To simplify this process, we have designed our ink pad collections to coordinate with our layering stamps. Using inks from within the same collection will guarantee images with depth and dimension. However, color choices will vary from crafter to crafter as a reflection of their unique creative personalities. We highly recommend playing with various colors to see what combinations you like best. You can also mix and match inks from different color families for fun and unexpected results!

The best way is to follow our layering guidelines. You can get available layering guides here. We are currently working on uploading layering guides for all of our layering stamps. For newly released layering stamps, there is a layering guide video on product pages for each that you can follow along when stamping to get other helpful tips and tricks. A stamp positioning tool (such as the MISTI) can also be helpful when following our layering guides to ensure perfect placement.

There could be multiple reasons for not getting clear and crisp impressions:

1. Stamps were not "seasoned" first. Sometimes new stamps don't take ink well, in this case, you can first season the stamps. (see below for stamping seasoning)
2. Types of paper used. All papers absorb ink differently. Ours work best with Neenah Solar white card stock and few other types of paper.
3. For a large solid image, it is possible that the stamp wasn't inked properly, or wasn't stamped immediately. With large solid stamps, you want to press the ink pad on the stamp and make sure to tap it many times to get full coverage. Also, you need to stamp it immediately after inking; any time lapse could cause the ink to bead up.
4. It could also be that the inks pads don't have enough ink. Check to see if your ink pads are drying and need to be replaced or re-inked.

How to season stamps:

1. Ink it up using a light colored ink - like yellow, light green, or light blue. Stamp it on scratch paper a few times until you get a clear, crisp, even stamp result.
2. You can use an eraser and rub it on the stamp’s surface. This will remove any shine from the new stamp and give you prepared surface to stamp with.
3. Some crafters also choose to use a sanding block. You can lightly sand the stamp surface to remove any shine from your stamps. We recommend doing this very gently to avoid damaging your stamps.

Yes! Cardstock quality can drastically affect your stamping results. We recommend using Neenah cardstocks as they are bright, clean white and they offer various weights. Cardstock that varies anywhere from 80lb to 120lb are good to use for stamping.

Our stamp cleaner works wonderfully for all stamp cleaning needs! Alternatively, some people like to use clean water and a simple dish soap. After cleaning them with a mild soap, you can dry them on a paper towel to get the stickiness back.

Please note that high quality clear stamp sets are prone to stains when being used, as are most stamps that are manufactured in the USA. This will NOT affect your stamp result.

Crafters are welcome to make and sell up to 100 cards per design per calendar year.

Our usual turnaround time is 5-7 business days. However, we do our best to send out orders as soon as we can. During release weeks or big promotion weeks, the order processing time may take up to 10 business days. Once your order is shipped, tracking details will be sent to you via email. For more shipping information, please click here.

We can ship everywhere internationally and all 50 states of the USA.

You can find details on our return policy here.

Most items usually take 3-4 weeks to be back in stock. We work hard to get them as soon as we can so we can serve our customers right away. Disclaimer: Due to the pandemic, shipping delays have prolonged the time frame. Some products may take 6-8 weeks or longer to return back to stock.

You can find out more information on becoming our wholesale partner by contacting us here.

Please note that you can only use one code per order. If you have 2 or more promo codes, please choose which of them will work best for you. You can, however, use multiple gift cards in one order on top of one promo code.

You cannot apply promos to a past purchase or vice versa. In the event that you encounter issues during a promotion, please contact support@altenew.com right away with a screenshot of the error page.

All of our promotions are based in Eastern Standard Time (EST). In the event that you encounter issues during a promotion, please contact support@altenew.com right away with a screenshot of the error page.

We currently have several different ink types in our shop, including high-quality water based dye inks, pigment inks, and mixed media inks.

Yes. Please click here to see all of our Color Swatches PDFs.

Yes! We hope to release as many coordinating dies as we can for our current stamp sets.

Yes! Please click here to see all the refills for our ink pads.

Discontinued products will no longer be available for purchase in our shop once they run out of stock. See our full list of discontinued products here.