sticking with Spa or Party and build from there. Hope that make sense  

Yes it does!  I noticed that, and I purchased 3 in the vision of the flower stamp and die I had bought.  They had the colors right on the Altenew directions, but some colors weren’t available so I tried to get some close to it.  

[Tam I Am]

In my experience, most inks do okay if the stamp is rubber or photopolymer. (Stamps that have a naturally sticky/tacky feel.) The clear stamps that are silicone/acrylic work much better with a pigment ink - the ink sticks better rather than resist. Though a workaround if you have an ink that doesn't take to the stamp well is to ink up with Versamark watermark pad first (good, sticky clear ink) and then use your other ink on top of it.

[SandyJay]

In my experience, most inks do okay if the stamp is rubber or photopolymer. (Stamps that have a naturally sticky/tacky feel.) The clear stamps that are silicone/acrylic work much better with a pigment ink - the ink sticks better rather than resist. Though a workaround if you have an ink that doesn't take to the stamp well is to ink up with Versamark watermark pad first (good, sticky clear ink) and then use your other ink on top of it.

This is a great idea with the Versamark! I have some of that, brilliant idea, thanks so much for your input. 

[Tam I Am]

In my experience, most inks do okay if the stamp is rubber or photopolymer. (Stamps that have a naturally sticky/tacky feel.) The clear stamps that are silicone/acrylic work much better with a pigment ink - the ink sticks better rather than resist. Though a workaround if you have an ink that doesn't take to the stamp well is to ink up with Versamark watermark pad first (good, sticky clear ink) and then use your other ink on top of it.

This is a great idea with the Versamark! I have some of that, brilliant idea, thanks so much for your input. 

You're welcome! Glad I could offer some helpful advice!
I have a lot of cheap stamps from back when the dollar stamps were big and just the box store stamps in general.

[Jolly Holly Scraps]

I love Momento, but instead of buying a refill for it, I ended up getting a Ranger re-inker, and that works pretty well.
I ALSO used to have a ton of whispers dye inks, and they slowly started drying up. I've been refilling those pads with re-inkers. Also, blank ink pads are AWESOME!! Usually Tim Holtz, or Ranger but I've used Wendy Vichi (sp?) and love her inks as well. Apparently, if you too much ink on the pads, some stamps have a harder time gripping.
I also have several other inks, fiskars, Tsukineko inks, etc.
On my wishlists are the distress inks AND the Catherine Pooler inks, because I've seen a LOT of videos and they look great!

[LMTscraps]

I use Memento and Ranger Archival inks for their durability (waterproofness and fade resistance). The Dew Drops and small Ranger pads last a long time and are easy to use with a stamping platform. As to Tim Holtz inks, although they are fun to play with, I do not use them on scrapbook pages. Only the Distress Inks are acid free; Distress Oxides are not.

[Nana01]

I’m saving this post. I need new colors and I get overwhelmed by all the selections. This post helps me narrow down my decision.

[SandyJay]

I’m saving this post. I need new colors and I get overwhelmed by all the selections. This post helps me narrow down my decision.

I found this very helpful, too, and saved to my bookmarks.  
https://www.acherryontop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=276153

[SandyJay]

I use Memento and Ranger Archival inks for their durability (waterproofness and fade resistance). The Dew Drops and small Ranger pads last a long time and are easy to use with a stamping platform. As to Tim Holtz inks, although they are fun to play with, I do not use them on scrapbook pages. Only the Distress Inks are acid free; Distress Oxides are not.

Didn’t know that about the inks and oxides, but it makes sense.  Thanks for chiming in on the subject.

[Jolly Holly Scraps]

I’m saving this post. I need new colors and I get overwhelmed by all the selections. This post helps me narrow down my decision.

I found this very helpful, too, and saved to my bookmarks.  
https://www.acherryontop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=276153

I love that we can save posts like this! Lol I've saved it, too- I LOVE hearing everyone's opinions lol especially when I'm on a limited budget, like right now.

[DrSonja]

I think ink choice depends on the intended use.

When I first started collecting ink, I was mostly using the Memento Tuxedo Black to stamp outline images that I colored with Copic markers. The Copics are alcohol based and the Memento is dye ink which is water based, so they were compatible. In other words, when one touched the other, they did not melt and smear. I also bought several of the ColorBox (now out of business) pigment ink rainbow pads that I typically used on smaller peg stamps to add decoration to the page, like a garland of flowers or a butterfly in the corner. 

