Alcohol Inks and Epoxy Problem- Disappearing Inks?

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    • #1736
      Katherine Swift
      Guest

      Tiffany,

      Whenever I have used alcohol inks, I have always mixed it into my mixed resin.  Have you tried that way?

    • #1735
      Tiffany
      Guest

      So, I have not been using alcohol inks with resin for long but since that was what is available in my small town, that is what I have. I had no problem with my first batches (about 8 or so). But now the ink is just disappearing when I add part B. I am not doing anything different. In fact, I was able to get one color to work when I was testing the inks one by one and poured it into some moulds. When I went back about ten minutes later to double check, it was not working either. I am at my wits end! What is going on here? PLEASE HELP!

    • #1737
      Tiffany
      Guest

       I believe it has something to do with the catalyst. I dont know what the variation is because I never experienced this before two days ago. I will follow the steps to a tee then as soon as I add the dye, it disappears. The more I stir, the clearer it gets. BUT after a little while, THE COLOR COMES BACK. I can pour the clear resin and check on it and I have had one batch that didnt get the color back until three hours after being poured. Isnt that strange? I have done nothing different in my process so obviously either the epoxy or inks have changed, due to weather perhaps. Luckily it does work out in the end but I was seriously tearing my hair out. This is my business, this is what I do. I know I can get other pigments but I when I have orders piling up, I dont have time to wait for shipments. Anyway, I just thought I would follow up and say thanks for your reply. 

    • #1738
      Katherine Swift
      Guest

      That is so weird.  Ive never had that problem here, but Ive always waited and mixed it into the resin once Part A and Part B were together.

    • #1739
      tamara
      Guest

       I have had the same problem however I am painting with my inks on metal then pouring resin over afterwards. Not always does this happen but occasionally I have had colors completely disappear or change color completely. I have also tried sealing my inks before pouring resin and get the same result. I chalk it up to unknown mystery but if anyone else may have a better answer Im game….

      • #12757
        Tammy
        Guest

        Sharing this info, hoping it helps someone. I also use the Ranger Inks on ceramic tile and then coat with resin. I’ve just recently started using resin so I did a practice pour on on of my old tiles (like 2 years old!) and it turned out beautifully! I then made the mistake of applying resin to my day old pieces for my upcoming show. I could have cried…..any tile that had purples, or burgundy, or in the red family totally disappeared. Now I’m trying to troubleshoot what happened. I took another one of my 2 year old tiles with a vibrant magenta, purple, teal, and lime green color and tried again. It has been sitting for about 2 hours and there is a tiny bit of fade but not enough that most would even notice. I forgot to mention that before I applied the resin I clear coated 4 light coats of Krylon crystal clear. The only thing that is different in the tiles is the “age” factor. I’m guessing that curing for 2 years somehow make the ink less susceptible to the resin? Whatever the case, I’m still trying to find a way to add resin to newly (day old) tiles as I don’t have two years to wait!! I have also noticed that with some colors the Krylon creates tiny white spots where the ink has reacted with it……..Again hope this info helps someone as I could have cried with the lesson I learned!

    • #1740
      Katherine Swift
      Guest

      I have talked with an alcohol ink manufacturer who says several of the colors in the pink/purple range will disappear in resin.  Who knew?!

    • #7854
      Abby
      Guest

      This is an old thread but I’m stuck! I want to do the opposite! I have a crafting resin that finishes a white color but I want it clear! I heard that if you use alcohol ink it will make the color opaque!! Can any color ink work?

      • #8898
        Kathleen Mcdonald
        Guest

        I just poured over slate and it turned green

    • #7857
      Katherine Swift
      Keymaster

      Hi Abby, I’m not clear on what you want to do. You have a two part resin that mixes opaque white, but you want it to mix a particular color?

    • #11352
      Michelle
      Guest

      Hello I’m. new to alcohol inks but I’m wanting to pour resin over my inks. When I did the first one it changes colors completely the second one bubbles of colors formed. Does anyone know if you have to seal it and then put resin I tried sealing it but am maybe using the wrong sealer. Any help would be appreciated. Trying to make hot plates for Christmas. Thanks in advance. Michelle

    • #11357
      Katherine Swift
      Keymaster

      What sealer are you using?

      Yes, it’s not unusual for alcohol inks to change color when they contact resin.

    • #11358
      Laura
      Guest

      I’m looking to use inks on wet clear-cast resin and want the inks to remain the same colour. Are there any types of inks you recommend for something like this?

    • #11593
      Jadelyn
      Guest

      So is there a way to seal the ink before pouring resin so that it retains its colors? I had done a set of purple/pink/blue ceramic tiles in inks a few days ago, then this morning mixed up a batch of resin to clear-coat them so they could be used as coasters. I went back to check on it a few minutes ago and my beautiful tiles are faded down to just kind of a marbled pale turquoise! I’m so upset. I mean they’ll still be pretty enough, I guess, but they’re not at all what I had created and intended. Does anyone know how to avoid that in the future?

