--- title: "Hero Arts Unicorn White Ink Pad: Opaque Pigment" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hero-arts-unicorn-white-ink-pad/" description: "Hero Arts Unicorn opaque white pigment ink pad (AF249) explained: white on dark card, embossing, pad size, re-inker, archival claims, vs Brilliance, and origin." category: "Stamps" type: "Ink pad" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-22 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 6 products: - name: "Hero Arts Hero Hues Unicorn pigment ink pad, opaque white (AF249)" brand: "Hero Arts" brand_origin: "United States" made_in: "United States" material: "Water-based opaque white pigment ink; acid-free, archival (Vaessen Creative)" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per stamp or ink pad, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Hero Arts" model: "AF249" mpn: "AF249" gtin: "029477707021" url: "https://heroarts.com/products/af249-unicorn-pigment-ink-pad" --- # Hero Arts Unicorn White Ink Pad: Opaque Pigment > Hero Arts Unicorn (AF249) is an opaque white pigment ink pad for stamping bright white on black, navy and kraft card. Hero Arts calls it slow-drying for easy heat embossing, and its European distributor lists the full-size pad at 2.25 × 3.75 in (57 × 95 mm), with acid-free, archival ink. It sits in our $$ band. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hero-arts-unicorn-white-ink-pad/ - Category: Stamps - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-22 ![Hero Arts Unicorn white pigment ink pad, 95 mm long with a bright white pad, beside navy card stamped with an opaque white snowflake](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/hero-arts-unicorn-white-ink-pad-16x9.png) *The full-size pad at 95 mm, drawn at 1 mm = 3 px; case colour and height drawn by eye.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Hero Arts Hero Hues Unicorn pigment ink pad, opaque white (AF249) | Hero Arts | United States | United States | Water-based opaque white pigment ink; acid-free, archival (Vaessen Creative) | – | $$: $5–20 per stamp or ink pad | - Made in (Hero Arts Hero Hues Unicorn pigment ink pad, opaque white (AF249)): United States. Loobi Crafts, a UK retailer, says the Unicorn White pad-and-re-inker bundle (AF472) is made in the USA; the bundle contains the same full-size AF249 pad. Hero Arts' own product pages don't state a country. Source: https://www.loobicrafts.co.uk/hero-arts-hues-pigment-ink-pad--reinker---unicorn-white-57185-p.asp ## Key takeaways - Vaessen Creative, Hero Arts' European distributor, lists the full-size pad at 2.25 × 3.75 in (5.7 × 9.5 cm); other retailers give 2.5 × 3.5 in and 2.75 × 4 in. - Hero Arts calls Unicorn its best-selling white pigment ink and sells it with a 0.5 oz (15 ml) re-inker as bundle AF472. - Hero Arts says the ink is slow-drying for heat embossing and covers both light and dark cardstock. - The pad-and-re-inker bundle on Amazon US showed 200+ bought in the past month and 155 ratings on October 22, 2026. - Loobi Crafts lists the bundle as made in the USA. ## What is Hero Arts Unicorn ink? **It's an opaque white pigment ink pad, sold for stamping bright white on dark and colored card.** Hero Arts, the US stamp company, sells it in its Hero Hues ink line as AF249 and calls Unicorn White its best-selling white pigment ink. The pad is a staple in card making for snowflakes, sentiments and highlights on black, navy and kraft card. On October 22, 2026, the Amazon US bundle of pad and re-inker showed 200+ bought in the past month and 155 ratings. ## Hero Arts Unicorn specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Hero Arts (United States) | | Item | AF249 pad; AF472 pad and re-inker bundle | | Ink | Water-based, opaque white pigment | | Pad size | 2.25 × 3.75 in (57 × 95 mm), full size | | Re-inker | 0.5 oz (15 ml) | | Claims | Acid-free, archival, fade-resistant (retailers) | | UPC | 029477707021 (AF249) | | Price band | $$ ($5–20) | Hero Arts doesn't print the pad size on its own page. We use Vaessen Creative's 2.25 × 3.75 in; Amazon US lists 3.5 × 2.5 in and Loobi Crafts a 2-3/4 × 4 in pad, so treat the size as approximate. ![Hero Arts Unicorn pad at 95 × 57 mm drawn to scale beside a Tsukineko Brilliance pad at 99 × 68 mm and a VersaFine Clair pad at 97 × 57 mm](https://stationerytimes.com/images/hero-arts-unicorn-white-ink-pad-size.svg) *Three full-size pads from above at 1 mm = 2.1 px; inking surfaces drawn by eye.* ## How do you get a solid white print on black card? **Ink the stamp well, press firmly without rocking, and let the print dry or emboss it.** White pigment sits on the surface of the paper, so a thin first pass can look patchy on black. A stamp positioning tool such as the [MISTI](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/misti-stamping-tool/) lets you stamp twice in exactly the same place. Vaessen Creative says the ink stays on top of the paper for sharp, fine-line detail. Pigment ink also stays wet longer than dye ink, so keep fingers off the print until it's dry. ## What is Unicorn good for? **White details that need to show on dark or colored paper.