Black Ink on Glossy Papers

Posted on April 21, 2017 by MarkerSupply

With National Letterwriting Month in full swing, we are seeing a lot of black ink markers and pens being used for cards, envelopes, and postcards.
When picking out which marker you are going to use for your mail, it can seem like the only decision you need to make is the size and shape of the tip. Remember to also consider that the type of ink is important too! If your paper/envelope has a glossy finish to it, you may have issues with the ink smudging and smearing off. And what if it rains on your mail during its travels? Will the ink run when it gets wet?

Use these quick comparison charts for help picking the markers that will work best for you, particularly when using glossy papers!

NEWbestforsurfacecollage

………………………………………….

Meet the Markers

We gathered a group of black pens and markers we often use for writing here at Marker Supply that features a mix of ink types- pigment, dye, water, oil, acrylic, and alcohol-based pens. Then we did several tests with each to see how they held up on different types of envelopes.

PenGroup-web

blackinks-normal (Find each of these markers at Marker Supply!)

………………………………………….

Plain White Envelopes

A lot of folks stick to plain white paper envelopes- and most black ink markers work great on them!

envelope-white

Rain Test

See what happens to each ink when the plain white envelope meets water..

envelope-whitewet

While some of the inks smeared a little bit when rubbed over, they all stayed pretty intact. Dye-based markers (like the Marvy Le Pen and Pentel Sign Pen) have ink that is made to move with water (for blending effects, watercolor, etc.) Watch out using these types of pens if your paper is ever likely to come in contact with water as the color will bleed.

Bleed-Through Test

Keep in mind that oil-based (Marvy Decocolor, Sharpie Paint) and alcohol-based (Prismacolor, Kurecolor, Copic) markers, along with other permanent markers with a lot of ink (Sharpies), commonly bleed through papers- so write on your envelopes before putting the mail inside if using pens like these.

bleedthru-whitedry

Also, if they get hit with water, other types of ink can bleed though as well, potentially damaging the contents inside:
bleedthru-whitewet

………………………………………….

Specialty Paper/Glossy Envelopes

When addressing some snail mail recently, we ran into problems whenever we used fancier and make-them-yourself envelopes. The paper was smoother and shinier.. and our “go-to addressing markers” didn’t work well on that type of surface.

This example shows how inks worked differently on one of the trickier silver paper envelopes:

envelope-silver

Some of the marker ink repelled right off of the surface, and some barely left any color at all!
The good news is that after just a moment of drying, none of the inks smeared around.

Rain Test

“Rain or shine, the mail must go through!” What if it rains on your glossy envelope?

envelope-silverwet

envelope-smudge-silverwet

If you’ve used a dye-based marker (like the Pentel Sign Pen or Clean Color Real Brushes), your ink can totally disappear! We loved the Posca Paint Markers and the Sakura Permapaque Markers for these envelopes- and both of those marker ranges include a nice variety of colors too!
So keep in mind that some inks may look ok when dry, but won’t hold up well on a glossy surface if they meet rain or snow while on their way to their destination.

………………………………………….

Ink Dry-Times / Smudge Tests

Writing with some pens and markers can be frustrating if they are prone to smearing and smudging- which happens a lot more when working with smooth, glossy papers.

Take a look at how these different inks stand up to smudging after different drying times:

Lightweight Glossy Paper

Ink smudging immediately after writing:

smudge-glossypaper-immediate

Smudging after 10 seconds of lightly blowing on the ink:

smudge-glossypaper-10seconds

This definitely made a big difference with some of the pens! A lot of them still lost the dark black color that sits of top of the writing- common with glossy paper as it’s harder for the ink to soak into. Some others smeared in the areas the pen stopped writing each letter- where there was still a small dot of wet ink that needed a little longer to fully dry.

Ultra-Glossy Photo Paper

From photo-like postcards to regular photographs, this type of slippery surface can be tricky to mark on.

This is what the inks looked like on photo paper after being smeared immediately after writing:

smudge-photopaper-immediate

We were pretty impressed with the results! Most of the markers did much better on this type of glossy surface than the smooth shiny paper! Some of the thicker ink markers rubbed away, leaving only a “ghosting” behind.

Trying photo paper marking again, we smudged each ink after lightly blowing on it for 10 seconds:

smudge-photopaper-10seconds

Again, just those few extra seconds of drying really seemed to help the ink set. A few pens still had trouble fully absorbing into the shiny surface, as the top black color still rubbed away after drying.

Another test with photo paper- we sprayed on a little water and watched how each ink reacted:

smudge-photopaper-water

Some stayed intact but lost their black color on top when rubbed over, while also making a mess of black smear marks.
And others, like the Marvy Le Pen (which was one of the best, super fast-drying fine line pens for photo marking) instantly began to “melt” like the other dye-based inks (which are made to be movable with water), surrounding themselves with blue/purple color. Interesting to see the Zig Photo Signature, another of the best quick-drying pens to use on glossy photos, reacted to the water with an orange color, even though the black markings held up alright.

………………………………………….

So keep in mind as you decorate and address your mail that not all black inks are the same on various surfaces, and not all will hold up to certain conditions. Try some experiments first on a test envelope to see how your markers do!