    • #12123
      Jessica
      Guest

      I’m going through the same thing with my inks fading on my tiles. I’m using Adirondack alcohol inks. My tiles were lavender with lime green and after pouring resin, they are completely faded.

    • #12135
      Rhonda
      Guest

      I have been painting my resin pieces with alcohol inks and then coating them with a sealer/glaze, instead of mixing the inks in the resin.

    • #12424
      Rocky
      Guest

      Experiencing the same problems, using Silmar41 resin and alumilite dyes. Worked fine at first, now changes colors, turn clear, all sorts of weird things. Read it was wrong dye, needed alcohol based dyes, couldn’t find that so I picked up alcohol based ink… Sailboat Blue is Sailboat Blue in my test strip lying on the counter. Hold it to the light and it turns doggy poo brown. Cast ink pen blanks are exact opposite, first one is half and half in front of light brown on counter under light, second one is sailboat blue in front of light, and brown on counter.

      Started changing color as I mixed, before adding catalyst. Added gold micro-fine glitter, half of it comes off as silver, the remainder as blue.

      I need a drink! Make it a double!!

      • #12529
        justine
        Guest

        Making sharpie alcohol ink and my purples turn dog poop brown. Don’t know what I’m doing wrong????? No resin involved HELP HELP HELP

    • #14009
      Diana Ferguson
      Guest

      Wanted to add to this conversation. I’ve been using Ice Resin tints with resin for a while now with great results. However, I yesterday I mixed a gorgeous purple hue from 4 drops of raw ruby and 7 drops of hacienda in an ounce of Ice Resin to coat my metal components. They looked amazing as they were drying (throughout the day). To my dismay, when I walked into my studio to check on them this morning, the purple had turned into a very pale pink. So, the story of the fugitive purple continues! I have contacted Ranger to see what they have to say, no response back yet.

      • #14010
        Katherine Swift
        Keymaster

        Oh no! Yes, I would love to hear what they have to say!

    • #14132
      Melissa Frey
      Guest

      When I pour Art Resin over my alcohol inks, they immediately turn green and then fade back to something that resembles the original color.

      Any one know of a none-alcohol based sealer we can apply before the resin?

      • #14142
        Katherine Swift
        Keymaster
        • #82808
          Amber Baum
          Guest

          I originally read this post a year or two ago when I was using resin to seal coaster & trivet sets I had painted with alcohol inks. Anything done with reds (red, orange, pink, purple) would fade tremendously, or disappear altogether if it was a light shade, when I flooded the pieces with resin. While using a heat source to pop any bubbles, I noticed this accelerated & accentuated the issue. I tested this theory with and without resin over the inks by using my heat gun, hair dryer & torch with the same results…adding heat to dried inks produced no changes. Adding heat to “wet” (ie: resin coat) pieces produced the fade. Even heat produced even fade throughout the piece. Concentrated heat produced more fade in that location. Anyways…
          I believe it’s the chemical heat reaction caused by resin as it sets up & cures

          *Ive only tested this theory on the Ranger Adirondack inks
          **I get a similar reaction with the gray shades; these don’t seem to fade as much as they seem to actually turn into shades of green!

    • #14300
      Rhonda J Hunter
      Guest

      I’ve had some success with Krylon Clear Acrylic spray, several very light coats, dry thoroughly between coats.

    • #28988
      MollyW
      Guest

      I use Ranger alcohol inks on Yupo paper, spray it with Kamar Varnish (2-3 light coats) and 24 hours later then I apply my ArtResin. I have not experienced any colour loss! I also paint into wet ArtResin with my alcohol inks, both Ranger and Puñata) and it works beautifully. Maybe it’s the type of resin you’re using?

    • #33227
      cece
      Guest

      Clear coat it with a water based sealer. Use acrylic clear coat not enamel clear coat

    • #82871
      Jessica Muni
      Guest

      I’ve been having problems with my ink disappearing as well. My reds fade away completely with resin and my yellow and blue have faded with Krylon Kamar varnish. I use Brea Reese Inks and Envirotex lite resin. I’m wondering if temperature is playing a part in all this as well? Has anyone noticed any changes in ink fade when the weather changes?

    • #83559
      Lisa Reece
      Guest

      Kamar Varnish should be the FIRST thing u put on alcohol ink projects… there’s a couple blogs/videos online that go into the details of it. But alot of brown inks (forgot what brand(s)) turn green when epoxy hits it, regardless of how many coats of other spray sealants used…. it’s also recommended to use a UV protectant after the varnish, before any other sealants/epoxy 🙂

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