Pantone Inspired Ink Pad Swatches

Today I'm sharing my Pantone inspired ink swatching.  I love having these colorful, bold ink swatches on hand for all of my ink pads.  It allows me to easily create color palettes for my card projects and see exactly how my inks will look when dry.

I have to say, I can't take credit for this swatching method.  It's a mixture of two different people's swatching methods.  I am using the ink swatch downloads from Jennifer McGuire.  I'll link to those HERE.  And my friend Heather Meeson gave me the tip for using the back of an Essentials By Ellen stamp to create a nice solid band of color.  I have Heather's permission to share this with you.  I'm also linking to Jennifer's original video.  If you are looking for information on the sleeves I use, the rings to bind the sleeves and the ink swatch editable downloads, you will find that information on Jennifer's blog. 

Stamping with the backside of the Essentials By Ellen Winterscapes stamp gives a paint chip effect, reminiscent of a Pantone swatch.  Besides being total eye candy, the other benefit of this style of swatch is that is allows you to put the colors right up next to each other, instead of having white space between them when looking at your palette. 

As you're stamping, you will also get a good feel for how your inks stamp when using large solid images.  If you want a perfect swatch, you can use a MISTI stamping tool and double stamp your swatch so you have a nice solid image.  I didn't find this necessary with all of my inks, but some of the inks definitely benefitted from a double stamp.

I also recommend using the cardstock that you stamp on most to create your swatches.  This will give you the most accurate representation of your color.  I use Neenah Solar White.  A thick cardstock like this won't go through some printers.  I have linked the printer I use below.  The rear feed tray of this printer is great for thick printable materials.  It also prints up to 12x12 card stock!

Inks are generally a hot topic of conversation among crafters.  We always seem to be on the hunt for the perfect ink, the perfect ink color, or the one that can give us more bang for our buck.  I have linked to some of my favorite brands below.  But here's a quick overview of my go-to favorites. 

  • 1.  Catherine Pooler Inks - I love these inks for their foam pad and smooth even stamping.  There are some beautiful color inks in this line.  I think my all time favorite ink is the Mint To Be ink.

  • 2.  The Stamp Market Inks- Another foam ink pad with gorgeous colors.  The pinks in this line are near perfection!  And here's another bonus...matching card stocks available for these inks!

  • 3.  Pinkfresh Studio Inks -  These inks come in sets of four, with a light, medium, dark and super dark.  These are perfect for quick ink layering combos and the colors are to die for.

  • 4.  Hero Arts - These are the old faithful of stamp inks.  In my opinion, you can't go wrong with a brand that's been a pioneer in the stamping industry.  These inks soften and smooth out as they dry.

  • 5.  Lawn Fawn - These are another ink that is formulated very similarly to the Hero Arts inks.  Love the colors in this line too!

  • 6.  Altenew Crisp Inks - Altenew has also designed their inks in coordinating, four color combos.  These are perfect for layering stamps as well.

There are many GREAT inks on the market.  This is by NO means a comprehesive list.  Choose colors you know you love and will use.

I have links to the products mentioned below. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for something specific. 

If you want to watch today’s video in HD on my YouTube channel, be sure to click HERE to head over there now. While you’re there, don’t forget to like this video, subscribe and turn on the notifications so you won’t miss any of my paper crafting and card making video tutorials. ❤︎

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed this project. Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous day!

XOXO


SUPPLIES

*affiliate links used*

Winterscapes by Julie Ebersole,...
[ ELH ]
Mirror Image, My Favorite Things...
[ ELH | MFT | SSS ]
Catherine Pooler Ink Pads At Ellen...
[ ELH ]
https://shop.catherinepooler.com/coll...
[ CTH ]
Color Crush Bundles - The Stamp Market
[ THS ]
Ink Pads – Pinkfresh Studio
[ PNK ]
Altenew Ink Pads
[ ALTN ]
Dye - Hero Arts
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Ink Pads EllenHutson.com
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Hero Arts - MISTI - Original MISTI -...
[ SBC | SSS ]
Hero Arts - MISTI - Most Incredible...
[ SBC ]
MISTI Laser Etched Stamping Tool...
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White Stickers For Original Misti
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Amazon.com: Canon TS9521C All-In-One...
[ AMZUS ]
Solar White - 25 pk, Neenah Classic...
[ ELH | SSS ]
Solar White - 250 Sheet Ream, Neenah...
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Ultra Clean, Hero Arts Clear Stamp...
[ ELH | SSS ]
Deluxe 12 Inch Paper Trimmer with...
[ ELH | SSS ]
Reinforced Trimmer Blades, Fiskars
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