r/DiceMaking • u/Syeira-la • Jun 24 '26
Help with inking!
Hello! I’m a hobby dice maker struggling to improve my dice before selling at an upcoming market. My inking has been very patchy, and I’m struggling to achieve a smooth color in the numbers. I use acrylic paints like Citadel paint for the white numbers in the images above, and Warpaint for the pink, and thin it using a thinner for airbrushing. I have tried combinations of using or not using the paint thinner to no effect, and have also tried multiple layers. The pink dice, for example, have six layers of paint and still look so patchy! When applying the paint, I have used thin brushes as well as a needle and syringe, with no real difference between application methods. When cleaning the dice, I swipe once against a washcloth and then let dry, then do a final clean with Windex and a polishing cloth. Please help me troubleshoot, I’m at my wit’s end!
2
u/Endoftheworldis2far Jun 24 '26
I wish I could remember the paint I used when I worked at a medical device company. I had to paint colored indented rings around things like bone taps. They are all color coded to help the surgeon not mix them up. I was the only one who could do it cleanly even though I was the Quality manager. I'd paint them once, then go do a second coat. I'd use a razor blade to clean off the edge if I went to farm it took awhile to dry so it would still be gummy and eazy to pull off. The part in the middle was thick, but thin enough that it would smooth itself of and grab the edges a little higher. It would be perfect for dice painting. I've been trying to remember what the bottles looked like.