Paint Pens vs. Markers

Hi everyone,

I'm soliciting inputs for an upcoming column regarding paint pens vs. markers. From my experience in the past, I always tend to use paint pens whenenver possible since they are not as susceptible to fading as Sharpie. I also tend to shy away from silver Sharpies since about 99% of the silver sharpies I have tried in the past do not work well. Anyway, I'd like to hear from some of you regarding your own experiences with paint pends and markers, and maybe some tips you have for others when using these items. Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Shankar on January 13, 2010 at 3:48am

Silver sharpies, like the paint pens need to be primed, in the sense you need to store them upside down atleast a couple of hours before the event , the advantage of the silver sharpie is that it dries quickly compared to the paint pen and is specially useful for multiple items

Permalink Reply by Sheldon Gajarian on January 13, 2010 at 7:20am

I use paint pens all around my home, marking my breakers, marking valves on sprinklers and pool equipment, marking hot rod parts, use to mark my work equipment like batteries, lights and travel cases. But I won't use them for getting autographs, period. A long time ago I got Larry Bird on a 8x10, all I had with me was a paint pen, we were in NY working, by the time I got home, sections of the graph had flaked/peeled off. If it were a sharpie, that never would have happened. Now granted, I was working, it was in my bag getting moved and bumped around, you can't assume that when you get a graph, there's always a perfect place to keep it safe...IMO..

Permalink Reply by wjfranz (Bill Franz) on February 17, 2010 at 7:53pm

I just tried out a couple of paint pens from Sharpie that are water-based, acid free, and archival quality and they work great. I'm not sure how long they have been on the market, but they come in an assortment of different colors. Like any other paint pen, they do take a little time to dry, but they look great. They seem to have a nice even flow. What's really nice is they are available in both a fine tip (18 colors)and an extra-fine tip (8 colors). I think they will become my marker of choice for anything that is dark in color. Has anyone else out there used these?

Permalink Reply by Chris Klamer on April 27, 2010 at 5:23am

Yeah for some reason self printed photos on glossy paper seem to not do very well with silver sharpies. So if I do print my own photos I tend to go with the semi-glossy paper or even a matte finish but the HP soft gloss Premium Plus paper seems to be holding up pretty well.

Now if I send my photos out to say Walmart or somewhere else they use glossy paper and I have had no problems with those having the silver sharpie not drying so it has to be in the chemicals they use.

So stick with the soft gloss paper and you should be okay. I hold my breath everytime I get something in because I used a lot of glossy paper at first and I have autographs I have had to also spray a little clear coat on to get the silver sharpie to stay on.

Good Luck

Permalink Reply by Tim Henderson on May 9, 2010 at 6:43pm

I have been using paint pens for some time and when Sharpie came out with Silver Sharpie I tried them but I dont use them unless I have to because I have more bad stories of the pen not writing than good. I know this sound weird but I open a silver sharpie right before I have to use it, I test on glossy paper then after the one use I throw it away. I know this sound extreme but I only use them when i dont have any paint pens available. They work everytime that way!

I have 3 different paint pens that I use on a regular basis. If I am getting a football or basketball signed I use a Art Paint Pen from Michael's called a Prisma Color they are great and usually you do not have to prime them just 2 shakes and what a bold and beautiful silver signature. This looks remarkable if someone takes their time signing! Even if they are a quick signature it works great! The paint pens that I started using but are hadr to find now are called Sanford's they are also available at Michael's. They are a medium tip and work great on dark photos, mini helmets, magazines etc! The last pen and the one I currently use is called a DECO Color and they are available at any art supplies store they are medium tip and work great for a smaller signature escpecially hockey pucks, BEAUTIFUL. All 3 of these pens look GREAT on the item but they also are easy to remove if something has a smudge or you need to take of a stray mark. The Prisma Color also can be removed from an official NFL football and is the only pen I have found that can remove anything from pigskin without taking off some of the color of the football. All you need is a Magic Rub and some time go over the mark slowly DO NOT get impatient or it will not work it will take probably 30-45 minutes. Well those are my Paint pens I use everyday I hope this helps until next time KEEP GRAPHIN!!!

Permalink Reply by michael bartow on June 8, 2010 at 1:29pm

I used both the paint pens (sharpie and Deco) and believe me the paint one from sharpie took a dump on me. I don't know what happened but it didn't work after a while. I used the deco ones and the items look great. I took out today the sharpie silver pens and will only carry the paint pens. I used the paint pens to have the drivers sign their items on pit road and some used the shapie black only (burton and bowyer0 but some used the silver ones I handed them and I'm sold on them now. I think I will need to order more of the paint pens since I only have 2 silver ones left but will try the blue and purple ones out also. I think I will use the blue and silver for some items and see how they look

Permalink Reply by Jessica on January 25, 2011 at 1:08pm

I know this is an older thread, but any help would be appreciated. I am going to an autograph session this Saturday. I have a photo print that I am getting signed. Will a Decocolor Paint Marker work? Should I get the broad point or medium point?

I was worried because it said it contains Xylene, which is not recommended for some types of paper. Thank you for any help!

Permalink Reply by Sarah on March 23, 2011 at 7:41pm

I see this is an incredibly old post, but I hope someone still checks it. :-) I am the captain of a Relay for Life team. Every year at our relay for life event we have a chair auction. This year I am getting the chair signed by our Hockey Team. I want to seal it afterwards, so I know I cant use a sharpie. Is a paint pen going to be ok to seal? or do I have to use a certain kind of clear coat? thanks in advance!

Permalink Reply by Lisa Meyer on July 19, 2016 at 12:25pm

The best pens I have found are 'Garden Markers' they are fast drying, waterproof and contain ultraviolet filters for maximum fade resistance. These pens are xylene free which makes them environmentally friendly. Furthermore, they write on wood, plastic, metal, glass, porcelain and many other materials. you can find them at the link below.

Click Here GARDEN MARKERS