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Comparison of Stamp Pad Inks on Fabric

Here’s another post inspired by the “which one is best?” question. I like to stamp images on fabric postcards, art quilts, and even ribbon for paper crafting. So I got to wondering which stamp pad would work best on fabric (providing a nice, clear image) and which, if any, would survive a washing.

The best Stamp Pads for Stamping on Fabric

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The contenders in this comparison are:

Using the same bee stamp by Anita’s Inque Boutique, I stamped each pad on a piece of 100% quilters’ cotton (ivory.) Use the alphabet chart above to reference what ink is which.



After looking at all the samples in natural light, I thought the stamp pad inks that provided the sharpest details and the least amount of bleeding included H) VersaCraft, K) Colorbox, and L) PowderPuff.

However, I note in the photos that J) Distress Ink also looks great!

Then I pressed the fabric with a hot, dry, iron to “set” the inks a bit….and then ran it through a warm water wash, and cold rinse using regular detergent and fabric softener. How did they hold up? Well, take a look:

After warm-water wash.

After warm-water wash.

There was only one disappointment- the A) Inkadinkado sample washed right off. Also, the J) Distress Ink faded quite a bit.

Amazingly, the rest of the stamp pads faired very well!

 

I’d have to say that the H) Versa Craft Ink Pads– which is labeled for wood, fabric, and paper- was the clear winner- still sharp and vibrant after the wash.

But as you can see, many of stamp pads you probably already have in your craft box- like the Archival Ink pad, Staz On, or Brilliance Ink pads- will also do double-duty on wearable fabric crafts!

There you have it- stamp on with your crafty fabric selves!

 

Comments

  1. Jenny, I think you must be telephathic – I want to stamp on a cotton apron and have been thinking over the last couple days about what inkpads I should use – so thankyou for this and I’ll give it a try
    Debz
    xx

  2. Great comparison! One hint is to always pre-wash with no fabric softener. Stamping with acrylic paint is great, too.

  3. Wow – I’m actually surprised so many of them did so well! LOL I am very surprised there was any Distress Ink left at all – given that it’s a water-reactive ink. Distress Inks always bleed when I use them on paper and put water over the top – even if they’ve been heat set. I never would have thought to try it on fabric…but I kind of like the washed out look, and it might be fun to layer it with a more permanent ink…so now I’m wondering…would it continue to wash out, or do you think it would stay put after the first washing? Hmm…

  4. Wow, thanks so much for doing this. I’ve always wondered of all the stamp pads, which would be the best for most media I would want to stamp on. As far as washing before and after, I think the main point was made to show us which held up the best on fabric after washing and even with fabric softner. Most sewers/crafters know to wash fabric before using : )

  5. I am just getting into the hobby of creating gauze/muslin baby wraps, washcloths and burp cloths, what a great comparison as I went to my local craft store who stated they weren’t sure why ink would work on fabrics without bleeding. This is great!!

  6. Super helpful – we’re about to stamp 200 wedding napkins. Looks like we’ll be going with VersaCraft!

  8. Thanks so very much for this information! We’re about to stamp 500 muslin bags for our Field Trips in a Box and were looking for the best fabric stamp pad. Am about to order right now!

  9. Thank you for doing all this work. I ordered a versacraft pad and have successfully printed on muslin without it washing out. It looks very nice.

  10. THANK YOU for this comparison test! I was set to invest in some VersaCraft pads but am finding that they’re less and less available (if not actually Discontinued(?)) .. I have read that the VersaMagic pads are replacing the VersaCraft pads and are allegedly as good in terms of opacity and surviving washing – I see that you used the VersaMagic dewdrop (stamp “C”) but in both initial stamping and post-wash it seems significantly Less crisp than the VersaCraft stamp (stamp “H”) – would you agree with this (or am i confusing a not-true-black-color initial stamping with actual opacity both pre and post wash)?

  12. You have just saved the day. Thanks so much for this post – I have been hunting and hunting for economical self-printing solutions for fabric and this hits the nail on the head. Thank you!

  13. I’d be interested to know what inks lasted after many washings, nit just one.

  14. Thank you for this great info! I’m using VersaCraft to stamp some drawstring bags and decided to search and see if that was the best thing to use and it looks like it is!

  15. I tried using the Versacraft with a stamp on a cotton napkin and it’s coming out really light? Is there any way to get it darker?

  16. Lisa- it’s hard to help you troubleshoot without seeing your stamp and results so far. Maybe post a pic on our FB page? Could be that the stamp you are using is not bold enough, or that you need to re-ink the stamp pad. Good luck!

  17. thank you for all your work to get this information out for us crafters . . . I am wondering if anyone has results of stamping on silk?

    Best,
    Darlene

  18. Thanks for doing the work for me! I suspected some of your results- my jeans have a dropped-ink-pad stain from a Ranger Archival pad I dropped months (and many hot water washes)ago. Still pretty dark.

  19. THANK YOU sooo much for posting this research project. I’ve been trying to stamp on fabric for a few days now and have had no luck with fabric paints and some stamp pads. Yippy…you’ve given me hope.

