How to Choose the Right Stamp Ink

You took the time to pick the perfect rubber stamp body, but have you thought about what ink you need to get the most out of your new stamp? There are several things to think about when picking your ink from what do you plan to stamp: glossy paper vs. skin vs. fabric. Or did you pick a wood handle rubber stamp with stamp pad vs. an ecofriendly refillable self-inking rubber stamp. We are walking through all the best options for your ink needs to give you an easy guide on what ink is right for you.

Why Choosing the Right Stamp Ink Is Important

Having the correct ink is important to your custom rubber stamp creation because every project has its own specific needs. Picking the correct ink for your project is essential to the highest performance for a given surface. With the many choices of ink, the details make the difference and can make your projects even better.

The Different Types of Stamp Ink

Quick Dry Stamp Ink

Choosing a quick drying option is ideal for stamping designs on non-porous surfaces; surfaces like metal, plastic, glossy textured pictures or paper, and even cds benefit from quick drying stamp ink. This ink is important for avoid smudging, streaks, and fading on impermeable materials. This is a time saving option with drying time of 10 seconds to 2 minutes. Reducing smear on photographers, glossy paper, or your next art project!

Fabric Ink

Stamping fabric takes a specially created ink made from dry powdered compounds which adhere to the fabric without causing distortion or other issues when using the wrong ink type on your clothing or general fabric projects. Making a memorable shirt for a school play, a tote bag for class field trip, or napkins for your family party is as easy as placing your order for your next custom stamp. NOTE: Fabric ink also requires a specific fabric stamp. The rubber of the stamp is different for this ink type so it is important to also pick one of our fabric stamp products to get a perfect imprint.

Invisible Ink

Need a stamp impression that hides until it's placed under a black or UV light? Invisible ink has you covered for making exclusive entry hand stamps, securing private documents, or just having some fun being a spy with the kids. Restricting private documents by ensuring your legitimate marks are made by your own stamps with a temporary reveal. Validating your personal documents without the noticeable impressions of classic stamps. Use invisible ink for your exclusive events to admit elite clientele inconspicuously. Or create your own spy stamps for a scavenger hunt with hidden notes and clues for your kids to find.

Hand Stamp Ink

Having skin as your surface to stamp makes your choices a bit more particular. Making sure your ink is non-toxic, quick drying, and easy to wash off is highly important. As we mentioned, invisible ink is a great choice for hand stamp needs. Making sure you have a skin safe option is your biggest requirement when choosing an ink for custom stamps used on skin. Be aware that pre-inked options for hand stamp use can be a bit uneven in application and more prone to smudging.

Stamp Ink Refills

The ink refill options for the many options of stamps are offered by our trusted brands in assorted colors and sizes for whatever your needs are. Trodant ink is a non-toxic, water based durable ink for your self-inking and stamp pad refills with their regular and ideal options. MaxLight ink is made specifically for their pre-inked stamp options. Colop ink is a standard refill ink for your basic stamp needs. Xstamper ink is offered for regular or quick drying choices for their stamps. These stamp ink options are available for your many stamp applications including fabric, non porous, or  UV needs.

How to Choose the Right Stamp Pad

With the many types of stamps, knowing which stamp pad works for you will make your refill process much easier. There are different stamp pad sizes, styles, and even conveniences that vary with the type of ink and refill requirements. If you chose a self-inking stamp with replaceable pad, a large wooden handled rubber stamp for glossy paper certainly and many option in-between we walk you through the different options for your specific needs.

Stamp Pad Size

Choosing a stamp pad based on your stamp size is highly important to consistent and clear imprints. The stamp pad should have space to ink completely covering the whole pattern at once. Another size indicator would be to make sure the stamp pad is not too large for your stamp as the pad may dry out quicker or color the edges beyond your design. Picking a stamp pad that matches your stamp size as closely as offered will help you get the optimal stamp impressions on porous surfaces.

Ease of Reinking and Replacement

Using specific ink and the varied size of your stamp pad will slightly adjust the ease of reinking and replacing your stamp pad.  Larger stamp pads require more ink right away but will not need to be refilled very often once in use. If smaller stamp pads fit your stamp a bit better, they may need to be refilled more often. Luckily ink bottle refills are long lasting! Another thing to consider is the ease to clean the different stamp pad options. Some ink pads have easy cleaning methods with water and solution, whereas others require very specific steps to clean. Refilling ink pads is very simple and varies only slightly in convenience but sometimes replacing an ink pad may be easier than cleaning it.

Types of Stamp Pads

Knowing which stamp pad works with your stamp is important when trying to replace or refill your stock. We offer dry stamp pads for your own ink refills, traditional color stamps, and smaller replacements for self-inking stamps.

Self-Inking Stamp Pads

If your stamp places ink on the stamp automatically before use, you can still find an ink pad replacement. These stamps known as self-inking stamps are stamps that contain their stamp pads inside a mechanism that continuously re-inks your stamp for a crisp mark which is more quick and therefore efficient than a standard separate ink pad. Replacement pads come in a selection of different sizes, colors, and brands which can extend the life of your stamp for years depending on how often you use the stamp. To replace your old self inking stamp, you open the unit, remove the old ink pad, and insert the new one in its place. This is a convenient option as it makes reinking easier since you don’t need to clean the old stamp pad.

Wood Handle Stamp Pads

Wood handle stamp pads are your classic option of cushioned ink used for externally inking. In order for your wood handle stamp to create an inked impression it needs these stamp pads. Having a wood handle rubber stamp is more economical and offers versatile color options for one stamp design. The manual inking is great for hobbies, logos, or other dynamic designs with infinite stamp potential which don’t need the speed of a self-inking stamp.

Conclusion

Choosing the correct ink for your stamp and project can make the difference in having a great impression or not. Finding what works best for your particular needs is as simple as looking at the needed stamp size and the surface for your project, business need, or craft project. We hope this guide helps you pick the correct option but if you still have questions or need a little more direction don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] or via our contact page