How to Get Embossing Ink

Designs with dimensional, slick finishes give a professional, polished quality to handmade greeting cards, gift tags and scrapbook layouts. To heat emboss, you need a few basic tools:a heat gun, embossing powder and embossing ink. Choosing the appropriate ink will help you achieve these textured looks with ease.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Shop for embossing ink online or at local rubber stamp or scrapbooking stores. You can also find the product at crafts stores like Michaels or Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts or in the crafts department of Target and Wal-Mart.

2. Determine the type of applicator you'd like to purchase. Embossing ink comes in pad form, daubers and pens, and each one has its advantages. For example, pens can fill in and repair stamped images or create freehand doodles and text.

3. Decide between tinted or clear ink. Choose either one if you'll be covering it with colored embossing powder. If you simply want a shiny raised design, use clear embossing ink combined with clear powder. You'll be able to see the gaps in stamped images more easily with tinted embossing ink, but you'll need to emboss it with colored powder.

4. Purchase re-inker bottles to refill ink pads and keep them juicy for the best results.

Tips & Warnings

• If you can't find embossing ink, heat emboss with regular pigment ink or watermark ink instead. Both are sticky and slow drying to help the embossing powder adhere. Dye-based inks dry too quickly and make heat embossing more difficult.
• Store pads horizontally to keep the ink distributed evenly across the surface. Keep embossing pens tip-side down for greater longevity.