Product Review : Distress Inks

Good morning

Its Isha here with a product review on our very favourite Ranger Distress inks I hope to share with you the fun you can have with these gorgeous and versatile water based ink and hope this post helps beginners picking up their very own distress ink pads. 

I  enjoy creating , greeting cards, scrapbook layouts , and other paper craft projects  and I rarely 

create anything without stamping or inking at least some of the papers and embellishments used in each project. I have tried  quite a few different ink pads, but Distress Inks are somehow my favorite.

Distress Inks are acid-free water-based dye inks that are safe to use in scrapbooks. They are fade resistant, meaning that if you store and care for your projects carefully, the inks will last for a long time, as these inks are non-toxic.

Size and Storage

Distress Ink pads are easy to use and store. They don't take up much space; the entire container measures approximately 3 inches square by three-quarters of an inch high, and they can be stacked on top of each other for easy storage. The actual felt inkpad area measures approximately 2 inches square, a convenient size for both stamping and direct-to-paper applications. The ink pad is not "squishy" like some ink pads are.

Techniques and Usages

Distress inks  are versatile, and they can be used to create a variety of effects and techniques. The most obvious use for them is stamping. They can be used with both clear stamps and rubber stamps. Good part is you dont always require stamps to effectively use Distress Inks. You can ink directly on papers, fibers, ribbons, embellishments and photos. Like the name suggests, you can use these inks to create a distressed look, or to "age" your papers and create a vintage or antique look.

The colors are all outstanding, and they generally work well with each other when they are used together in projects , as TIMMY  says they are “ BLEND-ABLE” 

Choosing from over 48 colours can be overwhelming but to begin with here are few colours you can consider to begin your inky maddness -

Essential Tools

When working with distress inks there are few essential tools one requires to work with-

1. Craft sheet  - A one time investment to keep your work surface ink free. You can use this sheet practically for any kind of stamping and embossing purpose. Just use a wet wipe or paper towel to keep it clean. I have had mine for longer than i remember!

                                               

2. Ink blending tool  - You can have 2 or 3 tools and interchangeably use them with the foams. 

3. Blending foam - Its ideal to have one blending foam for each ink and if you use them correctly they go a long way.

                                                    

 What makes Distress Inks different from other inks.

STAYS WET LONGER – (allows you to blend and shade on photos and paper – also emboss) other dye inks dry too fast especially on photos so you end up with lines and marks if you go direct from the pad.

COLOR WICKS OR SPREADS OUT – (these inks will travel across the surface of your paper when spritzed with water) other dyes do not travel as much although they might bleed a little when wet, the Distress Inks actually “wick” or spread out much further creating several tone on tones.

COLOR STABILITY – (the colors of the Distress Inks will not break down when wet or heated allowing you to have more color control for the finished look) other “brown colored” dyes will break down when water is added leaving a pink & green hue.

( source - http://rangerink.com/?ranger_project=tim-holtz%E2%84%A2-distress-ink%E2%84%A2-pads

Lulupu Store is flooded with Distress inks and we have all the 48 colours along with the basic essential tools to help you get started with your inky fun! Grab your shades before they go out of stock. Hurry !!

I am leaving you with this Video Tutorial with some basic techniques and tips on Distress inks for beginners . Enjoy!

In my opinion, Distress Inks are well worth the money.  I am happy to recommend Distress Inks to all card makers and paper crafters.

I hope you found this review helpful. I welcome your comments and feedback. Happy crafting!

Love 

Isha 

Please note - reviews on Lulupu Blog are based on the Designers personal experience and we have included the experts opinions form the Industry as well.