Black is black is black or is it?
Are black inks all the same?
Are black inks all the same? The short answer is ‘no’, they’re not. Before you use black in your cardmaking, you have to decide what you want to do with it, and what other mediums you want to use. For example, are you going to watercolour a stamped image, or colour the image with alcohol markers? These decisions will determine the type of black ink to be used. Let’s just compare four black inks that I use in my cardmaking. Remember, there are many more brand options out there, but they will generally fall into the category of pigment inks, dye inks and hybrid inks.
Concord & 9th Premium Hybrid Ink Black
Hybrid ink pads are a mix of dye and pigment inks which make them extremely versatile for crafting techniques, especially when using mixed media. They dry faster than dye inks but stay wet long enough that you can use them for heat embossing. They also work well with both water-based and alcohol-based colouring mediums.
Hybrid inks are more fade resistant than dye inks though they may not offer the archival properties of pigments inks.
As you can see from the photo, I have the ink cube, but it does also come in a full-size ink pad.
Gina K Designs Premium Dye Ink Black Onyx
Although we’re specifically talking about black ink, dye inks come in a variety of vibrant colours, and are at their best when using stencils for colouring, or blending techniques where you want to create gradients and smooth transitions from one colour to the next. They are fast drying, so not suitable for heat embossing.
I use this dye ink if I don’t have black card stock on hand, yet I need a black background card panel, or if I want a black background area when I’m using a stencil.
As you can see from the photo, I have the ink cube, but it does also come in a full-size ink pad.
Memento Tuxedo Black Dye Ink by Tsukineko
This is a general purpose black ink that seems to be the ‘go’to’ for lots of crafters when stamping images that are going to be coloured with alcohol markers. It’s a great ink pad to have in your product collection. It’s the one I reach for when using my alcohol markers, as well as colour pencils. Please note: this ink is NOT suitable for water-based mediums as it will smudge.
Altenew Obsidian Pigment Ink
Versafine Onyx Black Pigment Ink
I have two black pigment ink pads in my crafting room and they both work equally well. Pigment inks sit on top of your card stock instead of absorbing into it, making them ideal for stamping when you want a black outline or a silhouette image. They ARE compatible with watercolour mediums.
They are a slow drying ink so are suitable for heat embossing. If you’re not going to heat emboss, I would suggest that you speed up the drying process by using a heat tool before you continue with your colouring medium. I would also heat set when stamping on glossy card stock.
These two black pigment inks are exceptionally crisp and are particularly good when stamping images that have a lot of fine detail. However, there are other brands that also do this.
Pigment inks are known for their resistance to fading. This makes them an excellent choice for crafting projects that are going to be displayed or kept for a long time.