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Hi There! Promarkers are made here in England UK by a company called Letraset. I would describe them as the British version of copics. Promarkers are far more widely used over here than copics and for a long time copics were virtually unobtainable so most UK crafters have invested in the promarkers. A very small amount of crafters over here have copics but as with everything from "across the pond" they are now becoming VERY popular and more available.
I have a full set of promarkers (approx 150 and counting! as they add to their range) and having seen copics a while back in the US on vacation and seeing the results here on SCS I decided to start buying them too!
I don't have a huge collection (yet!) approx 60 but I can give you IMO the pro's and cons for each.
Promarkers are like copics double ended and are alcohol based so you get exactly the same result as using a copic pen. A big plus is that they are WAY cheaper than copics and you can buy many different sets which usually come in a pack of 5 sometimes with a fineliner pen included in the pack. The sets are themed unlike copics so you get sets like Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Christmas, Built environment, Pastels to name just a few. Also they are named and not numbered like copics (which I personally find a pain when a seller just lists the copic number and not the colour)
They are chunkier in build which I personally prefer but that may just be because I am more used to holding that sort of pen!
At the end of the day the colouring result is EXACTLY the same and at a far more affordable cost. At todays exchange rate a single pen would cost approx $2.50 US and a set of 5/6 $10.50 US.
I buy all of my promarkers from a fantastic company here in the UK called Joanna sheen as not only does she provide outstanding customer service but she also offers FREE world wide shipping! Always a BIG plus for me!
There you can also download the full colour chart. I hope this has helped a little. i am sure if you gave them a "go" you would'nt be disappointed! Happy Colouring!
I am also a HUGE Promarker fan. I have used both Copic and Promarkers and I found PM's much easier to use. Here is an image I colored this week with Promarkers:
Copic refills retail for anywhere between $6 - $7.50
From Dick Blick: One bottle of Copic Various Ink refills a Ciao marker 13 times, a Sketch marker 8–10 times, a Copic marker 7–9 times, and a Wide marker 5–6 times
That you all for the reviews. I guess if you color alot then Copics might be the way to go but if you don't color as much then promarkers would be the thing to choose.
Anna...that is if you BUY the refills. I take them to my local store...they refill them for you, for under $2. I think it's actually $1.49
Quote:
Originally Posted by SweetMissDaisy
Copic refills retail for anywhere between $6 - $7.50
From Dick Blick: One bottle of Copic Various Ink refills a Ciao marker 13 times, a Sketch marker 8�10 times, a Copic marker 7�9 times, and a Wide marker 5�6 times
Oh Dear Gosh! You just all had to come and enable me to buy something else I won't use! LOL I went over and looked love some of the color choices and the price is awesome!
__________________ Karen
...My life is like a stroll on the beach...As near to the edge as I can go...Thoreau...
I just bought a few Promarkers from Arizona Art. They hold much more ink than Copics do according to a review I saw, 30% more. I have ShinHan Touch markers and they are coming out with refillable/replaceable nibs early this summer. I also have some Copics and Dick Blick markers.
Touch are my favorite and I got a good price on them because the current model is on clearance to make room for the refillable model. I plan on replacing a color one at a time when a marker runs dry, with a refillable one. Since I use some colors more than others, I don't think I will need to replace all of my colors with the refillable model since these type of markers can last a very, very long time. (I have some old Design2 markers which are about 13 yes old and still are juicy). Touch are also going to have a brush marker and I would like to get some of those.
The nice thing about Blick is you can buy single markers to try out different brands to see which one you like.
As lee lulu said, each has pros and cons. I do large art pieces with my markers, you can see them on my blog listed below. To be honest, I find copics to be the most fussy marker due to a known issue with some of the density of their inks in some colors, which may not be an issue for most stampers, but causes big issues in a large piece. My Design2 markers have the same problem so I use copic and design markers the least of all, which is a bummer because copic has so many pretty colors. But I am very happy with my Touch markers. I look forward to trying out my Promarkers.
