2017 #12 Hybrid Inks: A New Hybrid In Town {by Miriam Grazier}

2017 Topic 12: Hybrid Inks

In this post we look a the brand new hybrid ink from Tonic Studios, part of their Nuvo range. Now I must admit, I really wasn't expecting anything amazing as reports on other parts of their Nuvo line are variable, but I really love this ink! It seems to have been overshadowed by the concurrent Distress Oxide launch earlier this year, and even now, 8 months later, info about them is still thin on the ground, so I seconded Miriam to run some tests of our own!

'Hybrid' of what? Well it smells a bit solvent, but it behaves like a permanent archival ink. It is super-fast drying (stamp and immediately rub it and it will not smear!) but the great feature of this ink is you can use it with BOTH alcohol ink pens AND watercolours markers and it WILL NOT BLEED!! That my friends is very, very handy! 

The packaging is slick, the inks are named both ends of the pad (but not on the top - ?) and as a raised pad, it is easy to apply to stamps. It dries so fast, it does not require a heat gun, so overall it is a super-useful ink! Available in 6 colours, all quite 'heritage' in tone: Black Shadow, Acorn Brown, Poppy Red, Safari Green, Empire Blue (a purplish-blue) and Metro Grey. Here's Miriam to explain her findings.

Hi everyone, it's Miriam from 'Miriam's Creative Dreams' with you today, and I'd like to share with you my experiments with the new Tonic Nuvo Hybrid Inks.

I have to say that when I first heard about these I really wanted to put them to the test.  In my eyes, nothing could beat Archival ink, but I have always been frustrated by the fact it limits me to particular projects - for example, I can't use alcohol inks if I use a pigment ink on a project, or likewise, I can't use water colour if I use a dye ink.

My finished project uses lots of different mediums that I would never normally be able to use together.  Tonight I am concentrating on my experiments with the Nuvo inks, but you can see the steps showing how I created this project by popping over to my Blog.

I started by simply stamping and using inks and paints.  Immediately I could see that these inks were special - they have the best qualities from both Archival and Memento inks.

This excited me, then prompted me to try the inks on different materials.

On both Vellum and Acetate the Memento ink smudged.  The Nuvo ink is very fast drying which meant that I wasn't waiting for a long time or having to zap it with a heat gun - this was especially good for me on the Acetate as I normally leave this to dry overnight so that I don't warp it with my heat gun.  But the Nuvo ink doesn't need to dry overnight at all!

The Nuvo ink worked incredibly well with Infusions and over Fresco Finish paints too - no problem getting a crisp, clear image.

The Nuvo inks worked amazingly well on Canvas fabric - in fact, I would say that it came out on top during all my experiments - I love how clear the image has stamped.  Even on coarse watercolour paper - this is definitely a game changer in my book.

It was only on Glossy card that I found the Nuvo ink disappointing.  After taking this picture I tried the stamping again, this time heat setting the ink, but it still smudged completely.  Not really sure why.  However, I have to admit, this would look great for a ghost image and background stamping.

For my project I even mixed some of the ink with Grunge paste - I loved the colour that this created.

That was my quick tour of the experimenting that I did with the new Tonic Nuvo Hybrid Inks. They have certainly made me think of the possibilities - and the fact that I can now be more adventurous in my mixed media projects.  

If you get the opportunity to try these inks I would recommend that you go for it.  They really are versatile and quick drying.  It also means that if you take craft products away with you or to craft groups that you only need to take one type of ink pad instead of many.  

I really enjoyed using these hybrid inks, and I hope that I have inspired you with my Tonic Nuvo Hybrid ink experiments tonight.

Blog: www.miriamgrazier.blogspot.co.uk

Thanks Miriam for your thorough testing of this ink. It really does seem like a fantastic all-rounder for us stampy folks! Lets hope they follow up with more colours in the range!

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