TESTING! (Ink)

We've been chatting about types of ink, what to use on tags, and what inks will bleed when wet. Keep in mind that I can only test the inks I actually have in my personal collection.  There are SO many brands and types of ink on the market, and I'll say again: I am NO expert on any of them.  There may be inks that are SO much better than what I've got.  Only, I haven't discovered them yet.  Please do your own research and testing to expand your personal knowledge of the tools you're using.  It's a GOOD thing to do, and you'll craft more confidently with that information in your toolkit.  Find what works for YOU.

The short version of what I know: Dye inks are water based and quick drying.  I use those mostly for casual letters/stationery and envelopes.  Pigment inks are typically wet, slower drying, and great for embossing.  Chalk inks dry pretty quickly and are great for planners and card making.  They're not so great for embossing.

Now I'll share with you what I discovered during my test today.

I may have missed a type, but I tried to pull one of every type of ink I have in my craft room.  I stamped a sample onto a piece of smooth card stock and labeled them for reference.

Shortly after creating this sheet, about 10 minutes or so, I used a cotton swab and water to rub the surface of the stamped images.   There was a little bit of color distribution, but notice also that I said that I rubbed the surface of the image.  I wonder if the color would have smeared had I dropped water onto the surface instead.

The only way to really tell was to wait an hour and let those inks dry.   This time I dropped a larger amount of water onto the samples and let it sit.  From what I can tell, those dye based inks (which we knew!) are the worst offenders when considering what types of ink to use for things like tags for handmade items.  I don't know if any of the color would pull up and affect your pieces, but I also wouldn't want to take the chance.  It seems that all of the pigment inks and chalk ink did well after the ink was allowed sufficient time to dry.

I encourage you to DO YOUR OWN TESTING.  Besides, it's kind of fun to explore and experiment!

(Small Ball of Yarn stamp can be purchased in my Etsy shop.)