As we’ve learned, Copic markers are alcohol based, therefore, you should use a stamping ink that works best with this kind of marker. Because you’re laying down layers of ink as you’re coloring and blending stamped images, your paper gets pretty soaked. If your stamping ink doesn’t hold up to this soaking, your Copic ink and stamp ink will bleed.
Fortunately, many people have already tested various stamping inks to find out which ones work well with Copic markers. I’ve seen recommendations for Ranger Adirondack Inks, Tsukineko Brilliance and even Staz-On.
My personal favorite, and the one that comes highly recommended by most, is Tsukineko Memento dye-based ink. I’ve been using Tuxedo Black. This ink dries quickly so you can stamp and color right away.
However, I’ve also talked about the importance of using the right cardstock. Even if you use Memento or one of the other recommended inks, you’ll still have blending and bleeding issues if you don’t use the right cardstock. In the example below, I’m using plain ol’ white cardstock. Notice the bleeding outside of the images’ lines and the blending problem.
In this next example, I’m using Memento and Papertrey Ink Stampers Select cardstock. Notice that I’ve pretty much eliminated the bleeding and I have a better blend with my colors.
There’s an ink/cardstock test you can try over on the I Like Markers blog,
At the recent Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) show, Copic introduced the XPress It Blending Card, a new cardstock that keeps colors sharp while blending and prevents feathering.
Here’s a demo of the cardstock with Marianne Walker (I Like Markers blog).
What stamping inks do you use with your Copic markers?
