The Best Way to Seal Alcohol Inks (2026)

My favourite, recommended method:

Alcohol inks are light sensitive and will fade with time with exposure to UV light. So I recommend you always seal your finished works. Many varnishes are alcohol based and would reactivate the inks and potentially ruin your work, so the following is my process. This works for me but feel free to adjust it to your needs. If you can't access this brand, try to find a water based varnish/fixative so that it doesn't reactivate your inks.

Step 1 : Krylon Kamar Varnish

Wait until your art is completely dry (at least 24 hours to be safe). Place your art inside a cardboard box and go outside/ to a very well ventilated area, and wear your respirator mask. Spray it with about 3 coats of Varnish, waiting 15 minutes between coats. Cover the box between layers to make sure no dust lands on the art as it dries.

Step 2: Krylon UV spray

After varnishing I wait for a few hours or overnight. Use the same step 1 set-up. Then spray with 1-2 coats of UV spray and leave it to dry for at least two hours. Your art is sealed! It's ready to frame, or to cover with resin.

Alternative method:

Montana Cans Gold Varnish

This contains UV protection, so it is easier to use than the Krylon method, as there are less steps. However, I still prefer the Krylon brand because the Montana Cans varnish I use can reactivate the inks if I spray it too close to the art. A number of paintings got a little damaged from spraying too closely, so you have to be careful of the distance you hold the can. This never happened with Krylon. But other than that, this varnish works well for sealing your alcohol inks before adding resin.

Alternatives to explore

Anuja of Piece of My Art has used Brustro Artist's Picture Varnish Gloss, Winsor & Newton Gloss Varnish, and Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge. Find more info about sealing from Anuja's blog here.

For brush on varnish, check if it's self leveling, and if it is water based. Some people have used Liquitex Gloss Varnish successfully, and here is a YouTube video of someone explaining how. I've never tried this!

Now that I'm in Ireland I'm researching better options for this location, as Krylon is very difficult to find!

Other options I've seen recommended are

• Liquitex professional Gloss varnish

• Ghiant spray varnishes

• Rustoleum Crystal Clear

Again, I recommend the top option, but it's not available for everyone so I hope some of these are available to you!