The Best Markers

Uni EMOTT Sign Pens are a great choice for heavy-handed writing. Their tips are reinforced with protective shields. No matter the angle or pressure, the pens create consistent lines. The inks are also water and Copic resistant—they’ll run a bit, but writing stays legible in case of any spills. Choose individual pens or sets with five, ten, or all forty colors.

Kuretake ZIG Clean Color Dot Markers have squishy dot tips that can make marks from 1 mm to 5 mm depending on how much pressure is used. One marker can be used to letter expressive titles, create pointillism-inspired artworks, and fill in habit trackers! Choose from single-sided markers that only come with the dot tips and double-sided markers that have both dot tips and 0.5 mm plastic nibs.

If you need markers with broader tips to fill in large areas, try the Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens instead. They’re available with ultra-fine, medium, and broad felt tips and feature acid-free inks that resist smearing and bleedthrough. Their more limited color selection still includes uncommon hues, some of which are scented!

Double-sided Sun-Star Decot Overwriting Markers feature chisel tips with dark inks and fine tips with bright inks. The bright inks are specially formulated to write over the dark inks without the colors becoming muddled. Combine different Decot Overwriting Markers to make headers or doodles that pop.

Ultra Fine Sharpie Markers feature thin plastic nibs and free-flowing inks that create thick, bold lines. Though they’ll bleed through regular paper, they fare well on adhesive labels and nonporous surfaces like metal and glass. Since their inks are water resistant, you can rest assured that your letters will remain legible even if they come in contact with water.

Tombow Dual Brush Pens are incredibly popular in the calligraphy community, and for good reason. Their double-sided designs feature flexible tips that allow for expressive brushstrokes and sturdy bullet tips for adding details, outlining, or doodling. Because their inks are water soluble, a blending kit can be used to create washes of color or to combine inks.

Tombow Dual Brush Pens come in a huge color selection and are available in sets or as single pens if you want to curate a collection of your favorite colors.

Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers can write on almost any non-porous surface including glass, plastic, metal, wood, and stone. Like the Uni Posca, its ink is opaque when applied. It’s also water, fade, and abrasion resistant and quick drying, making it perfect for outdoor craft projects. They’re best on glossy or coated paper, as they may bleed through regular, non-coated paper.

Double-sided Sun-Star Dot é Pens have 3 mm square tips on one end that can be used like stamps for creating fun pixel art! They also work for filling in habit trackers and creating borders. Use the 0.5 mm tips on the other end for adding details or checking off tasks on to-do lists.