Many of us have had an ongoing quest for the perfect metallic ink pad. Many companies have tried to create a permanent metallic pad that will stamp on non-porous surfaces like glossy paper and acetate, but there have always been problems with the ink drying out before the pad gets to the store and consequently many of those have been discontinued.
Tsukineko has done a nice job of dealing with the problems of the metallic powder absorbing the liquid. The first thing they did right was to ship the pad dry and include the ink with it in a kit. This way the first application of ink isn't dry when you open the new pad. The next brilliant thing Tsukineko did, which we haven't seen before, is use a special type of foam in the pad. It doesn't absorb ink the way other foam pads do. The ink seems to float near the surface. The first application of ink only requires 8-12 drops. Really! Exceptional instructions for inking the pad are included in the kit. You may need to ink the pad each day you plan to use it, but you need so little ink you can reink at least dozens of times. The third nice thing about this pad is that each kit includes an ink spreading tool. I keep an old credit card around for reinking but I can't ever find it when I need it. This little spreading tool can be stored right inside the case so you always have it handy.
Personal Preferences: I found that I like a freshly inked pad when stamping a bold image on matte card stock, like the dragon on green cardstock. Conversely, I actually prefer that the ink dries for a day before stamping a highly detailed image on a glossy surface like the poppy on acetate. The ink gets just a little tacky which keeps the stamp from sliding. I'm sure stampers will figure out their own preferences, but the one thing I think most will agree on is that this ink pad will stamp a lot of images, not waste ink and not need to be heat set, which makes it perfect for acetate and other plastics.
Instructions for Dragon CardInstrctions for Poppy CardShop for StazOn Metallic Ink Pads
