Video: Ink for Beginning Stampers + GIVEAWAY

I am often asked which inks I recommend for new stampers. This is a tough question and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it over the years. And today? I finally have an answer…

[All supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post. Affiliate links used. To watch the video in HD on YouTube, click HERE.]

I consider three things to be important when considering ink for a new stamper: the quality, the colors, and the ease at which you can get good, solid results. Today’s inks are great on all three counts! In my video, I suggest “a collection of beginner inks” that includes Lawn Fawn and Ranger Dye Inks. Both of these inks are new and have impressed me big time.

The Lawn Fawn colors are rich-yet-muted-mid-tones. The Ranger colors are bright-and-primary. Together? A great collection of 20 inks. (I left out black inks from this – was just focusing on the colors.)

Be sure to watch the above video to understand more about these inks and how they work. And *please* remember – there are lots of other inks I love just as much as these! So be sure to watch THIS video about my other favorite inks. For example – I *love* Hero Arts Shadow Inks, WPlus9 Inks, various pigment inks, etc. and use them most. I adore their unique colors. However I felt the inks I share today are a great place to start to get basic colors. Then you can starting adding in the other great ink lines! (The more the merrier, huh?)

Please check above for a comparison between the colors. Keep in mind that every computer screen is different.

By the way, if you would like to better understand the difference between ink types, check out THIS video.

INK SWATCH DOWNLOADS

In the video I show ink swatches for these inks. You can find all of my free Ink Swatch Downloads and a how-to video HERE. (For the Ranger Ink Swatch Download, click HERE. For the Lawn Fawn Ink Swatch Download, click HERE.)

GIVEAWAY

Time to share the inky love! One lucky winner will get a $50 gift certificate (donated by me) to Simon Says Stamp so you can try out any inks you want. For your chance, leave a comment here by 11:59pmEST on 4/15/15 telling me your favorite type of ink. (The winner’s name will be randomly selected and posted on my “Winners page” after the giveaway closes. International folks are eligible, too!)

SUPPLIES

Interested in the products I used? To make them easy for you to find, I have listed them below. (Affiliate and product disclosure can be found here. A big thank you to Lawn Fawn and Ranger for these inks. Opinion and review is completely my own.) Click on the letters below each picture to go to a favorite store: Simon Says Stamp (SSS), Ellen Hutson (EH), Lawn Fawn (LF), etc.

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | LF)

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | LF)

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | LF)

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | LF)

 

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | LF)

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | LF)

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | LF)

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | LF)

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( JMink )

 


Leave a Comment

1,945 thoughts on “Video: Ink for Beginning Stampers + GIVEAWAY”

  1. You are a fountain of information. I am just getting back into crafting and having so much fun with your info. Thanks so much.

  2. Janet Pingrey says:

    You are a fountain of information. I am just getting back into crafting and find it is so much fun to use your info. Thanks so much.

  3. My favorite stamps are the distress inks — second are the hero arts shadow inks –
    I’d love to get the Ranger Inks — the colors look so fabulous!

  4. Sue Busada says:

    Your videos encouraged me to go back to pigment inks, and I realized how much I missed them!
    I would love to find a good, solid dye ink, so I’m going to have to branch out to these brands too!

  5. Jean Hilton says:

    I love watching all your Videos Jennifer. I have just started making cards and so far dont have very many.I have some from hobbycraft mini ones but they take ages to dry. I think after your video iwould say i prefered the Ranger ones for the strong colours alone.Keep up the Good work Jen.

  6. Jan O says:

    I love these colours! The combined selection from Ranger and Lawn Fawn is fabulous. Thanks for the great demo. Haven’t tried either brand, but I’m rushing out to get some.

  7. patty williams says:

    I don’t have a lot of inks. Most of mine are Stazon, Tim Holtz distress and I just bought some Hampton Arts but most of those seem to be labeled Studio G ! And embossing ink is another problem I have…can’t seem to heat emboss very well. Might need to buy another pad – this one has never seemed right.

    thanks for the chance!

  8. renee m says:

    You are a virtual fountain of helpful information! I always enjoy learning from your blog 🙂 I mostly have Memento and Distress inks, and some Stz-On ones I thought I just had to have, but hardly ever use. Thanks!

