Paint Pens: A Comprehensive Guide
Paint pens integrate the control of a pen with the distinct raised texture of paint and the intensity of markers. Their design makes them intuitive to use so that it’s easy to add a pop of color into your life, whether you’re writing a menu or creating a mural. Read on to learn more about how to choose paint pens and which ones are best for specific applications.
Signs
Top Choice: Uni Posca Markers – Medium
Uni Posca Markers – Medium
Uni Posca Marker – Medium Application
Do you ever wonder how restaurants and cafes create beautiful signs that emanate a cozy, personable DIY feel? Use the Uni Posca Paint Markers with medium-sized tips to create eye-catching signs for your business or upcoming party. These colorful pens are easy to control and produce a gorgeous opaque finish. Poscas require a longer drying time, but the paint will appear vibrant and stay on for a long time. On nonporous surfaces, they are removable with water or household cleaning formulas.
Also Consider: Pilot Juice Paint Markers
Pilot Juice Paint Markers
Pilot Juice Paint Marker Application
Pilot Juice Paint Markers deliver vibrant, opaque ink that has a bold and electrifying appearance on both light and dark surfaces. Their fast-drying qualities also render them an excellent option for signage. They are not permanent on nonporous surfaces and require minimal effort to remove.
Photographs
Top Choice: Sakura Pen-Touch Paint Markers
Sakura Pen-Touch Paint Markers
Sakura Pen-Touch Paint Marker Application
Lettering and doodles give photographs a personal, intimate feel. The Sakura Pen-Touch Paint Marker’s bold, thick paint is beautiful on glossy photographs. These pens dry extremely quickly so smearing will not occur. It’s also waterproof and fade-resistant, so you don’t need to worry about your writing disappearing. Keep in mind that these markers are extremely difficult to remove, so test your designs and letters before decorating photographs. We have discovered that dabbing a small amount of coconut oil with a cotton swab onto glossy photographs will remove paint without causing damage.
Also Consider: Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers
Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers
Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Marker Application
Transform photographs with Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers. These pens glide smoothly across photographs and produce vivid colors with a subtle sheen. Their water and fade resistance let you cherish memories forever. These pens require only a bit of prep—simply push the tip into the body, shake, and press the tip onto a surface until it saturates with ink.
Fabric
Top Choice: Sakura My Name Fabric Markers
Sakura My Name Fabric Markers
Sakura My Name Fabric Marker Application
Decorate your clothes, tote bags, and shoes with the highly pigmented Sakura My Name Fabric Markers. These markers produce a vibrant, yet textured finish reminiscent of screen print ink. The pigment resists feathering and survives laundering, though it can be removed by scrubbing the marked area. Lighter colors, such as white and pastel colors, work best on light and thin fabric such as white cotton. Set up in a well-ventilated area since these pens create a strong glue-like odor.
Also Consider: Derwent Graphik Line Painters
Derwent Graphik Line Painters
Derwent Graphik Line Painter Application
The Derwent Graphik Line Painter dries with an intense, lacquered finish akin to opaque nail polish. The tip design allows you to create dramatic effects, from crisp line art to edgy dribbles and splatters. With a Blue Wool Scale lightfastness rating of 8/8, these paint markers won’t discolor once exposed to light. These pens are fairly easy to control on fabric and are more prone to random squirts on hard surfaces. To keep your strokes even, consider using a template to trace. If you make mistakes or want to clean your fabric, these pens require a bit of scrubbing for removal.
Glass Homegoods
Top Choice: Sharpie Water-Based Paint Markers
Sharpie Water-Based Paint Markers
Sharpie Water-Based Paint Marker Application
Add a dash of color to the kitchen cabinet or your next house party by labeling glass homegoods with Sharpie Water-Based Paint Markers. Great for both dark and light glass, they create a soft, muted finish reminiscent of children’s finger paints. Customize a cutesy look with the pastel paint markers in this product line. Sharpie Water-Based Paint Markers, while water and fade-resistant, come off without too much effort for easy removal.
Also Consider: Epoch Kobaru Wet Surface Paint Markers
Epoch Kobaru Wet Surface Paint Markers
Epoch Kobaru Wet Surface Paint Marker Application
Embellish your windows or party glasses, rain or shine, with Epoch Kobaru Wet Surface Paint Markers. Withstanding capricious weather and finicky condensed water particles on wet cups, these paint markers produce an alluring semi-opaque, gel look. The ink is water-resistant once dry and will not budge unless you use an oil on it. Work in a well-ventilated area since these pens have a distinct strong odor.