267

Leave a Reply

newest oldest

Guest

seoBom

Мы помогаем организовать свой бизнес онлайн, который сегодня включает в себя повышение узнаваемости бренда, рекламу, исследование рынка, взаимоотношения с клиентами и настройку процессов, стратегию, продвижение, которые бы связывали online-дело с офлайн-услугами. Свыше 110 фирм работают с нашей фирмой. Сотрудники нашей компании проводят: Оптимизация содержания на на вашем сайте. После сбора главных слов и фраз оптимизируем вэб страницы вашего web-сайта, с тем чтобы сфокусироваться вокруг составленных терминов. Поисковая оптимизация(сео): используем карты сайта,адаптивный дизайн и структурированные данные,скорость сайта, дабы поднять ваш личный рейтинг. Исследование главных слов. Определяем главные определения и ключевые слова, которые конкретно ваша повседневная целевая аудитория использует в целях поискового… Read more »

Guest

seoBom

Международная компания в Самаре дает возможность начать личное дело он-лайн, который сегодня включает в себя повышение узнаваемости бренда, стратегию, исследование рынка, рекламу, продвижение, взаимоотношения с клиентами и настройку процессов, которые бы связывали онлайн-компанию с офлайн-услугами. Более 150 компаний сотрудничают с нашей фирмой. Мы проводим: Оптимизация контента. После завершения сбора главных слов оптимизируем страницы вашего сайта, с тем чтобы сфокусироваться вокруг подобранных терминов. Поисковая оптимизация(сео): применяем карты сайта,скорость сайта,адаптивный дизайн и структурированные данные, чтобы поднять ваш личный рейтинг. Контент. Систематическое написание свежего наполнения позволяет занимать более высочайшие места, позволяя поисковым системам большее количество страниц для индексации, а посетителям – намного больше… Read more »

Guest

Durbuse

Допустим, вы хозяин нового интернет-сайта, который имеет приятный современный дизайн, удобную навигацию и нужную для клиентов рекламную информацию. Но гостей нет. Что делать? Если вы владеете собственным делом мы поможем вам создать посадочную страницу. Установлено, ни одно реальное или виртуальное предприятие не может продвигаться независимо. Каждой производственной компании требуется подмога в приобретении популярности, а во Мировой компьюторной паутине без нее безусловно не быть из-за яростной конкурентной борьбы.Мы занимаемся разработкой веб страницы. Сотрудники нашей компании готовы запустить хороший интернет магазин в течение трёх рабочих дней. Вдобавок оформления полных интернет-ресурсов, мы оказываем сервис технической помощи: уместное продление хостинга и домена, добавление содержания… Read more »

Guest

Durbuse

Предположим, вы хозяин нового интернет-сайта, который имеет приятный дизайнерские решения, удобную навигацию и полезную для гостей информацию. Но сервис ни кто не посещает. Что делать? Те, кто имеют свой бизнес мы поможем вам создать лендинг. Отмечено что, ни одно настоящее или виртуальное предприятие не может продвигаться самостоятельно. Отдельной любой компании надлежит содействие в приобретении популярности, а во Мировой компьюторной паутине без нее решительно не быть из-за бешеной конкурентной борьбы.Мы занимаемся разработкой электронной коммерцией. Сотрудники нашей компании готовы запустить полновесный портал в течение 3х суток. Кроме предоставления выполненных интернет-проектов, мы осуществляем сервис технической помощи: уместное продление хостинга и нового домена, добавление… Read more »

rasstanovka hellinger

rasstanovka hellinger

rasstanovka hellinger

PSYCHOSOCIAL

PSYCHOSOCIAL

PSYCHOSOCIAL

Guest

Joshuasloni

Bass that go ‘Beep’ HEMPHILL Bass anglers are often quick to assume the worst when the fish stop biting on their best lake, in particular when the lull seemingly has no end. are also the fish sick? Did these types of die? Did they swim to the contrary end of the lake? Or did they simply develop lockjaw? Anglers at Toledo Bend and Lake Fork have been grumbling about a downward slide in the fishing on their lakes for quite a while. They haven’t been bashful about pitching some questions to Texas Parks Wildlife Department fisheries scientists, oftentimes. Grab the… Read more »

Guest

Joshuasloni

The Diocese on Arctic HomeAccess to ArcticnetMap of DioceseAnglican Church of CanadaCouncil of the NorthAnglican FoundationOther Links Diocesan Info Bishop of the Diocese Office and Contacts Mission file Parishes Clergy “on the next paragraphs Talk” Current Events Arctic News Arctic Appeal History of the Diocese Stories of the Arctic Youth Cathedral Cathedral News Diocesan Mission Work Diocesan Prayer Cycle Languages Diocesan Employment Employment Application Arthur Turner Training School how would you help? Daily Bible Reading GuideI usefulness OF THE Those Canons and General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada and of the Synod of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert’s… Read more »

coronavirus

coronavirus

coronavirus

psyhelp_on_line

psyhelp_on_line

psyhelp_on_line

psiholog

psiholog

psiholog

Beograd film 2020

Beograd film 2020

Beograd film 2020