When I started to branch out in my stamping repertoire, I tended to shy away from things I didn’t fully understand. Notably, one of these mysterious techniques was using “interference” inks and powders. What did that mean? Why did it look white on the pad and in the jar? None of it made sense until I took the time to learn what exactly “interference” means when it comes to my art—other than the unwelcome interruptions while I’m in the stamping groove, that is!
Interference inks create an optical illusion in your stamping, depending upon the color of the paper you stamp on and how light reacts to the stamped surface. Wavelengths of light are absorbed and the color that’s reflected back to the viewer is the interference color.
Please note: The photos in this article do not do the inks justice, as the interactive property of turning the page to see the reflective nature of the ink colors cannot be captured in a photo or a scan.
To grasp a sense of how this worked, I began experimenting by stamping all of the inks on black glossy cardstock so I could see the actual ink colors (the inkpad labels don’t even hint at the possibilities of what’s inside). I also embossed them with clear powder, as you would with any pigment ink on glossy cardstock. This ink dries very nicely on glossy paper when left untouched for a couple of days.
Then I swiped random colors on various colored papers to see the difference between the ink on black and brown and blue. Some of those experiments are shown below.
I stamped the Crystal Blush ink on matte black paper and found that depending on how I tilted the paper, I could see a purple shade or a rosy shade, both with a metallic “lilt” in the images. The Crystal Blush embossed on glossy black paper, however, has a dark rich color, with little hint of metallic shine.
Direct to surface techniques or stamps with large surface areas are best for the Opalite inks, as they offer more light-reflection space. For example, when stamping a detailed image on matte black or brown paper, I found that Golden Mist and Winter Rust appeared as your standard gold and copper inks would.
The Opalite inks emit a sweet chemical scent that’s very strong. After working with them for a few hours, I could still smell the ink in the air hours later, so I would suggest using them in a well-ventilated area. If you like the interference effect and do a lot of stamping on dark papers, these inks are worth the investment. Archival and acid-free, opalite inks will add lovely effects to your scrapbook pages.
Of course you’re not limited to paper! Opalites are pigment inks, so they are also ideal for leather, wood, shrink plastic, polymer clay, and other surfaces. The ink comes in nine colors: Crystal Blush, Glacier Blue, Nordic Ice, Cypress Frost, Arctic Emerald, Orchid Ice, Golden Mist, Sterling Frost and Winter Rust.
Overall, I would recommend the inks, but only for direct to surface techniques. When stamping with these inks, I found that my gold, copper and silver pigment inks have the same effect as the Golden Mist, Winter Rust and Sterling Frost Opalites. My favorite colors are the Cypress Frost and Crystal Blush. If you are looking for metallic pigment inks in unusual colors, Opalite inks are your ticket for dark surfaces.