Paper
Top Choice: Derwent Graphik Line Painters
Derwent Graphik Line Painters
Derwent Graphik Line Painter Application
In addition to their vibrant colors, Derwent Graphik Line Painters possess smooth tips that will not tear your paper. Add details and texture to the paint by blending it with a brush while it is still wet. Once completely dry, the ink is permanent, waterproof, and suitable for layering.
Also Consider: Uni Posca Paint Markers PC-1M – Extra Fine Point
Uni Posca Paint Markers PC-1M – Extra Fine Point
Uni Posca Paint Markers PC-1M – Extra Fine Point Application
Poscas are beloved for their magnificent color payoff and easy control. For illustrations, we recommend the Uni Posca Paint Markers with extra fine points. While they do produce feedback, their thin tips are perfect for adding fine details on your illustrations, whether you draw on dark or light paper.
Street Art
Top Choice: Krink K-60 Paint Markers
Krink K-60 Paint Marker
Krink K-60 Paint Marker Application
Krink K-60 Paint Markers originated from the streets of San Francisco in the 90s. KR, the entrepreneur behind Krink, invented these paints to create bigger, drippy marker tags. The squeezable bottle provides excellent control of the paint flow and the broad, spongy tip ensures even coverage over larger areas. On vertical surfaces, the pain runs to create a distinct, dripping effect. The paints are highly pigmented, permanent, and stay on most surfaces, including paper, canvas, plastic, and metal. We learned that coconut oil can remove Krink completely from flat, nonporous surfaces.
Also Consider: Molotow ONE4ALL Acrylic Paint Markers
Molotow ONE4ALL Acrylic Paint Markers
Molotow ONE4ALL Acrylic Paint Marker Application
Molotow has its roots in the innovation of spray technology for street art. The Molotow One4All Acrylic Markers were designed to be long-lasting so that plastic would not be wasted on refills. Each marker has a window for viewing ink levels, so users can be aware of how much ink they have left. Molotow markers also boast a Flowmaster Capillary system that yields consistent delivery with every stroke. These pens show up best on light-colored surfaces.
Considerations
There are a few considerations to keep in mind when selecting a paint pen. Here is an overview of qualities to keep in mind when you plan to use a paint pen.
Removability
Removability
Consider whether you want to create something permanent or temporary. Oil-based paint markers are much harder to remove and often marketed as “permanent.” If you make a mistake with an oil-based paint marker, don’t get out paint thinner just yet. Coconut oil and mineral oil work well for breaking down oil-based paints. Water-based paint markers are much easier to remove – simply use a damp towel. If you leave your paint on for a few days, rubbing alcohol or a household cleaner will do the trick.
Odor
Odor
Keep your work area well-ventilated since most paint markers emanate a strong odor. See the chart below to see which pens emit a strong odor and which emit a low odor.
Pigmentation
Pigmentation
Most paint pens yield thick, creamy paint and dry matte and opaque. Other paint markers create a subdued, slightly translucent look. For dark surfaces, very opaque paints produce the highest color payoff.
Drying Time
Drying Time
Paint markers dry immediately on porous surfaces like paper but require more drying time on non-porous surfaces like glass. Most paint pens dry within a few minutes, but beginners may fare better with a fast-drying paint pen.
Conclusion
Add a pop of color to your life with paint pens. Let us know which pens are your favorite in the comments below!
| Paint Pen | Pigmentation | Drying Time | Odor | Removability |
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| Uni Posca Markers – Extra Fine |  |
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| Uni Posca Markers – Medium | |
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| Sharpie Water-Based Paint Markers – Extra Fine |  |
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| Sharpie Water-Based Paint Markers – Fine | |
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| Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers – Extra Fine |  |
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| Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers – Medium | |
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| Sakura Pen-Touch Paint Markers | |
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| Sakura My Name Fabric Marker | |
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| Epoch Kobaru Wet Surface Paint Marker | |
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| Molotow ONE4ALL Acrylic Markers | |
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| Derwent Graphik Line Painters | |
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| Krink K-60 Paint Markers | |
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| Pilot Juice Paint Marker | |
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SOURCE:https://www.jetpens.com/blog/paint-pens-a-comprehensive-guide/pt/917