  9. Dawn G says:

    I love Hero Arts shadow inks! Thanks for this video. I can’t wait to get my hands on LF and Ranger inks!

  10. Natalie Winterstein says:

    Love the tips on ink! My favorite ink is dye ink. Thanks for the chance to win! 🙂

  11. I own more dye inks than pigment inks, that’s why I favor dye inks. These brands are being sold in my local craft store but I hesitated in buying them because I suddenly became unsure if I should purchase the one I was eyeing (Ranger’s Cheese Puff.) But I can’t wait to try these brands…maybe when I figure out which color I am lacking in my collection. Thanks for the giveaway.

  12. Jana says:

    Thanks for all the great information.

  13. Becky says:

    I think I’d have to say the distress inks are my favorite kind of inks to work with. Thanks for the ink info!

  14. {vicki} says:

    I NEED some new ink!

  15. Jilla says:

    I love my Distress inks and inks from Amuse. The Amuse inks work so well with my cheapo dollar stamps. I love their soft coverage. I just love how fun Distress inks are….blending and diluting them with water are fun ways for me to play.

  16. Sue McW says:

    Thanks for another great video! I don’t really have a favorite ink which is why I so enjoyed this video. Thanks for the information and a chance to win!!

  17. Ines Oliveira says:

    I love your work you make beautiful cards and teach us very good technics.
    My favourite type of inks is distress ink but I’d like to try lawn fawn inks .
    Thanks for the giveaway.

  18. Rhonda says:

    I’ve got to pick just ONE ink???? I’m really loving the Hero Arts Shadow inks after taking one of your online classes. Loved the videos – so much information. Thanks.

  19. Patricia says:

    I like die inks! Hero Arts and Ranger inks are definitely my favourites. Thanks for the chance to win and for making so many people happy!

  20. Laura says:

    My favorite ink is probably the distress inks. If you had to pick one, it’s a little more versatile. My second favorite is Versamark. There are also several ways you can use this ink and I just think you can achieve some nice effects.

    Thank you as always for the great information and ideas.

    (and this has nothing to do with inks or cards, but your hands always look so nice in the videos. I don’t know if you do your own nails or have someone do them for you, but kudos!)

  21. Neha Tulsyan says:

    I love Hero arts Shadow Inks.. But yeah, the rangers dye inks are also good.. Tried hands on just one color “Blue Ribbon” – the beautiful bright blue color..
    And yes, lawn fawn and ranger together makes a really good collection of colors.

  22. Kathy W says:

    I’m slowly trying out different types of ink. So far, my favorite has been Memento dye inks.

  23. Reema Patel says:

    You’ve totally sold me on the ranger dye inks and now I really want to try those!

  24. Joanne Parker says:

    Although pigment inks are hard to use (at least for me) they bring me joy!!! Go figure lol. Never gave much thought to using dye based inks until I became a subscriber to your youtube channel.

  25. Sandra Paul says:

    Memento for copic coloring, Versamark for watermark effect and embossing and as for dye ink I would say Stampin’up. Distress ink for the possibility to work and re wet it.

  26. Deb c says:

    Really enjoyed this video and the one on the basic differences between dye and pigment inks. Have had trouble finding a dye ink that does not ‘pool’ on the clear stamps. I have a few Hero Arts Shadow inks and love those. Am really interested in trying the ones you have mentioned here. Thanks for the information and chance to win!

  27. Cathy Buckingham says:

    I don’t have a favorite yet because I haven’t used many but my favorite color is blue!

  28. Colleen Howell says:

    Liked the video and will be watching the others as well. I feel like I am still learning about the different ink types but so far I have a lot of memento and Tim Holtz distress inks but I am always getting new ones, I will have to check these others out that you are talking about thanks

  29. Bethany A. says:

    My favorite i leads the Close To My Heart inks because of their many subtle yet rich shades. I’ve found that sometimes the stamp itself determines the right ink to use. Ito find that the ink is “bubbling up” on the stamp, I will try another ink line like ColorBox or StayzOn.

