Top 10: Top Tips for Using Jet Black StazOn Ink

Jet Black StazOn Ink just may be the most highly utilized ink pad in my craft room! 

Why?  Because of it's crisp black coloring, quick drying time, and it's ability to stamp on both paper and nonporous surfaces.  Add to those qualities that it is a permanent ink, and I'm a happy camper.  You can color or watercolor right over the top of dry StazOn with any of your Stampin' Up! color products without the smearing that occurs with other inks.  What a perfect foundational ink for your craft room!

Looking for some help with StazOn Ink? 

Here are my top 10 tips for using Jet Black StazOn Ink:

1. Because StazOn Ink dries incredibly fast, you need to be careful to use the plastic protective cover found inside your StazOn lid when storing your StazOn Ink.  Do not throw this cover out!  Tip:  If you would like to simplify the use of this cover, use one or two mini Glue Dots between the plastic cover and the StazOn lid to keep them together.
   
   
2. I find fine line images work best with StazOn ink. If your stamp image has bold areas, it can be difficult (but not impossible) to ink thoroughly and get a solid stamped image.
   
   
3. Again, due to the quick dry qualities of StazOn ink, you must stamp immediately after inking your stamp.  If you allow the stamp to sit, while you reorganize your project or go get a cup of coffee, your image will not stamp throroughly.
   
   
4. After stamping with StazOn Ink, be certain to allow your image to dry thoroughly before adding additional color.  While StazOn is a permanent ink, it will smear if it is not dried thoroughly!
   
   
5. If you are working on a project and are worried about smearing, you can also add a fine layer of a fixative spray to ensure color permanence (this is not a necessary step, but can be effective - especially if you tend towards impatience and aren't certain that your ink is dry!
   
   
6. StazOn ink will stain your stamps, especially your wood blocks, but I believe a well worn stamp is a well used stamp.  That said, to ensure that you do not discolor future projects, remove the ink from the rubber using StazOn Cleaner rather than Stampin' Mist.  The cleaner is specially formulated for this solvent-based ink.  I also like to keep an old stained white washcloth as my StazOn 'Stampin' Scrub' ... paper towels will quickly deteriorate and I like to 'see' if additional ink is coming off. 
   
   
7. If you are still worried about the amount of staining after using StazOn Cleaner, you can return to your stamp with the Adhesive Remover and try to remove any additional ink.  I have also heard that the Simple Green cleaner can be effective in removing StazOn Ink stains from the rubber and wood block.
   
   
8. For Storage, StazOn Ink pads are not labeled on the side ... if you use the Color Caddy or similar storage method, you may choose to label your StazOn case with a label maker (be certain to use the white labels, rather than the clear, to ensure your lettering shows up on the black case!).  
   
   
9. One word of warning - there are many surfaces from which it is difficult to remove StazOn ink ... please keep out of reach of children! 
   
   
10. One of the wonders of StazOn Ink is the number of surfaces you can stamp on with this ink!  While you can readily stamp on any paper, you can also use on non-porous surfaces such as transparencies, vellum, plastics, leather, glass, dominoes, tiles and metal surfaces.  With the purchase of this ink, you open a whole new world of stamping crafts!

I hope these tips help you to get the most out of your Jet Black StazOn Ink.  If you are looking for advanced techniques to use with this ink, I shared one during my multi-color stamping series ... see here.

Happy Crafting,

Noel

Comments

[Noel]

Hi Sherry - as you have noticed, Stazon ink does NOT work with copic markers. Stazon is a solvent ink which the copics are able to 'dissolve'. I'm not a copic specialist, but I imagine they may be solvent based as well? I believe they work better with a oil based pigment ink - but would recommend you go to their site for more information.

[Sherry]

I have had so much trouble with Stazon ink pad.
I stamped images with this ink and used copic markers and the faces on my little girls smeared so much I had to throw them away...I even let them dry overnight and they stillsmeared..