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Which marker for which item?

Hey all.  I will be going to a signing in the future, and I was wondering which type of marker lasts and looks the best on certain items.  A synthetic leather or plastic (it's a weird material) ball would be best with a paint pen I presume?  

Also, would paint pen be the best option on a jersey, or would a regular sharpie do the work best?  

Last, is Sharpie's Paint pens just as good or worse than a Decocolor paint pen?  

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

-Mike.  

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Permalink Reply by Rich on August 2, 2012 at 5:44pm

Mike, I have several of Sharpie's paint pens - I think they work great and would likely be the right idea for a leather or plastic item.  I've only had one Decocolor.  It seemed ok, but I never used it much.  Others on the forum really seem to like them, but I tend to find the selection very limited at our local Michaels or Hobby Lobby.

Make sure you get the oil-based pens, not the water-based counterparts.  They seem very similar at first, but I tested a water based Sharpie alongside and oil based Sharpie today on a flat glossy surface.  They produced similar looking results, but the water-based ink can scratch off much more easily it would seem.  The oil based ink seemed just about impossible to scratch off.

Permalink Reply by Mike P on August 2, 2012 at 6:13pm

Thank you Rich!  I actually went to Michael's today.  Does it say water based on the actual marker?  I didn't buy any because I wasn't sure if Sharpie's quality for paint pens were as good.

Also, in your opinion, would a regular Sharpie be best for a jersey/fabric type of material.

Very appreciated, thank you!

-Mike

Permalink Reply by Rich on August 2, 2012 at 6:36pm

I went to Michael's last night to grab a couple, and they had a rack of of Sharpie paint pens.  The oil-based were toward the top, the water-based were toward the bottom - they had signs explaining which type was good for what type of art/marking.  Some of the water-based ones say "Poster Paint" on them.  Sharpie is pretty good at labeling oil vs. water, so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out if you look for it.

I like the Sharpies quite a bit.  You just have to make sure they're correctly prepped, which isn't too complex.  Test it a few times before the person actually uses it. 

I only have one signed jersey, and I picked it up after the in-store signing.  While I don't have a great grasp on jerseys, from the photos I've combed through from recent Packers/Brewers signings from our local autograph shops, standard Sharpies seem to be the rule.  Other sports collectors will probably have a lot more knowledge on this than I do.

Permalink Reply by Mike P on August 2, 2012 at 6:46pm

 In the Michael's by me, they locked the paint pens by the cashier in a glass case.  I think those were the oil based.  

Thanks for the help Rich!

Permalink Reply by Rich on August 2, 2012 at 6:51pm

Hobby Lobby also carries them, though the selection of colors tends to be more limited - they're usually sold in three packs.  The three-packs will also be labeled oil or water based.

Permalink Reply by Mike P on August 2, 2012 at 6:55pm

I'll look into those as well.  Thanks again!

Permalink Reply by Rich on August 3, 2012 at 4:40am

Yeah, silver sharpies are a bit of a crapshoot.  I had one that's been in my desk drawer forever yesterday.  I tested it out, and it still seemed to work great.  But they're inconsistent at best, and I find myself avoiding them altogether.  I had Tramon Williams (Packers cornerback) sign a couple of high quality Replay Photos last year.  These photos are a different breed than your standard 8 x 10 glossy pics, and the ink is printed on the photo almost as though it was a canvas.  I had him sign one in a regular sharpie, which seemed to work alright.  The other one was with a brand new silver Sharpie.  The pen seemed to be ok when I tested it, but he struggled with it an ultimately had to retrace part of his signature.  The end result didn't look all that great.

Permalink Reply by Mike P on August 3, 2012 at 1:06pm

I had some new silver Sharpies in my house, and some of them came out bold and nice on paper, some of them were dullish like they were fine tipped even though they were medium tipped.  And that's on Paper, so I could only imagine what they could look like on the jersey I am getting signed.  

I am probably going to go with a Silver Pain pen, either by Decocolor or Sharpie.  I know they will work fine on the synthetic leather, but are they fine on fabric (a jersey) as well?  I might test it out on a cruddy T-Shirt.  

Thank you both for the advice.

Permalink Reply by Mike P on August 3, 2012 at 8:44pm

True, but the jersey I have is a European football one, and has no numbers.  Would the paint pen still be good you think?  I would just roll with a regular silver sharpie but like you and Rich said, they are really hit and miss with quality.  Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Rich on August 3, 2012 at 8:46pm

It's a darker jersey then?

Permalink Reply by Mike P on August 3, 2012 at 8:48pm

Exactly.  It is a black one (I would have chosen a white, but these jerseys are very thin and even if I put a layer of cardboard in the shirt it would still bleed through.  

 

Permalink Reply by Rich on August 3, 2012 at 9:04pm

There are fabric markers out there, but I have no idea if they're ideal for autographs at all.  Maybe you can try the Sharpie paint pens on a similar material or fabric first.

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