chalk inks

I use them, mainly to ink around the pages and for card making. Prefer the ColorBox brand. They are sort of cateye shape and I have the handle for them so I don't have to get my fingers are colored when I am working with the inks!

I use the ColorBox in the little oval containers for edges of pictures and light distressing.

• aquabunny]
  
  I really want the kit that has all 40 of the Prima chalk inks, maybe for Christmas.
  quote Said:

Chalk inks are a type of pigment ink that are formulated to dry a bit faster than typical pigment inks, and have a matte, chalky finish to them.
Pigment inks are typically acid free and permanent when dry. If you are having trouble with it not drying, heat set it.
Dye inks can be acid free and permanent, and they dry much faster than pigment inks.
Read the labels on your stamp pads, they'll help you decide what kind of ink to use for which project.

Nope, they go on quite wet (and dry quickly) - not chalky at all, neither wet nor dry. I know what you mean though - I've used other chalk inks at crops in the past and did not love them at all, too dry and not very vibrant.

I really want the kit that has all 40 of the Prima chalk inks, maybe for Christmas.

I haven't tried blending them yet - I just have black, white, and dark brown, a nice utility trio to start with.

Thanks to you both. I have been considering trying them but for some reason, I thought they would... I don't know brush away?

• aquabunny Said:

me too! love those little chalks! I had Martha's chalk inks and they dried out within a year, Prima is better I think) and I like to blend them too and use for inking edges and cardboard. no bleeding, at least not on the regular thick cardstock.

I am a big fan of the tiny chalk inks by Prima - they dry quickly and that is a big consideration for me - I have pigment inks that will still smear even days after I use them. I have not experienced what Katie describes as sinking into or bleeding through the paper with them.

I will try to answer this question but I only have one chalk ink pad (by Colorbox) and may not be the resident expert... so maybe this will get others to chime in too.

Well, first I have to say it depends on what you are considering a "regular ink pad". For ease of answer, I'll just concentrate of comparing chalk ink to pigment and dye inks.

First of all, compared to both of them, it seems to sink into the paper (porous type obviously) much more significantly. What I mean, is that the image can almost bleed through the back of the paper (like a Sharpie marker). I didn't notice that with either of the other two types of ink. Their images just sat on top of the paper.

So, because of this it tends to dry faster than pigment ink (which stays wet on top of the paper much longer). Also, probably because of this, most internet sources (that I found with a search) say that pigment ink is a better choice if you desire to heat emboss the ink. In addition, my chalk ink is very much a matte finish and the pigment tends to stay a little shiny in places - even when dry. This is something with which the sources also concur.

Another difference between it and dye ink is that dye ink can supposedly be prone to fading over time. The sources I found all seem to indicate that (as long as the chalk ink is heat set) fading is not as big an issue.

In addition, I have tried blending my chalk ink onto paper (kind of like you'd do with distress ink) and I liked that effect very much since it bleeds into the paper a bit and thus bleeds into the other inks slightly. But since it does dry fast it is a different experience to work with than those even.

All, this being said, I think I might someday buy another pad or two or three. They are kind of neat to work with, but of course it depends on how you want to use your inks.

Hope this helps.

What are the chalk inks? Is there an advantage to using them, how do they differ from regular ink pads? Thank you for your time