Good luck with your set into the marker world, they are a wonderful medium!
I heard about these about 5 months ago and after doing some research I have placed two orders from The Carpe Diem store, even with shipping they are less than 1.75 each. Quick shipping and I am a very happy customer. There are lots of blogs and youtube videos....lots of ladies do fabulous work out there! I can buy another marker cheaper than I can buy a Copic refill so that part doesn't bother me.
The tip on the Touch looks a little shorter, and firm than the copic. I can't tell by the picture, but I like the nib on the copic, where you can color. The copic nib looks a little longer, and more flexible. Can you tell me if my comparison is right? I can't tell by the picture. Thank you!
Are you talking about the brush tip on the Copics? Brush tips are very different then the bullet nibs, brush is great for some applications, but the bullet is great in other applications. Just depends on your preference. I like bullet nib better than brush because I have a hard time with fine detail with a brush nib, it's too soft and flexible. But I can't get a true brush looking stroke with the bullet or chisel nibs.
there are also the Letraset Tria markers that i believe are refillable but of course are more expensive!!!
the nibs on PMs are different to the copics. there is a small bullet tip and a chisel tip on the PMs.
I just heard about a marker like Copic called Promarker. Can anyone tell me if they are like Copics, how much they are and where they are sold?
Thanks so much
I just reviewed thise for a magazine. The ink is the same kind copics use (their own formula of course) the blend well and work well with copics. There is an airbrush system available for the ProMarkers as well and they just came out with new blending packs that look awesome They have a bullet tip and a chisel tip. They retail for $2.75 but I've seen them online for $1.50
The Tria Markers are also made by the same compant and they have a brush tip on one end and on the other a chisel tip and a fine tip that snaps over the chisel end (the chisel end feeds the fine tip.) The Trias are AWESOME, like the Royls Royce of markers LOL! You can refill them and replace the nibs. they retail for $5 but I see them online for $2 a great value!
The best prices I found was at a store called carpedeim.com anyone ever ordered from them?
Good luck!
Are Promarkers refillable? that would make a difference to me. If I'm investing money, I want them to be refillable.
thew Tria markers are and they use the exact same ink as promarker, they have a larger color range too so if you fell in love with a promarker color you can get it in tria and refill it til your heart's content! I prefet the Tria to copic because of the 3 nibs, I like to have a bullet and a brush tip. If you have a local art supply store you might want to try holding a few of the markers and see what feels best to you, that is someting few people realize but you might prefer the shape of one to another.
For those of you that use Promarkers and Copics, I'm looking for suggestions on which Promarker pastel colors to purchase that are different from the Copics. Also from the cards I've seen that use Promarkers, the skin tones and some of the hair colors seem more realistic. Any suggestions for color choices would be very much appreciated - thanks!
I am by no means a big "colourer" but I do have a few PMs, I use Vanilla for skin colour with a blended-down Blush for rosy cheeks etc. Looks good to my non-expert eyes!
__________________ Bexx Pyne - Independent Stampin' Up Demonstrator My SU! Site My Blog
Yes, there are a lot of great marker options out there. Copic is the most advertised so the most popular but definitely not the only choice out there! There truly is something for everyone.
I've got several sets of ProMarkers, originally purchased from Letraset but now find them cheaper at Cowling & Wilcox (UK stores). I'm not great at colouring but getting better, my attempts don't look quite so childish now
I have been using Tria markers since 1993 when I started stamping . I LOVE to color and the Tria is by far the BEST. I have a couple dozen copics, but have found they run out of ink way faster than my Trias. I like the three nibs on the Tria also. They have a new design now (mine are all the old ones) that are refillable with a new cartridge. However, you can buy these for less than $2 each at Carpe Diem so that isn't really an issue for me. As mine run out I will change over to the new ones. Do NOT confuse the Tria (by Letraset) with the Triart. I tried the Triart after someone said they were so good, and I was not happy with the colors (personal opinion) and they ran out of ink fast.
