Alcohol Marker Comparison

Alcohol markers have become more and more popular within the crafting community in general. But which one is best for YOU and which one will meet YOUR needs as a card maker?! Today I’m going to answer those questions! I’m looking at three different popular brands to do an alcohol marker comparison: Copic Markers, Altenew Artist Markers, and Spectrum Noir Markers.

All three of these brands are popular within the card making community which is why I picked these three brands. Each brand has pros and cons which I discuss below. Now, if you’ve read many of my blog posts, you probably already know that I’m a Copic fan. I have a nice collection and this alcohol marker comparison opened my mind up to different possibilities. Also, at the bottom of this post, I am linking to the best deals on alcohol markers on the Internet. Let’s get started.

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Below is my swatch chart of all of the markers I compared. This is my very first step when comparing markers. I tried to keep the colors as similar as possible. I must say that I picked one of the MOST difficult colors to blend in Copic which is the Violet group. I didn’t do this on purpose. Purple just happens to be my favorite color.

You’ll notice instantly that I didn’t actually blend any of the Spectrum Noir colors. I grouped them together by the recommendations on the packaging. For the life of me, I just couldn’t figure out how to make any of those colors work as listed on the packaging.

What does each marker look like?

Each of the alcohol markers are about the same length. Copic Markers come in a few different body styles. This particular one is a Copic Sketch Marker and it’s oval in shape. The Altenew Artist Marker is triangular. And the Spectrum Noir Marker is a hexagon shape. All of these shapes are great for markers for one reason: they don’t roll off your desk!

The Copic Sketch Marker has a brush end (or nib) and a chisel nib. The Altenew Artist Markers have a brush nib and a bullet nib. And the Spectrum Noir Markers have a bullet nib and chisel nib. I’ve never used a marker with a bullet nib. After using all three of these alcohol markers I can say I prefer the brush nib over the bullet nib. The brush nibs offer more flexibility and a variation in stroke much easier than a bullet nib. The chisel nibs are great for filling in large areas quickly with one solid color. I’m not sure I’ve ever used the chisel end of my markers.

How true are the colors?

Let’s start with the most disappointing marker in our alcohol marker comparison. The Spectrum Noir Markers aren’t even close to the color on the end cap. Here are the end caps for the Spectrum Noir Markers.

Now let’s look at that swatch chart again. Do you see any bright PINK end caps? Or BROWN end caps? Nope, neither did I! Three of the dark purples are so close in color that I can’t tell them apart. And the two dark greens are the same even though when you look at the end cap JG6 and DG3 are very different shades of green. I know these alcohol markers are super popular because they are so cheap. Is it a wise investment if these are the colors you get? I don’t think so.

As for the Copic and Altenew Artist Markers, I think those colors are a better representation of the colors on the caps. While I don’t expect the colors to be exact, I want to have an idea of the actual color of the marker. One thing I love about the Altenew markers is they coordinate with the entire Altenew color line. All of the Artist Marker’s colors match the ink pads, ink sprays, and cardstocks. That’s pretty cool if you ask me.

How do the markers perform?

I stamped a flower and leaves using Lawn Fawn’s Jet Black Ink onto Neenah Solar White 80lb cardstock. I made a panel for each of the three brands tested. I did basic shading and coloring. I wasn’t going for perfection but instead to see how the colored image looked after it had completely dried. Did the colors blend well? Did the lighter shades pick too much of the darker shades? Does the image look marbled? Below are my three colored images.

Of course, I liked the Copic results the best. I did get more variation with the Copics than with the other alcohol markers. I do believe with a little practice the Altenew Artist Markers will provide the same results as the Copic markers. The lighter Altenew markers pulled more color from the darker markers than the Copic markers. The Altenew colored image was slightly marbled because of this but I as I said I think that’s solved with a little practice.

Now, those poor Spectrum Noir markers where just pitiful. I got zero blending and not enough color difference to be able to make a stab at making them blend. I did notice as I was coloring the green, the lighter color just bleached out some of the darker colors instead of just softening it.

Best places to purchase?

Copic Markers are sold in many different places but the price varies greatly between each store. I’ve found two places to purchase Copic Markers online that are awesome. Not only is the price great but the customer service is outstanding for both of the online retailers. Blick Art Supplies is my first recommendation and ScrapbookPal.com is my second.

Altenew Artist Markers can be purchased through several retailers online that carry card making and scrapbook supplies. Altenew obviously carries the markers. Also, Scrapbook.com, Simon Says Stamp, and Ellen Hutson.

If after reading all of this and you still want to buy the Spectrum Noir markers, you can find those at AC Moore, JoAnns, and Michael’s. But don’t say you weren’t warned.

Conclusions of Alcohol Marker Comparision

Spectrum Noir

Pros
- Cheap, we’re talking like $8 for six markers
- Refillable
- Replaceable nibs
- Brush nib available
Cons
- Colors are not accurate
- Do not blend
- Bullet nib
- Brush nib pricey in comparison to marker cost
- Refills pricey compared to marker cost
- A bit bulky to hold

Altenew Artist Markers

Pros
- A good price point for a set of four markers at around $14-$16
- Nice range of colors that coordinate with other Altenew products
- Refillable
- Replacement nibs
- Bullet nib included instead of a chisel nib
- Color representation on the cap is close to actual marker color
- Very easy to grip
- Excellent results
Cons
- Limited color availability
- No real skin tone line of colors

Copic

Pros
- Several marker body styles
- 358 different colors
- Refillable
- Replacement nibs
- Accurate colors
- Excellent results
Cons
- Expensive
- Bullet nib is a separate purchase to replace the chisel nib
- Sketch markers are a little odd for me to hold