Crafters all over the world have been obsessed with Tim Holtz and the Distress Line for Ranger Ink for very close to two decades. Inks, Oxides, paints, crayons, sprays, stains, reinkers, and more have been used on countless projects due to their colorful aesthetic and versatile functionality.
But you can never have too much of a good thing - that's why Tim Holtz is adding to the Distress rainbow of products in the most wonderful ways.
In this article, we'll detail all the latest color releases for Tim Holtz's Distress line with Ranger Ink.
How Many Distress Oxides Are There?
The color palette that crafters cannot get enough of, Distress by Tim Holtz, was started 17 years ago. Throughout the years, there were 60 amazing, must-have colors added to the collection of Distress Oxides, inks, paints, crayons, and more.
In 2020, after a five-year hiatus on new hues, Tim Holtz and Ranger Ink began releasing new, exciting colors to this crafter-favorite collection. Currently, there are 65 colorful Distress colors available for you to create a rainbow of colorful projects.
Let's explore the newest releases in the Distress collection, and make sure you follow Tim on Facebook and YouTube so you can tune in live for every new color!
Spring 2021: Salvaged Patina
Release Date: April 24, 2021
What Color Is It: Salvaged Patina - Vintage-inspired blue-green
Inspired By: The blue-green patina oxidation effect on aged metal
Distress Color Family: Tumbled Glass, Peacock Feathers, Evergreen Bough, Mermaid Lagoon, Cracked Pistachio
What You Need To Know: Choosing a white background makes this color appear blue, while choosing a cream background makes it appear green
Best Color Blends: Pinks, purples, yellows, & browns
Best Uses: Vintage creations, metallic accents, springtime florals
Highlights From the Tim Holtz Livestream Release:
- This color is Tim's new favorite in the entire distress rainbow, referring to it as "pure magic" and stating that it's an "epic, epic color."
- It is easily a color that you'll immediately wonder how you lived & created without it.
- Vintage Patina was originally planned as the first release of the new Distress colors, but Tim loved it too much to release it first.
- The shade has been on Tim's personal color wishlist for years after repeated attempts at mixing a patina color from existing Distress blues and greens.
- What does Tim Holtz do while using a heat tool & waiting for paint to dry on a demo project? He hums a little tune (but not without Mario chuckling in the background).
Winter 2021: Kitsch Flamingo
Release Date: February 1, 2021
What Color Is It: Kitsch Flamingo - Quirky pink
Inspired By: Classic flamingo lawn ornaments
Distress Color Family: Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Picked Raspberry
What You Need To Know: A "chameleon color" that transforms based on the colors you pair it with
Best Color Blends: Purples, blues & browns
Best Uses: Valentine's Day, florals, steampunk projects, botanicals, springtime projects, baby girl creations
Highlights From the Tim Holtz Livestream Release:
- Achieve an electric, neon vibrance from Kitsch Flamingo Distress Ink when you layer it on mixed media heavystock paper.
- During the livestream, Tim shared that adding water and diluting your Distress Ink or Distress Oxide reinkers will not give you the same result as the Distress Spray Stain or Distress Oxide Sprays.
- Did you know - Distress Paint is the only product in the Distress line that is permanent when dry.
- Tim reminded viewers to not dismiss a color as "not your style" before you try it - you'll often be pleasantly surprised by the results.
- Mario celebrated the release of Kitsch Flamingo by surprising Tim Holtz mid-livestream in throwback pink shades and a vivacious flamingo Hawaiian shirt & matching shorts ensemble. According to Tim, it was "full-on kitsch."
Winter 2020: Rustic Wilderness
Release Date: November 10, 2020
What Color Is It: Rustic Wilderness - Deep, rugged green
Inspired By: Deep green pine trees
Distress Color Family: Mowed Lawn, Pine Needles, Lucky Clover, Bundled Sage
What You Need To Know: A holiday staple that easily transitions for all seasonal makes
Best Color Blends: Browns, golds, greens & yellows
Best Uses: Christmas & holiday projects, leafy foliage, Autumn & fall blends, St. Patrick's Day, springtime florals
Highlights From the Tim Holtz Livestream Release:
- Both Tim and Mario were dressed head to toe in black and white as to not give away any hints to the identity of the newest Distress color before the official reveal.
- With this being the third new color release, it also coincided with the release of a pack of three new Distress Crayons.
- Not only will mixing water with your ink change the reaction of the application, but it will marginally change the properties of the color pigmentation and saturation on your project.
- Use your collectible Distress Pins and recreate Tim's "board of happiness," a repurposed letterboard where you display your pins and use it as a handy swatch reference board.
- Did you know - Tim's go-to for true tone swatching of Distress products is his Distress White Heavystock.
Summer 2020: Crackling Campfire
Release Date: August 26, 2020
What Color Is It: Crackling Campfire - Fiery, intense orange
Inspired By: The red embers and yellow flames of a glowing campfire
Distress Color Family: Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, Rusty Hinge, Barn Door
What You Need To Know: This color is surprisingly beautiful when paired with dark blue
Best Color Blends: Reds, oranges, yellows & browns
Best Uses: Autumn projects, sunset background blends, Halloween makes
Highlights From the Tim Holtz Livestream Release:
- This was the very first color that Tim wanted to add to the existing 60-color Distress line.
- Building up the saturation of Crackling Campfire brings out more red; softer application enhances the yellowish-orange hues.
- According to Tim, the Distress colors are developed from a need or a hole in the color spectrum of Distress that would be difficult to replicate in a color blend consistently, while each color's name is chosen to evoke a specific vision and feeling.
- What does Mario think of the new color? Well, during the livestream event, he played an audio clip declaring, "That's a SPICY meatball!"
- Missed opportunity: there were no s'mores being roasted during the livestream.
Spring 2020: Speckled Egg
Release Date: May 22, 2020
What Color Is It: Speckled Egg - Soft, shabby blue
Inspired By: The natural beauty of speckled robin eggs
Distress Color Family: Iced Spruce, Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky, Tumbled Glass
What You Need To Know: It's the color you really didn't think you needed until you see it
Best Color Blends: Greens, blues, and browns
Best Uses: Cloudy skies, vintage shabby chic decor, stormy oceans, mystical mermaids, icy holiday creations
Highlights From the Tim Holtz Livestream Release:
- Were they excited, or were they preemptively dropping a hint to the new hue? Either way, both Tim and Mario donned shirts in light blue for the day's big Speckled Egg announcement.
- Speckled Egg almost has the properties of sea glass that transforms in the light and with the surface, you use it on.
- When originally presented with the idea to do a shade like Speckled Egg, Tim thought it was "too peculiar" and "too iffy."
- According to Tim, Speckled Egg was one of the most difficult colors to nail down for the incredibly talented Ranger chemists.
- During the event, Tim revealed that he and Ranger are releasing 12 new Distress colors through 2020 & 2021.
Did You Know?
If Tim Holtz hasn't released the perfect shade that you've been yearning for, you can always make a custom blend yourself with his DIY blank ink pads & reinkers.
If you can't get enough Tim Holtz, make sure you check out these popular articles:
Tips, Tricks & Tools to Improve Your Crafting
What You Need To Know Before You Buy Distress Inks and Oxides