If anyone lives in the Southern California, Orange County area, or areas surrounding it, there is an Art Supply Warehouse in Westminster that sells their Copics Sketch pens for 3.99. They carry the full line of Copics. I drive the the 25 miles to get there since I can't find them any cheaper then $6 anywhere closer to home.
best skin tones for Promarker, in my opinion is soft pink for shadows, oatmeal for mid tones and dusky peach for the ought tones.
On a side note, Promarker has 70% more ink in the barrel compared to other markers, which - when you are thinking about costs and refills, still works out relatively cheaper in the long run.
__________________ My mucky fingers always smudge the furniture - a sign of great productivity ;) My Blog Designer for ProMarker pens, Tattered Angels and Tonic Studio
I tried ordering some Tria's from Carpe Diem but the website won't give me a shipping cost and they won't answer my multiple emails!!!
I found some Tria's at Art Supplies at Jerry's Artarama. I just ordered all the Shinhan Touch Twin grays ($19.99 for a set of 12!!!) and a few Tria's to try out. I bought a few Promarkers while I was in Arizona to round out some Touch marker colors that are sold out and was happily suprised with them so I figured I will give the Tria's a try
Got my groups of gray Touch markers today, each group has 2 black markers SO I have 4 more black markers!! Anyone want some black markers? haha.
I also got the 2 Tria's I ordered. The caps fell off of both of them before I even got them out of the bag. Then when I tried to pull the cap off of one end, the entire nib holder came off (the ink is in a cartridge so no mess but still..). I put all the caps back on and was having trouble getting the bullet nib cap on the chisel nib - turns out there is not much room for error and I was actually smashing the edge of the chisel nib.
within 30 seconds, I've had 2 caps fall off on their own, exposed the cartridge when trying to get the cap off and smashed the edge of the chisel. Not a good first impression. I think Letraset's Promarkers are a better way to go than the Tria's.
The caps on the Promarkers can be a bit 'iffy' - I've had difficulty removing the odd one, and also found loose caps in my storage drawer at first. Now I make a point of deliberately checking all the caps of those I've used before putting them away and haven't had any loose ones since.
I love my promarkers. I started getting them in February this year and now have about 70. I buy them from Carpe Diem for $1.49 each. I am totally addicted to them.
I haven't had any issues with the caps on the ProMarkers, only the Tria's. BUT!! Smudger who is with Letraset is going to see if Letraset will send replacements. She thinks I have the older model markers instead of the newer ones which have resolved these problems.
I'm really happy with my ProMarkers and tried to get them through Carpe Diem but they won't give me any shipping costs to Alaska, it just says shipping is "undetermined" and they have not answered any of my multiple emails.
I love the Pro Markers I buy mine at Therubbercafe.com they sell the sets and ship really quick ... the skin tone sets are the best if you are looking for skin colors . I think that there are two of them ...
I love the Pro Markers I buy mine at Therubbercafe.com they sell the sets and ship really quick ... the skin tone sets are the best if you are looking for skin colors . I think that there are two of them ...
There are definitely not two of them, there are several - depending on how fair - dark you want the tone to be. My fave is Soft Peach for dark for shadows, Oatmeal for mid tines and dusky peach for light tones x
__________________ My mucky fingers always smudge the furniture - a sign of great productivity ;) My Blog Designer for ProMarker pens, Tattered Angels and Tonic Studio
Anyone know where there is a promarker and copic color comparison chart to download? LOTV blog gives a link, but when I click on it, it doesn't work.
Thanks!
youtube has a pen comparison of promarker v copic and its here
__________________ My mucky fingers always smudge the furniture - a sign of great productivity ;) My Blog Designer for ProMarker pens, Tattered Angels and Tonic Studio
Promarkers?
