Permanent Markers

Wherever or whenever comes the need for writing or marking ceramics, wood, stone, plastics, cardboard or metal, permanent markers are the online choice of professionals. This is because they can stay on any surface for much longer than any other writing tool.

Permanent markers are also known as indelible markers. They are a special type of writing tool used for permanent or semi-permanent writing on any surface. Besides the above mentioned, these markers are also used on regular paper, but the ink tends to bleed easily and is easily visible on the other side of the paper. The ink in permanent marker is specially designed with unique solvent, pyrrolidone, resin, colourant and glyceride. This unique combination also makes the marker highly water-resistant with lasting impressions. Besides the ink, there is a lot more to understand about these pens/markers. Therefore we are here to share some basic information about these markers with you.

Understanding the construction of permanent marker

Although you might use permanent markers daily, you are likely hard-pressed to understand and explain how they work, just like the variety in tips (from ultra-fine to wide), shapes (including chisel point, wide bristle, and bullet tip), and colours (ultraviolet reactive and metallics) they very in basic ingredients. The unique ingredients in permanent markers make them perform differently on any surface and deliver different results. If you are the one who uses these markers quite often, this discussion will help you understand your tool in depth. The information we are about share will give you a helping hand in your buying process.

Understanding the construction

The first thing is to understand what a permanent marker is actually made of.  All permanent markers are primarily made of hollow plastic and air-tight tube. This tube has one end open while others are closed. This tube encases a stick of sponge-like porous material that protrudes slightly out of the opening, otherwise known as the tip of the marker. This sponge, like absorbent material inside the tube, is saturated with ink. As the ink evaporates or drains from the tip, the siphoning effect draws ink from the inside of the tube to the outer edge of the tip.

The colourant and solvent of the marker

The pigment, otherwise known as a colourant, delivers you different shades like black, blue, red, or more. The colourant is responsible for giving a specific colour to the ink in the sponged tube of your marker. Unlike temporary markers, permanent markers contain pigments instead of dyes. They work in combination with the solvent to deliver lasting results. The solvent is also responsible for transporting the ink from the sponge to the nib of the marker. In a quality permanent marker, xylene is the most commonly used solvent.

The resins

It is a glue-like polymer, in resin is responsible for sticking the colourant to the paper once the solvent evaporates. If the inks were just solvent and colourant, the colourant can easily turn to dust and fall off from the paper as soon as it dries or the liquid content evaporates. But luckily, the ink resins are naturally sticky, and thus they work fine with the solvent to keep it free and fluid inside the plastic tube of your marker. While buying online you can explore the product description section on the product page and read about all these details.

Understanding the differences

A major difference between permanent and non-permanent or commonly used markers is in the ink resin they contain. A permanent marker tends to be highly non-polar and does not dissolve in water at all.  So, if the ink with this non-polar resin gets on any fabric, it will not go out easily. Instead, it will need a non-polar solvent like acetone (commonly used in dry cleaning) to remove colourant from the fabric. Additionally, a permanent marker often uses special dyes and pigments that do not dissolve in the water.