The Best Permanent Markers

Buying Guide for Permanent Markers

Why buy permanent markers?

The ink contained within permanent markers is incredibly resilient. These pens are highly versatile, as you can use them for many different purposes and take your sense of self-expression to a whole new level. From art to home repairs to labeling items in your pantry, permanent markers are super useful to have on hand in your home, office, or school.

What should you look for in permanent markers?

• Variety/Colors: Permanent markers now come in a wide range of traditional and non-traditional colors, which allows you to get more creative with how you use them. Apart from your basic solid colors, there are neons, metallics, and pastels.
• Resilience: Permanent markers contain a type of ink that is superior in terms of quality and performance. The ink can produce clear markings on many surfaces, including paper, plastic, metal, and more. They are also eye-popping in appearance and can catch your attention from far away.
• Versatility: Permanent markers are now incredibly versatile in how you can use them. They will always meet your drawing needs by allowing you to make detailed markings on a wide range of surfaces. They are viable to use for coloring books as well as elaborate art projects.
• Points: Permanent markers come in different tip sizes, including extra-fine, fine, chisel, and jumbo tips. Each one serves great functionality for different projects; for example, extra-fine or fine tips are best for details, writing cards, and small doodles. Larger points like broad, jumbo, or chisel tips are best for labeling boxes or products in an obvious way.

What are some tips on removing permanent ink from unwanted locations?

Permanent is in the name, but what happens if you need to remove permanent markers from something it wasn’t supposed to get on? Here are some tips on how to remove permanent marker marks from clothing, walls, and other similar surfaces.

Our Picks for the Best Permanent Markers

Pros: This set of Sharpies provides a big bang for your buck while giving you the perfect variety of colors for various projects. You get 24 fine point markers of assorted colors, making them great for artists. You can use them on a wide range of surfaces, too. The ink dries quickly and offers better resistance against water and smudging.

Cons: These markers may bleed through some paper.

Bottom Line: You can use these markers just about anywhere—in your office, home, classrooms, and beyond. These pens will stand out and stay on practically any surface.

 

Pros: If you need a lot of black pens, this 24-pack is a great choice for both your home and office. The durable, fine point pens create bold marks with clean lines. They are great for writing, doodling, and drawing. The ink is quick to dry, waterproof, smear-proof, and fade-resistant.

Cons: These pens are not alcohol-resistant.

Bottom Line: These pens work on almost any surface, including photos, plastic, cellophane, wood, stone, metal, and even glass. If you need good basic permanent markers, these black ones are a nice choice.

 

Pros: This eight-pack of vibrant metallic permanent markers will add sparkle to all your coloring books and art projects. These pens are non-toxic and low-odor and contain acid-free ink for marking on light and dark porous surfaces like paper and cardboard. The tips are fine point, making them ideal for detailed work.

Cons: These pens must be stored cap down for continued use.

Bottom Line: The best feature of this pen set is the soft rubber grip for enhanced comfort and control while writing or drawing. Plus, the unique snap cap has a vapor seal technology to help prevent the pens from drying out.

 

Pros: This five-pack of oil-based pens is made with opaque, Japanese ink that dries within a minute. The ink is odorless, non-toxic, lightfast, and quick to dry. The pens are great to use on multiple surfaces, including rocks, ceramic, wood, leather, plastic, fabric, canvas, stone, glass, metal, and more. The durable, fine round nib allows for a smooth and precise application.

Cons: They may not last very long.

Bottom Line: Each pen comes individually shrink-wrapped to avoid leakage. The colors include black, white, red, and metallic colors in gold and silver.

Pros: If you need thicker markers for tasks like labeling boxes and plastic bins for moving or organizing home items, marking PVC pipes, or other home projects, this pack is a solid pick. Get 12 markers with 30% more ink that is resistant to water. The ink is also non-toxic, free of pungent odors, and will not dry out for up to half an hour without a cap.

Cons: These markers do not have fine tips, so they’re not great for detailed work.

Bottom Line: These versatile tools can write smoothly on almost any surface, including cardboard boxes, PVC pipes, concrete walls, plastic bins, and more.

Final Thoughts

Permanent pens serve various functions and are extremely useful for artists and DIYers. Whether you’re completing a coloring book, labeling boxes while moving, or labeling walls during a home renovation, permanent markers could be just what you need.