By Angie Felix

Direct-to-Paper Inking

It’s trendy. It’s shabby chic. It’s vintage. Whatever you want to call it, direct-to-paper inking is hot right now. So what’s the buzz about and why is this technique so popular?

“It’s an easy way to get an artsy look,” explains paper-crafter Sara Naumann. “It’s especially great for people who are intrigued by stamping but not sure they want to invest in stamps.”

You see, all direct-to-paper inking requires is paper and an inkpad. It’s a great way to distress or alter paper, giving it a well-loved look that’s perfect for creating a vintage or shabby chic feel. It’s great for adding character or charm to a tag, scrapbook page, card, altered book or sarabook™. By using a simple inkpad you can create a variety of looks—from coloring just the edges of a piece of paper to changing the color and feel of the whole thing.

Some Tips

Though it’s not a difficult technique, Sara does recommend experimenting on scratch paper before actually inking the paper you’re using in your project. Some inkpads are color-rich and will saturate paper, requiring a gentler touch. Others give a more muted effect. Sara likes Tsukineko’s Brilliance inkpads because they have just the right consistency for soft, subtle effects. A little more pressure during application gives a more opaque effect. It’s best to test the inkpad first, so you’ll know the temperament of the inkpad you’re using. Unlike chalk, ink can’t be erased, so you’ll want to be careful. Sara found the more she used her inkpads, the better she knew how much pressure to apply for which effect.

Another important tip to remember is to be careful what you touch during and after inking. Always remember to let your surface dry before handling it. To speed up the process, you can try using a heat embossing tool. It’s easy to accidentally get ink on your fingers or hands and you don’t want to transfer that to another surface. Sara suggests keeping a package of baby wipes by your side and always keeping your hands clean. Otherwise, you never know when or where a mistaken thumbprint will appear!

The Technique

As far as the technique goes, it’s simple. To ink on the whole piece of paper, place it face up on your work surface (on top of scratch paper). Remove the lid of your inkpad and turn it upside down. Place it on your paper, pressing down firmly for more coverage, or tapping it for light coverage. You can also glide the inkpad across the paper for coverage. The amount of pressure you use is key in determining the outcome.

Another method of inking is to ink just the edges of your paper, giving them added definition. Scrapbooker Shauna Berglund-Immel uses this technique frequently to create a second mat for her photos without actually matting. To ink the edges, simply hold your paper at an upright angle and run it against the edge of your inkpad. It’s a great way to add definition to torn edges, too.

Both Sara and Shauna suggest distressing paper before inking for an even more dimensional look. Try crumpling and uncrumpling the paper, then applying ink. The creases you’ve created will get more coverage, resulting in peaks and valleys of color on your paper. You may also try sanding the crumpled paper to get a more rugged look—use a finer sandpaper for a more subtle effect. This works well, especially for masculine-themed projects.

Sara points out that if you’re layering paper over the distressed and inked piece, you may want to remove the excess ink and flatten it before adhering it to your project. You can place it ink side down between two pieces of scrap paper, then place a book or heavy object on top, or simply run an object over it to get rid of the excess ink and straighten out the paper.

Another great technique is stippling. Simply tap the stippling brush on the inkpad, then tap it on your paper for a lighter, speckled look.

Remember too, that inking doesn’t have to be restricted to just paper. You can ink on just about any surface, but you’ll want to be sure to check the inkpad you’re using to make sure it’s appropriate for the surface. Check the label on the bottom of the inkpad to find out what surfaces it is recommended for. Tsukineko Brilliance or Staz-On inkpads work well for non-porous surfaces.

“Direct-to-paper inking is a trendy thing because people like to add texture, dimension and a variety of color to their projects,” Sara says. “Try it, it’s a simple way to achieve that artsy look!”

You can pick up an inkpad or stippling brush at any local craft, stamp or scrapbooking store where the associates can advise you on the consistency of the inkpads.

Tsukineko’s Brilliance line of inkpads is available online at www.paperwishes.com.