Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Copics--the difference between Ciaos and Sketches

COPIC MARKERS INFORMATION
Post on Copic Storage CLICK HERE

As a beginner Copic user I know I had many questions. As a seller of Copic markers, I also receive a lot of questions from people interested in investing in these markers. I have written this short summary to help everyone out.

The Difference Between the Copic Sketch and Copic Ciao Markers
The main questions seem to focus on Sketch versus the Ciao markers that Copic makes, so I will start there. Let me commend Copic for making a “Green” marker. These markers will last a lifetime. You simply buy the refills and replaceable nibs for the markers if needed, and use them over and over. So you will never have to through away another old dried out marker.
Lets talk about the differences between the Sketch and Ciao markers now. Copic Sketch and Copic Ciao have a different shaped barrels. The Sketch has an oval type barrel and the Ciao has a round barrel. Proponents of the Sketch marker say it doesn’t roll off the table. It rolls, trust me, just not easily as its counterpart, the Ciao. Both markers have two ends to color with. One end is a brush nib, and great for detailed areas, the other is a wider nib for coloring larger areas. The nibs are replaceable on both types of markers, and both types can be refilled when they run out of ink.

Another difference worth mentioning is the Sketch markers are compatible with the Copic Airbrush system, and the Ciao are not. (Unless you are a handy person who likes rigging things up… I have heard it is possible to rig up the Ciao marker to the airbrush system)

I have also heard people say they like the fact that the Sketch markers have the numbers marked on the caps at the end of the markers. The Ciaos have the numbers listed on the side of the barrel. Depending on how you store them having the numbers on the caps may be very handy and quick when looking for colors to shade and blend with. (So you must weigh handy versus cheaper… and everyone has their own preference there)
When it came down to deciding which type I wanted to buy to use in my paper crafting it simply came down to money. They Ciaos are a bit cheaper. I have found out having 70 or so markers is adequate, although I want more!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

All About Ink

Dye Ink

Dye ink is water-based. They are comparatively fast drying and meant to be used on surfaces that are porous like paper. These inks are water soluble and will run if mixed with water. It will inks wash off with water and a little soap, pretty easy to keep your stamps clean when using this type of ink.


Solvent Inks

Solvent inks are permanent inks that can be used to stamp on non porous surfaces such as glass and metal.

Pigment Inks

Pigment inks are usually richer in color and they take longer to dry. They are fade-resistant, and are good to use for embossing techniques


My choice of inks to use with copics is Memento.


If you have any questions please feel free to email me at  casdanben@aol.com.