Why use distress inks

Water also allows the ink to move on the paper. They are perfect for traditional ink techniques but their unique qualities open a new set of possibilities.

The grungy shade of the ink is perfect for aging and distressing paper. This look is great for grunge, vintage and shabby-chic projects. Unlike what you might think distress inks are great for stamping. Distress inks stamp well on porous surfaces and can be used with all kinds of stamps however the image stamped is slightly less sharp that other inks. A look which is great for a grungy, vintage, shabby chic projects. Distress Inks are perfect for blending techniques. Because this is a water based ink it stays wet longer and that allows the colors to mix on the surface.

Reverse or direct stenciling is applying the ink to the stencil instead of on the paper and then press the stencil, ink down to the paper, creating a "negative" pattern of colored background and white shapes. Since distress inks react with water you can create really pretty effects by combining the two.

Water moves the ink around the surface, and by adding drops of water to an inked background, you will get beautiful water washed areas. As a water based ink, distress ink do not attach to a non porous surface like embossing ink. However you can create an embossing resist effect by combining embossing powder and distress inks. Ink transferring is applying ink to a non-porous surface, blending the ink with water and then transferring it to the project.

Direct-to-paper inking is so simple that you might not even want to call it a technique! You simply apply the ink from the pad directly onto the paper. After the ink is on the paper you can activate it with a water mister or a baby wipe. This will allow you to blend it, smudge the edges, create dripage and more. You can use distress inks as watercolor paints on a project. The inks activated by the water will give a very light watercolor effect to the paper. Distress Inks have been formulated to tint photos — both originals on glossy or matte photo paper and copies made with ink jet, toner or laser copiers.

Pick up color with a brush, sponge or cotton swap and lightly apply the ink over the areas of the photo you want to add paint to. This technique is a combination of direct to paper stamping and misting. It looks great on solid cardstocks or papers. The only important thing to remember is that even though the ink is on the paper it doesn't mean it's set. If it comes in contact with water or other water based materials like paint or gesso it will be activated and might smear or smudge.

If you want to set it apply a fixative spray on it or a thin layer of gel medium. That will allow you to work on the ink with other materials and keep its original design on your project. Distress inks are so much fun to play with and unlike permanent inks they come off your clothes when you wash them! Give them a try! Here's an idea for an art journal page made with nothing but Distress inks and stencils.

Wow I am new to the distress ink world and your instructions were just what I was looking for. But i indian and leaving in Surat so where I can buy these color. Awesome video on the distress inks …. Loved it!! I am knew to all this craft stuff Card Making. I have been a scrapbook and card-maker for 30 years. Due to an accident, I can not remember the details of what I learned at that time.

For the top card, I blended black ink from dark to light before die-cutting the five hexagons. For the middle card I blended a single colour from top to bottom fading out as I went. For the third card, I used the dipping technique before trimming a strip to use as a background.

You'll also notice that I used the same colour ink to achieve the splatter effect. I did this by applying the ink directly to my craft mat which I then spritzed with clean water. Where the ink pooled, I picked this ink up with a palette knife which I flicked onto the card. Distress Inks can be used in a very subtle way to just enhance the edges of a die-cut shape. It's barely perceptible in some of the images above but you would definitely notice if it wasn't there.

Finally, the stained glass effect was created by blending different inks onto an A4 sheet of card. I die-cut three different windows from different areas of the card and pieced them together into Grey die-cut church windows.

I wanted to finish with the window because I think there is a perception in some quarters that Distress products are all about vintage, mixed media or grunge makes, but I think we can see from the sheer variety of styles above that this is most certainly not the case.

Have I mentioned that you can use them to paint with too? The Making Journal. Pete Hughes. Using Distress Inks to create Magic this Christmas. Above we see ink blending directly onto the face of the card along with a few ink splatters. Same again but three very different effects. Sometimes, placing an inked background beneath a die-cut aperture can yield beautiful results.

Stamping with Distress inks can yield some very unique results. Until then, thanks very much for stopping by. Leave a Reply Name. Leave a comment. Sign Up to Keep In Touch! Simply to be able to try them and find out whether there is really something about them and if they are worth buying. Well, yes it took a while.

You know how life goes, there is always another project to finish first. And you want to have the time and mood to experiment. And wow, I was stoked:. They describe distress inks as:. As a matter of fact Tim Holtz — the designer who developed and created the inks and colors together with Ranger — is present in basically every other craftroom of the world — surely not just because of these inks, but likely almost….

And they are meant to be used to create backgrounds, age effects and color layerings, they are not exactly meant for stamping or to get a motive on the paper. But more about this in part 2, too. Now that we know what Distress Inks are next question is: where to buy? But with individual price tags of up to EUR 3,50 for the small pads and EUR 7,00 for the standard size, respectively, that really sums up to a decent amount.

After doing some research-homework I decided to get the mini ink pads. This way I can try out more colors to find the ones I really like and grab re-inkers for these only. Luckily the manufacturer started to combine packs of four different mini ink colors into mini ink kits. These kits come at a discounted price compared to the singles.

However, EUR 10 — 13 depending on the store quickly sum up…. And guess what — it worked out well. The pads came in quickly and in decent condition. There may be a variety of experiences with sellers on ebay.