I’m trying to stamp a white image on black paper. I first tried white embossing powder. Bright white but the shiny, plasticy look wasn’t what I wanted this time. Then I bought white Color Crush pigment ink at AC Moore. It was the cheapest one there. It is printing grayish and a tad smeary. Did I get what I paid for, and I’ll have success printing white if I go back and buy a more expensive brand? Or is this how it is with white ink?

Stamping with white is a tricky business...it depends on the paper, AND the ink...I am no expert so my answer probably won't help, but I found that I have had to just buy a variety of different brands of ink pad, and try them on different kinds of paper until I find something that does the trick. Versafine White ink smeared for me; I cannot recall what happened with Stazon...I'm sure an ink expert will chime in here soon!

I have stamped with Versa Magic "cloud white" chalk ink pad, and embossed it with Lindy's Stamp Gang "pearly white" powder, on black cardstock, with good results. "Pearly White" powder is not bright white, but still very white, and is not really shiny-looking. I would call it low-luster.

The issue is often the paper. The black cardstock had a very smooth, finished surface, which keeps ink on the surface longer, so it can hold the powder. I used the same combination of ink and powder another time with a rough, untreated mulberry-type paper, and it was impossible to get the powder on fast enough, before the ink soaked in and disappeared.

Also, if you're happy with everything except the shiny, plastic look, before you buy more stuff, try taking a q-tip moistened with rubbing alcohol, and gently wipe it across the embossing. It should remove the shine. I found that out by accident when using alcohol ink markers - that they will remove the shine if you use them over an embossing line.

I was playing with some inks and embossing powder last night too. And I wasn’t getting great results. Everything looked bumpy. The powders I have are all from years ago and I’m sure they weren’t expensive. Are there higher end brands of embossing powders that perform better? I’m looking for smoother lines and the ability to get finer details. Anyone have a favorite?

I’ve done the whole experiment with different papers, inks, and embossing powders and it’s such a pain! If I want a different color of anything I’ll have to do it all again.

Block printing ink tends to work better, but if you are looking for a stamp pad ink, I am not sure there is a great one ink white.

Are there higher end brands of embossing powders that perform better?

I highly recommend Lindy's Stamp Gang powders. They come in a huge range of colors, but my "go-to" powder is "Clearly Clear". It is very fine powder and melts like a dream. Their little jars are roughly twice the price of most other powders on the market, but for me, more than worth it!!!

I have a Recollections "Detail" embossing powder that is very fine and works well on thin lines but not large areas. Maybe that would help. I also have some embossing powder that's over 20 years old and still works, so age is probably not the issue.

Thanks for the recommendation! You get what you pay for!

Good to know, thanks!

It’s not age related, but one of my jars got cat hair in it, and that certainly doesn’t help! : )

Thank you, that is an interesting idea. You have tried white block printing ink? I use black block ink for my Xmas Lino-cut cards, but I recollect that colored inks were sometimes gummy. Last time I tried to use one was gold for my wedding invitation in 1999, and I abandoned it. I’m also curious because it’s thick- won’t it gum up the thin lines? My limo cuts always have thick lines. Maybe watering it down would help?

I've had good luck with Brilliance White if the paper is smooth or a deep gray instead of black. I have the best luck with Staz-On, but it comes with a reinker that I use after 5-8 cards or so. It needs a good layer to cover well.

I use a white pigment ink from Hero Arts — their "Unicorn White." It does well on dark papers.

I am not an expert in block printing inks, but I love my calligo safe wash block printing ink. It's amazing and doesn't lose tiny details. I have a tube of the white and it is very opaque. I had terrible luck with speedball ink.

I second both Caligo Safewash and the Brilliance ink pad. Both take a long time to dry as they're oil based, but if you plan ahead you can set up drying areas.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in here. I also looked at a few YouTube videos, which were also very helpful in showing that lots of ink pad brands will disappoint when printing white on black. I was pressed for time and floundering, so I went with Speedball white block printing ink. This is the only brand available at the nearest fine art store. It worked a lot better than my ink pad, though it wasn't great. I had to be very careful about smearing the ink during stamping, and there are some places where ink lodged in the crevices. I would recommend this strategy with caution to the less perfectionist members of the LTC community or to the very desperate. I counted as both for this one!