The Art of Stamping

Tools of the Trade

It probably comes as no surprise, but you'll need to acquire ink pads before you can stamp anything. Ink pads come in a bewildering number of sizes, shapes, and colors—but don't despair—we'll help you sort through the choices and pick the type of ink pads that best fit your needs.

Ink pads come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors

Look for ink pads that have a raised surface. This will allow you to ink stamps that are larger than the ink pad, and also allows 'precision inking'—a technique where a letterboxer makes use of the edge or corners of the ink pad to color only some parts of the stamp. Frequently, you'll find it easier to flip a stamp over and dab the parts with the colors you want.

In addition, make sure that the ink is acid-free and archival-safe so you'll be able to admire your images for years to come.

Now, you come to your first big decision: Pigment or dye-based ink? Pigment ink is popular for its bright, long-lasting colors as well as its ability to resist water damage. Dye ink dries quickly, but because it is a water-based ink, it may run or bleed while stamping in under wet conditions. Some letterboxers complain that dye-based ink pads dry out too quickly in dry, hot conditions such as in Arizona or New Mexico. Other letterboxers have complained that pigment-based ink pads become too wet and soggy in humid conditions. Give both types a try, and pick what works for you.

ColorBox's unique cat's eye ink pads are popular for their small size and sharp corners

ColorBox, a popular brand of ink pads among letterboxers, has recently started selling "chalk" ink pads. Their marketing makes it sound like a completely new, revolutionary super-ink, but in fact it's a reformulated pigment-based ink. Despite their slightly misleading marketing campaign, however, chalk ink pads share the bright, long-lasting colors and water resistant properties found in pigment-based inks, but dry quicker.

Petal Point stamp pads have many colors while allowing each petal to be used individually for detailed stamping

Next, you'll have to decide on the size for your ink pads. For maximum flexibility, it's best to have a variety of sizes, but you'll especially want to focus on the smaller ones. Smaller ink pads have two practical advantages: you can easily carry a large variety of colors while on the trail, and allow for more detailed coloring of the stamp. The cat's eye ink pads are very popular among letterboxers for this reason, and their sharp corners at each end are ideal for very detailed stampings. The petal point ink pads (also called pinwheel ink pads) are popular because they have multiple colors that can be removed and used individually with one very sharp corner for details stampings.

Dauber Duos work great for detailed multi-colored stamp images

Dauber Duos have become increasingly popular, although they tend to be on the expensive side. Each dauber has two ink pads of slightly different colors, one on each end of the cylindrical-shaped base. The caps fall off easily, however, so store them in a sturdy container where there's less chance of the caps falling off.

Many letterboxers carry an assortment of markers—the ultimate in small 'ink pads'. Marvy creates a popular brand of LePlume markers, though many other brands may work just as well. If you want extremely detailed stampings with multiple colors, you'll want to include some of these in your letterboxing kit.

Markers are a popular stamping tool among many letterboxers

What colors to carry or how many colors you should buy is purely up to you. Light colors—especially white or yellow—don't work as well on white paper since it's hard to see the color against the background. Many stamps represent plants or animals found in the great outdoors, so a selection of "outdoor colors" (reds, greens, browns, blues) would be good. Black is a standard color that has many uses. Once you start finding letterboxes, you'll get more experience in what kind of colors you wish you had and should carry on a regular basis.

So there you have it: Everything you wanted to know about selecting ink pads. Now let's start using them!

A Letterboxing Community

The Art of Stamping

Tools of the Trade