Why Choose Water-based Markers？

If you've ever used a pen where you had to shake the pen vigorously, you've come across oil-based paint pens so that the ball bearings can mix the paint with the oil before use. These markers are oil solvent based and leave a strong odor, making them unsuitable for children or use in poorly ventilated areas. Oil-based markers take longer to dry than acrylic markers. Although they can be used on similar surfaces as their acrylic counterparts, oil-based markers will behave slightly differently. Paint tends to be slightly better on porous surfaces and offers the advantage of not having to "seal". That said, on non-porous surfaces like paper and card, they are more likely to bleed across the surface.

Permanent pens are sometimes confused with paint pens. The important difference is that they are ink based rather than paint based, so they behave very differently. They are fairly limited aside from drying quickly and working well on white surfaces. The ink doesn't show up well on darker surfaces, nor does it work particularly well on porous surfaces. Blending and layering is not possible with ink.

So that leaves us with acrylic paint markers - a relatively new technique for using water-based acrylic paints. Among other things, their ease of use means they are growing in popularity.

As a water-based paint, acrylic note markers are very popular with all ages - especially children (though it's generally not recommended for those under 3). These pens offer a great trade-off between being permanent and washing your hands off with some soapy water.

It's a good idea, especially with younger kids, to wear an apron to prevent any paint from getting on the clothes, as once the paint dries it will be permanent.

It's important to remember that when using acrylic paint pens on items you expect to consume food or drink from, you check that the paint is food safe. Most paint pens on the market are for decorative purposes only.

The same goes for dishwasher safety. Some manufacturers will claim that your decorative pieces are perfectly safe to put in the dishwasher. However, our advice is to avoid this. If you spend hours creating, the last thing you want to do is risk being destroyed by the dishwasher.

Finally, make sure any pens you buy are non-toxic.