Two inks, two temperaments

Alcohol markers vs water-based brush markers

We make both kinds, and we are asked every week which one to choose. Neither is the upgrade of the other. They are different inks for different pages, and a single test row shows the difference faster than any description.

How alcohol ink behaves

Alcohol-based ink is thin and dries in seconds. While it is damp, a second colour melts into the first, which gives the smooth gradients people associate with marker illustration. Dry layers are permanent and can be darkened with another pass.

Our alcohol markers carry a fine tip for outlines and details and a chisel tip for filling areas. The trade-off is paper: the ink soaks through ordinary sheets, so it needs marker paper or a protective sheet behind the page.

How water-based ink behaves

Water-based ink sits closer to the surface and stays workable a little longer. It gives clean, bright strokes with clear edges, and it is kinder to thin paper such as planners and double-sided coloring books.

Our water-based sets pair a flexible brush tip, which goes from a hairline to a broad stroke with pressure, with a 0.3 mm fineliner for writing and outlining. That brush tip is why letterers favor them.

Blending with each

With alcohol markers, start with the lighter colour, add the darker one at the edge, then go back over the join with the lighter marker while everything is still damp. A colorless blender, included in our 120-colour starter pack, softens edges and lifts small mistakes.

With water-based brush pens, touch the tip of a dark marker to the tip of a light one, or lay both on a plastic lid and pick the colour up with a damp brush. The blend is softer and more like watercolor.

Which to choose for your pages

Choose alcohol markers for illustration, manga, fashion sketches, card making and any page where you want smooth fills. Our sets run from 48 to 320 colours, and the bigger sets earn their size in close shades for shadows and skin.

Choose water-based brush markers for hand lettering, bullet journals, calendars and coloring books with printing on both sides. Twenty-four colours will take you a long way; 72 gives you a full range.

Looking after them

Cap both kinds until they click. Store dual-tip markers flat or in the stand that comes with the set so neither tip dries out first. When a refillable alcohol marker starts to streak, refill it instead of pressing harder, since pressure only flattens the tip.

Then swatch again. A marker that has been refilled or sat through a hot summer deserves a fresh box on the card.