  30. Jen Hayes says:

    I’m saving up for ink right now 🙂 I got a great deal on a lot of distress ink awhile back, so I’ve been loving that. Other than that I have versamark, memento, and a few generic inks. Love all the input you give, it helps me make an informed purchase. Thanks as always!

  31. Elle says:

    I love Papertrey Ink for everyday stamping but love TH Distress Inks for lots of techniques.

  32. Michelle says:

    I don’t necessarily have a favorite ink, so I pick the ink to use based on what color I want. I have hodge podge of colors and types. I wish I had more knowledge (like from your videos) before purchasing inks over the last 10 years. I’ve wasted money on ones I haven’t used. Besides black inks, I probably use distress inks the most due to their versatility.

  33. Shirley K says:

    My favorite is Distress Inks, it’s what I primarily use. I love that you put together this beginner ink recommendation though, because the number of choices out there is overwhelming!

  34. Jennifer says:

    My favorite type of ink is pigment ink, but that is likely due to the fact that I do all my crafting in the basement where it’s chilly, and I get much better results from pigment inks. (My dye inks bead up on the stamps and never look nice, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!) Both the Lawn Fawn and Ranger dye inks give me hope that maybe I just need to make a switch to solve the problem. It doesn’t hurt that they’re gorgeous, too!

  35. Suzi says:

    My favorite? It all depends on what I am working on. I do seem drawn to pigments, but I don’t know why. Signed: Me and sequoia. Suzi

  36. Simon says:

    Making me choose one ink to LOVE would be hard because there are so many out there! I do love the Distress inks for water coloring and different techniques. But, i would have to say that I like the Hero Arts Shadow inks more because of the many varieties of colors. I also just love them for all around stamping and they are useful with many different techniques. They are by far my FAVORITE ink!

  37. Katie Koenig says:

    I adore shadow inks from Hero Arts, they always come through for me. I find myself reaching for them over the others I have.

  38. DianeD says:

    My favorite is Ranger Archival Ink. I love an ink that I can stamp and then paint or watercolor over. I love the Jet Black and Coffee. Of course it does depend what project I have going.

  39. Joanna L says:

    My favorite are dye inks, especially the black one. I don’t have a wide knowledge about inks because I’m still an beginner in stamping.

  40. Rita DeCook says:

    I’ve not tried either of the ones you mentioned. But if/when I decide to get some, I think my choice would be the Ranger inks. I like vibrant colors.

  41. Michelle says:

    I love the versatility with distressed inks, but not for sentiments. VersaFine pigment ink is my favorite for sentiments, especially small fonts, but not enough color options for this type. Chalk inks are great also for softer looks and layering. I’ve never tried Ranger’s dye ink or Lawn Fawn. May have to give them both a try now. The one color I’ve not been able to find is a pastel peach in any type of ink. It’s either too orange or pink.

  42. Peg says:

    So far I love the distress inks for their versatility, but look forward to trying the Ranger Dye inks in the video. Loving the wonderful colors! It will be so hard to pick 1 or 2 of the colors to start with.. Thanks for the great information- it is really helpful.

  43. Carol S says:

    The ranger distress inks seem to be my favorite. I enjoy watching your videos and have learned so much; thank you for educating us about these wonderful products and all of the options that are out there.

  44. Emily says:

    I use distress inks a lot and dye inks.

  45. Traci F says:

    I started out with Distress inks and always enjoy using them. Now I’m trying to slowly collect some other brands and am looking forward to trying Lawn Fawn and Ranger. Thank you for the advice – it’s very helpful.

  46. Kathleen B. says:

    I love the Versamark black, but also many of the Memento dye inks, especially the small size petal shape type. Inks are great fun!

  47. Lavonne says:

    I would have to say my favorite type of ink is distress ink. Love the colors! Thanks for the chance to win. 🙂

  48. Kathleen B. says:

    Just realized I mentioned the wrong name for the ink I love….it should be Versafine.
    Thanks.

  49. Kim Cole says:

    Distress inks by far
    Thanks

  50. Brenda B says:

    I haven’t used many different inks but really am intrigued by the Lawn Fawn and new Ranger inks. Memento ink has been my go to lately. Thanks for the chance to win!

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