Category: Art

Well, several words, in fact. In my various art- and journaling-related fora, the subject of Sharpies regularly rears its ugly head. I can understand their appeal: they’re cheap, ubiquitous, and come in a wide variety of sizes and colors. However, it makes me wince whenever I hear someone say they use Sharpies, or worse, when someone recommends their use to another person. The former I usually ignore, but the latter, I think, requires a response.

The problem is that Sharpies are not archival. I realize archivalness isn’t always a primary concern when journaling. It certainly isn’t for me. That’s okay, I think, because journaling is as much about the here-and-now as it is about preserving one’s thoughts for the future. So, I include ephemera that will deteriorate over time, and in some cases I journal on papers that are bound to be full of all sorts of acidic chemicals. I know those things won’t last forever, and I’m okay with that. I’d like them to last a reasonable length of time, though.

Sharpies, unfortunately, do not even begin to pass muster on that front. The ink starts to break down almost immediately, migrating and haloing, and the acids in the inks discolor even archival paper. This example is from 12 years ago, which really isn’t that long. The inks began breaking down within just a couple of years. Somewhere, I have examples of black Sharpie, which have yellow haloing and the same pinkish-brown discoloration along the borders.

Please, please, please, think twice about using “permanent markers” in your journals. It’s just not worth it when there are so many alternatives out there. Faber-Castell Pitt Pens are wonderful, as they’re waterproof, light-fast, and archival (recent example in composition book journal). They’re widely available at big box craft stores, as well as at most mom-and-pop art supply shops. I’m especially fond of old fashioned dip pens and India ink. Aside from being archival, light-fast, and waterproof, the variety of affordable nibs and ink colors makes them quite flexible. I enjoy writing even with a super cheap nib and pen holder (example from 1989). Most larger department stores now have crafting sections, where you can find good, affordable acid free pens, e.g. Zig, which makes several roller ball and felt tip pens and markers (example of Zig pens). The school supply department can also yield good results, though there are so many products it can be a little overwhelming. Pilot Precise roller ball gel pens are pretty decent (example from 1993). RoseArt has even come out with some cheap, fun gel markers that come in a variety of colors and tips (example of RoseArt metallic gel markers). And then there are good old Crayola markers (example from 1990).