  20. Thank you soooooo much for this experiment which you documented so meticulously and still helping people like me,till today! You rock! Please keep documenting!

  21. I was trying to figure out what ink pads would work best on cotton fabric and came across your post, which proved to be very helpful, so thank you. I wanted to point out, though, that while I was in the craft store looking at some of these brands, the Staz On actually says “Not recommended for use on fabrics.” right on the back of the pad. Versacraft and some of the other brands were not available to me, so I ended up purchasing MementoLuxe, which is an archival mixed media ink. It can be used on many surfaces, including fabric. I have yet to use it, but I will keep you posted!

  23. Oh…how I wish I could put you in my pocket as I shop for art/craft supplies. Often times instructions for a product are not explained throughly. Although not a writer, I do know if you do write something, write for the reader. You do this and more….thank you. I am getting into different crafts and often times I buy a variety of the same product and do my own comparison. This can be very time consuming and expensive, not to mention stressful. I love the fact you show each product, its recommended use and the result, following through with general care and maintenance. I cannot express to you how relieved I am to know “common sense know-how” is available on your site. Thank you again for your time, talent, and expertise. I know in the grand scheme of things (the world, life) creativity may seem trivial in comparison, but sometimes its these simple joys that make everything else tolerable. Your work adds to that joy, again thank you. (P.S. I am not a comment writer, but you deserve the recognition).

  26. I was looking for this exact info, thanks so much. I already have the staz on and memento, so off I go stamping some fabric!

  27. Link exchange is nothing else but it is simply placing the other person’s webpage link on your page at proper place and
    other person will also do similar for you.

  29. I used a red rubber stamp mounted on wood. You can use any kind of stamp you like- it really doesn’t make a difference.

  30. Hi and thank you so much for doing this experiment and sharing the results!! Great help! I am wondering where do i order this Versa Craft Ink Pads for the best deal?? I need to stamp about 600 imprints, and was thinking of getting at least 5 pads and 5 inks to add (bottle refills). Any suggestions??

    Many thanks in advance. Ps, i see that Jo-ann’s sells for about $2 but there are another kind of same make/name for $6…what is the difference here!?

  32. Ok, so without more detail I’d suggest that you not buy five pads (why??). If the ink runs low, just re-ink it. Five pads and five refills seems excessive, even for 600 images. (Seriously, one pad and a refill or two should be sufficient. This stuff goes a long way!) Next, in stamp pads the name brands count. I would not go generic. Lastly, you can google search for the best price in your area/online. Good luck!

  34. Hello

    I am wanting to print my wedding invitations on cotton handkerchiefs and am on a tight budget. I’m thinking of getting a stamp made up that says my wedding information (the same as what you would read on any wedding invitation) so it will be a fair amount of wording.
    Do you think this would work? If so, do you know who may be able to make such a stamp for me to print on the hankies?
    Thank you in advance.
    Marie

  35. Marie- you could absolutely stamp on hankies with this pad. As for a custom stamp, I’d Google “custom stamp {your town}”. I’m sure there is a service somewhat locally for you. Good luck and happy wedding! 🙂

  36. Thank you! You saved me a lot of experimenting time, that I can now dedicate to art. I appreciate your sharing your results!

  37. Though this post is some years ago, it’s nevertheless still useful – thanks especially for the results after the wash. GREAT! This is an immense help to choose the right pad, thanks a lot!
    best wishes, Irmgard

  38. I intend to mark fabric with ink for my new project.
    Very helpful comparison test. Thank you very much!!!!

    My point is textile I am going to prepare won’t be washed, then I am wondering if test is adaptable to non washed use of textile: will those tested inks behave the same on a non whased item; just stored on a lightless place(no ultra violet rays). Just vanishing itself with time??? How long? months? years?
    Kindest regards.

  43. Hi Jenny- I had custom stamps made of sayings. They work great and I am stamping on t-shirts using the stamp pads that you recommended. I ink the stamps really well and the stamp surface is level and I really press hard and long to transfer the ink. However, frequently some areas of the stamp are not as dark as the others. Any idea why this might be happening and also how to repair the ones I have stamped? I really need to darken up the light areas in order to sell them.
    Thank you for your answer!
    Heather

  44. I think the issue may be the stamping of T-shirts- it’s an unstable knit. First, I’d try stabilizing the fabric by ironing freezer paper on the wrong side, and stamping on top of a foam block to get a better image. You would probably get better results with screen-printing t’s rather than stamping- you can control the results better.

  46. really useful blog, thanks very much. I was looking for a solution for the best ink to stamp T shirts. Also found that the staz on ink works great but tends to fade by the 3rd or so wash. I will try the versa fine one and see how well that does.

  48. I tried stamping on pre washed t shirts using color box ink pad but once it was washed it all washed away what did I do wrong? Please help

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Jenny Barnett Rohrs is Head Dummy and Pied Piper behind CTD, which focuses on reviews, tutorials, and craft industry news. Jenny has appeared on HSN, Scrapbook Soup PBS series, and is currently the co-host of Hands On Crafts for Kids on PBS.

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