If you do paper crafts, then you must be amazed at all the different pens and markers available. We have to be wise and learn the difference among them, so we don’t buy duplicates. Here are some considerations to have in mind when choosing “the one” for you:
MARKERS: These can be: water-based, permanent or the ones for embossing or for fabric.
WATER-BASED MARKERS: Water-soluble, archival. Those are good for applying the color directly to a stamp or to color-stamped designs on paper. You can choose to apply the color directly or you can take a flat damp brush, take some color from the marker and apply it to the design. I like the flat brushes because you can take the color using only one side of the brush, making that area have more color, achieving a graduated color on the design. They can have a brush-like bigger tip or a harder and smaller tip.
PERMANENT MARKERS: Not water-soluble, fast-drying, bleed-resistant, archival. They are good for non-porous surfaces because of their resistance to water. They come in different thicknesses. ZIG markers have pigment ink and come with double tip for writing and coloring. Copic markers are more expensive but they tend to blend better when combined.
EMBOSSING MARKERS: They can come with a thin and chisel point. Usually they are clear, but now you can find them in color. You need to use embossing powder and a heating gun with them.
WRITING PENS: Pigment ink means longer time to dry but water-resistant. You can find different tip sizes according to your needs, from the really fine 0.05 mm (Sakura Pigma Micron, Pilot DR Drawing Pen, Copic Multiliner) to the thicker ones to create titles. There are many colors available, even white and opaque if you want to write on dark surfaces.
Just remember the greater the tip diameter, the wider the line that you’ll get. I like very thin tips to write on cards and journaling for scrapbooking (0.05 or 0.1). Copic Multiliner SP is one of my favorite products for writing on smooth or textured card stock. American Crafts is a good choice if your budget is more limited.
GEL PENS: You can write or doodle with them. Also, they can be used to go over diecuts in order to add dimension or details. Some take more time to dry, so be careful when using it so that your hand doesn’t smear the ink. Gel pens come in fluorescent, with glitter, metallics or plain.
CALLIGRAPHY PENS: They have a chisel tip, usually it is like hard felt. You can find them in different widths and they can be water-soluble or not. Many recommend the 3.5mm tip for their versatility.
GLAZE PENS: (Sakura) They dry with a raised glossy finished. They need some time to dry because of the thickness of the ink, but when they are dry have an embossed effect. They work even on non-porous surfaces.
There is so much to choose from. I recommend that you start with the .05mm or 005 writing pen (always acid-free), a nice set of markers with dual point and some glitter pens. Remember that your markers should be stored horizontally and the gel pens vertically.
Enjoy your writing and doodling!
Tags: best pens and markers for scrapbooking, comparison of pens and markers, scrapbooking pens review
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