Quest for the Perfect White Pen

Not sure if anyone else is searching for the perfect white pen but I am and it's been a long journey. I've tried so many over the years and haven't found the perfect one yet. As I get more into art journaling I find that a white pen is a good alternative to the regular black to switch it up a little. 

Recently, I went on the quest again. I cut up several sheets of black cardstock and wrote the name of each pen along with a little squiggle and few doodles to see how the pen would work for writing and doodling. You might be wondering why there are two of each sample, well as many of you know not all cardstock is equal. I wrote on two different pieces, one is a little slick almost has a a mottled look to it and the other if more like regular smooth cardstock.

They appear in the order I think from best to worst....

As you can see there are many white pen out there and they are not equal. Hands down the Uniball Signo broad wins. I've had this pen several years and it does seem to be the best out there. Depending on how you use the pen will determine which one you choose.

I will warn you that some of these pens don't give instant gratification. What I mean by that is the Sakura Glaze and soufflé pens come out clear and as they dry they turn white so don't crumple up your paper or throw away the pen because you don't see what you wrote, just give it a minute or two and it should show up. Others are good if you want that white-washed look too. Most of these pens are gel or water based, I included the Sharpie oil based pen so you could see the difference and not pick up the wrong one at the store. Water-based is good for paper and oil based is good for wood, metal, pottery, rubber, glass, plastic, stone and more but not paper.

If you do pick up one of these pens be sure to use it often, maybe once a week or so, even if it's just to doodle a little. This will keep the pen from drying up or getting clogged which seems to happen to a lot of my white pens.

Call the store KEPT Creations 781-447-4010 and let Kim know you one these white pens.

This is the first of three posts, so check back tomorrow to see how these pens look on different mediums.

Susan C.