** Card makers use it for: - Snowflakes, stars and sentiments on black or navy winter cards. - White highlights on kraft card, where a dye ink would sink in and vanish. - Embossed white lettering, which stays crisp and slightly raised. Hero Arts sells it for paper crafting and mixed media, and its page mentions holiday cards and scrapbook layouts. For text on light paper, a black detail ink such as VersaFine prints sharper lines. ## Can you emboss with Unicorn? **Yes, and Hero Arts sells it for that: it calls the ink slow-drying, for easy embossing.** Stamp, sprinkle embossing powder, tap off the extra and heat-set. Clear powder over white ink gives a raised, glossy white; see our [Ranger clear embossing powder](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ranger-clear-embossing-powder/) guide. Vaessen Creative adds that it can be heat-set on fabric, wood or clay, and used for resist techniques in art journals. ## Unicorn vs Brilliance Moonlight White **Choose Unicorn for an opaque white that stays wet long enough to emboss; choose Brilliance for shimmer and quicker air-drying on glossy card.** | | Hero Arts Unicorn | [Tsukineko Brilliance](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tsukineko-brilliance-ink-pad/) Moonlight White | |---|---|---| | Ink | Opaque white pigment | Water-based pigment, matte white | | Embossing | Sold as slow-drying for embossing | Tsukineko: may dry too fast on some papers | | Drying | Not stated | 10–15 minutes (Tsukineko) | | Full-size pad | About 57 × 95 mm | 99 × 68 mm | | Made in | USA (Loobi Crafts) | Japan (Amazon US listing) | For a white that sits on top of colored ink, a chalky pigment such as [VersaMagic](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/versamagic-chalk-ink-pad/) is another option. ## Where is Hero Arts Unicorn made? **In the USA, according to Loobi Crafts, which lists the Unicorn White pad-and-re-inker bundle as made in the USA.** Hero Arts' own pages don't state a country. Hero Arts is an American rubber stamp and ink company. Its AF472 bundle packs the full-size pad and re-inker in a recycled paper tray. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Hero Arts Unicorn ink really opaque on black cardstock? Hero Arts and its retailers sell it as an opaque white for dark card, so it shows on black, navy and kraft. How white it looks after one pass depends on the paper; we haven't tested it yet. ### Can you heat emboss with Hero Arts Unicorn ink? Yes. Hero Arts says the ink is slow-drying for easy embossing: stamp, add embossing powder, then heat. ### How do you re-ink a Hero Arts Unicorn pad? Use the Unicorn re-inker, a 0.5 oz (15 ml) bottle, and add a few drops across the pad surface. Hero Arts sells the pad and re-inker together as AF472. ### Can you use Unicorn white ink on fabric or wood? Vaessen Creative says it can be heat-set on fabric, wood or clay. Hero Arts' own page only mentions paper and mixed media. ### Is Hero Arts Unicorn better than Brilliance Moonlight White? Both are white pigment pads for dark card: Unicorn is sold as opaque and slow-drying for embossing, while Tsukineko says Brilliance dries in 10–15 minutes and can be too quick to emboss. We haven't compared them side by side. ### Is Hero Arts Unicorn ink archival? Vaessen Creative and Loobi Crafts call it acid-free and archival, and Vaessen says it is fade-resistant. Those are seller claims; Hero Arts' page doesn't use the word archival. ### Is Hero Arts Unicorn ink made in the USA? Yes, according to Loobi Crafts, which lists the pad-and-re-inker bundle as made in the USA. Hero Arts doesn't state it on its own page. ## Sources - [Hero Arts: Unicorn Pigment Ink Pad, AF249 (opaque white for light and dark cardstock, slow-drying for embossing; product data and barcode)](https://heroarts.com/products/af249-unicorn-pigment-ink-pad) - [Hero Arts: Unicorn White + Reinker Bundle, AF472 ("our best-selling Unicorn White pigment ink", full-sized pad and re-inker)](https://heroarts.com/products/af472-unicorn-white-reinker-bundle) - [Vaessen Creative: Hero Arts Hero Hues Unicorn pigment ink pad AF249 (2.25 × 3.75 in, 5.7 × 9.5 cm; acid-free, archival, fade-resistant; heat-set on fabric, wood, clay)](https://www.vaessen-creative.com/p/hero-arts-hero-hues-unicorn-pigment-ink-pad-3-5-x2-5-white-af249) - [Loobi Crafts: Hero Arts Hues pigment ink pad and re-inker, Unicorn White (2-3/4 × 4 in pad, acid-free, made in the USA)](https://www.loobicrafts.co.uk/hero-arts-hues-pigment-ink-pad--reinker---unicorn-white-57185-p.asp) - [Amazon US: Hero Arts Unicorn White Ink Pad (AF249) and Reinker (NK026) bundle (3.5 × 2.5 in, 15 ml, 155 ratings, 200+ bought in the past month)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WHV2HYM) - [Spellbinders: AF249 Unicorn Pigment Ink Pad](https://spellbinderspaperarts.com/products/af249-unicorn-pigment-ink-pad)