The pad uses the larger rectangular ink surface, which is about 8cm x 5cm (3 x 1 3/4") in size. This is a fast drying ink (instant on paper & card, but can take a few minutes to fully dry on non-porous surfaces). The ink is also fully waterproof, so you can colour over a stamped image using water colours, blending pens or any other inks without smudging the original image. It is also acid free & archival quality.