A pigment ink pad is a pad containing pigment-based ink, designed for stamping and other ink-application purposes. Unlike dye-based inks, pigment inks sit on top of the surface rather than being absorbed, resulting in vibrant, long-lasting images.
Understanding Pigment Ink Pads
Pigment ink pads utilize a special type of ink composed of pigment particles suspended in a liquid carrier. This is in contrast to dye-based inks, where the color is dissolved in the liquid. This key difference leads to several important characteristics:
- Vibrant Colors: The pigment particles create intense, saturated colors that remain true to their shade after drying.
- Slow Drying Time: This slower drying time allows for techniques like embossing, where you sprinkle embossing powder onto the wet ink before heating it.
- Surface Drying: The ink dries on the surface of the paper or cardstock, not penetrating it. This prevents the color from bleeding or fading easily.
Advantages of Pigment Ink Pads:
- Superior Color Vibrancy: Pigment inks produce brighter and richer colors compared to dye inks.
- Excellent Lightfastness: The colors are less prone to fading over time from exposure to light.
- Suitable for Embossing: The slow-drying nature allows for the use of embossing powder and heat tools.
- Durable Images: The ink's surface drying characteristic results in more durable stamped images.
Examples of Uses:
- Stamping on paper crafts: Creating cards, scrapbooking, and other paper projects.
- Fabric stamping: Though less common than dye-based inks for fabric, certain pigment inks can be used on some fabrics.
- Mixed media art: Adding color and texture to various art pieces.
The slow-drying nature of pigment ink, as mentioned in the provided reference, is a crucial characteristic: "Pigment ink is slow-drying, and dries on top of your cardstock or paper, rather than absorbing into it." This allows for creative techniques and ensures lasting color vibrancy.