Then I found the card making site, Splitcoast Stampers, which was founded by a couple who were big in Stampin' Up. SU has good quality dye inks, but pricy. I found I didn't really relate to their stamping style and the prices of stamp sets, but I did learn bunches from the SCS free tutorials.

Can't remember how I found Paper Trey Ink online, but I love their heavy quality solid cardstock. They have dye ink that is a perfect match to the paper, so it made it easy to stamp sentiments, that I heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

When I first tried, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, I wasn't impressed because I was used to the crisp impression of dye ink. Distress Oxide was a game changer for me because it is opaque and can be layered and manipulated with water to create a variety of effects.

Anyway, I didn't mean to make this about my personal ink journey, but maybe that is my message--you, too, will have an ink journey and it can be quite FUN!

[SandyJay]

I think ink choice depends on the intended use.

When I first started collecting ink, I was mostly using the Memento Tuxedo Black to stamp outline images that I colored with Copic markers. The Copics are alcohol based and the Memento is dye ink which is water based, so they were compatible. In other words, when one touched the other, they did not melt and smear. I also bought several of the ColorBox (now out of business) pigment ink rainbow pads that I typically used on smaller peg stamps to add decoration to the page, like a garland of flowers or a butterfly in the corner. 

Then I found the card making site, Splitcoast Stampers, which was founded by a couple who were big in Stampin' Up. SU has good quality dye inks, but pricy. I found I didn't really relate to their stamping style and the prices of stamp sets, but I did learn bunches from the SCS free tutorials.

Can't remember how I found Paper Trey Ink online, but I love their heavy quality solid cardstock. They have dye ink that is a perfect match to the paper, so it made it easy to stamp sentiments, that I heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

When I first tried, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, I wasn't impressed because I was used to the crisp impression of dye ink. Distress Oxide was a game changer for me because it is opaque and can be layered and manipulated with water to create a variety of effects.

Anyway, I didn't mean to make this about my personal ink journey, but maybe that is my message--you, too, will have an ink journey and it can be quite FUN!

Thank you for sharing your experience and you journey!  I will have to try to play with my TH inks and oxides more.  

[Jolly Holly Scraps]

I think ink choice depends on the intended use.

When I first started collecting ink, I was mostly using the Memento Tuxedo Black to stamp outline images that I colored with Copic markers. The Copics are alcohol based and the Memento is dye ink which is water based, so they were compatible. In other words, when one touched the other, they did not melt and smear. I also bought several of the ColorBox (now out of business) pigment ink rainbow pads that I typically used on smaller peg stamps to add decoration to the page, like a garland of flowers or a butterfly in the corner. 

Then I found the card making site, Splitcoast Stampers, which was founded by a couple who were big in Stampin' Up. SU has good quality dye inks, but pricy. I found I didn't really relate to their stamping style and the prices of stamp sets, but I did learn bunches from the SCS free tutorials.

Can't remember how I found Paper Trey Ink online, but I love their heavy quality solid cardstock. They have dye ink that is a perfect match to the paper, so it made it easy to stamp sentiments, that I heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

When I first tried, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, I wasn't impressed because I was used to the crisp impression of dye ink. Distress Oxide was a game changer for me because it is opaque and can be layered and manipulated with water to create a variety of effects.

Anyway, I didn't mean to make this about my personal ink journey, but maybe that is my message--you, too, will have an ink journey and it can be quite FUN!

I miss my Colorbox ink!! Lol!
I liked that you had so much to say., especially about the different mediums that can work together!

[Nana01]

I’m saving this post. I need new colors and I get overwhelmed by all the selections. This post helps me narrow down my decision.

I found this very helpful, too, and saved to my bookmarks.  
https://www.acherryontop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=276153

Thanks so much!

[Sue2024]

I also use memento. I have a standard size pad of tuxedo black which is my go to black ink. Good images and good for coloring. I use the little ones for colors. They seem to last forever, I’ve never replaced one.

There is a red pad that is no longer around; can't even get a reinker!  But yes, memento is good.  I miss ColorBox, though.  *Sigh*

[SandyJay]

I also use memento. I have a standard size pad of tuxedo black which is my go to black ink. Good images and good for coloring. I use the little ones for colors. They seem to last forever, I’ve never replaced one.

There is a red pad that is no longer around; can't even get a reinker!  But yes, memento is good.  I miss ColorBox, though.  *Sigh* 

Are you talking about the Catherine Pooler Rockin’ Red?  I just put it on m6 wishlist and it is sold out.