How to Save Money When Buying water based pigment ink

28, Jul. 2025

 

All About Ink Pads! - The Frugal Crafter Blog

Hi friends, today I have everything you ever wanted to know about inkpads but were afraid to ask! Hopefully simplified so you will be able to determine what inkpad to use for your next project. This is a follow up to to an article I wrote a few years ago. BTW if you want more information about drawing (liquid) inks you can read all about them here.

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If you are new to stamping I highly recommend checking out my free Stamp School series. You can learn everything from how to ink up a stamp and make a card to choosing versatile supplies to get you started on a budget.

What’s with all the different types of inkpads?

Inkpads mainly come in two types: Pigment or Dye. There is also a third type call “Hybrid” that combines some of the qualities of both (fast-drying, solid images, can be used with watercolor and alcohol markers) but still resembles a dye pad more than a pigment to me anyway. Dye-based pads are usually transparent because they absorb into the paper and they dry quickly. They are usually water-based but can be solvent-based like Staz-on or oil-based like Ranger Archival. Some pads are waterproof (like Archival and Staz-on) and some are water-reactive like Distress, Harmony, and Prism. the pads you choose depends on the type of stamping you like to do and the mediums you like to use.

My recommendations for dye pads:

  • Ranger Archival in black or sepia for watercoloring
  • Memento Black or Brown for alcohol marker coloring
  • For a good variety of colors, I recommend the Memento dew drop mini pads in the 12 color sets *there are 3 unique sets of 12 colors

*Refill inks are available for all recommended brands. Ink pads made by Stampin Up, Stewart Superior (they make most stamp companies inks), Tsukineko and Ranger are all top-notch as well. Use what you have or is easiest to find. Stick with name brands here and purchase reinkers as needed to save money. No-name brand inkpads have never lasted or provided proper results. Buy quality and buy it once!

Pigment-based pads are slow drying and tend to be opaque because the ink is thicker and it sits on top of the paper. They are good for heat embossing. Often you can use these on fabric and heat set them for permanance. They can be oil or water-based. They tend to resist fading due to pigments rather than dyes being used. Some are waterproof. Oil-based pads like Versafine are waterproof, have excellent coverage, and capture fine detail. They are great for embossing and watercoloring. You can also get clear pigment pads for embossing, watermarking and resist effects. Water-based pigment inkpads often have a spongy surface, some are waterproof when dry and some are not. The Distress oxide pads have a hard pad and are very water reactive leading to fun effects if you like to great inky backgrounds. *for oil-based pads I purchase reinkers. They usually have a hard pad. **for water-based pads I make my own ink with gouache, glycerin, and water. These are not waterproof.

  • I recommend Versafine Clair for pigment ink

If you have any favorite brands of ink I haven’t mentioned please let me know in the comments. It will also help other readers who may have access to different supplies! If you like this post feel free to share it using one of the handy sharing buttons below, I sure do appreciate it! Happy crafting!

*This post contains affiliate links

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5 Tips to Avoid Wasting Printer Ink

We all know how expensive printer ink can be. But did you know that the average person could save a ton of money just by using their printers less? There are many ways to cut back on printing, and this blog post will give you some helpful tips to avoid wasting printer ink.

1. Print in black and white instead of color when possible

 Try printing in black and white when possible to save on ink costs. You can also buy ink cartridges with high-density pigments rather than dye-based inks. This is a little more expensive because the pigment particles bind better to paper and they don’t fade over time like dye-based inks do. But the argument goes if you’re printing lots of documents, it may be worth it in the long run.

2. Use less ink by reducing the font size and using a lighter background color

 Just because your printer can output more pages doesn’t mean you need to print more than you need. It’s tempting to increase the number of pages your printer prints, but the printer’s recommended number of pages is actually a good amount. A printer will get faster and more accurate as it fills up on ink. Larger paper can also increase your printing costs, so try using a smaller paper size, like A3 (or half the size of standard A4 paper). Try to use printable matte paper instead of glossy or lustrous paper. Avoid paper that has glitter or other adornments on it. A good way to cut down on printer ink use is to decrease the amount of information you print from the website you’re visiting. Most of your time is spent scrolling down your page to read about the offer.

3. Clean out the inside of your printer regularly with a vacuum cleaner to remove any dust that may have accumulated inside (be sure not to use water)

 To remove any dust that may have accumulated inside (be sure not to use water) Try using a multi-function printer for less ink usage and to avoid spending money on ink for less ink usage and to avoid spending money on ink. Use eco-friendly inks, which are cheaper than regular printer inks, which are cheaper than regular printer inks.

4. Consider buying a new printer when it is time for an upgrade if you find yourself using too much ink 

 Before you buy a new inkjet printer, you should look for these signs that indicate a dying printer. If you want to buy a new printer for your home office and save money on ink, then continue reading to learn more about saving money on printer ink. 13. Some small home office printers may have a back-up cartridge to use if your cartridge runs out. This is a good thing, because you may be able to print out large quantities of documents without breaking the bank.

5. Cut back on ink consumption

 Another tip you can use to cut back on ink consumption is to print only pages that you need to print. Also, you can send papers through the scanner, so that you only print out the pages that you need. You can also have a few copies of documents printed out on regular paper so that you don’t go through tons of printer ink.

Conclusion

Inktonerstore.com is a great place for ink & cartridges for your printer. They have some sales and deals going on right now, so it’s worth checking them out!

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