Drip Refills Are Killing Your Copic Markers
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- Опубликовано: 21 мар 2024
- Are you following popular advice-- refilling alcohol markers with 20-30 drops of ink? The drip method is dangerous for your Copics and kills markers slowly over time. Let's look at the hidden damage happening inside your marker when you use the drip method.
Illustrator and art instructor, Amy Shulke shares what happens to the components of a marker when you chronically under-fill a Copic Marker and why it's impossible to "rehab" dried-out hardened markers. You can not bring them back to life-- it's all about prevention.
Copic Markers are expensive, let's protect your investment!
This is part THREE of a five part series on Refilling Copic Markers:
Episode 1: Waiting too long to refill - • The Stupid Simple Tric...
Episode 2: How to Refill a Copic Marker - • How to Refill Copics: ...
Episode 3: Dangers of Drip Refilling - (this video)
Episode 4: Troubleshooting marker and nib issues - TBA
Episode 5: TBA
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE WEEKLY COLOR THEORY LESSON + TIPS: www.vanillaarts.com/subscribe...
#alcoholmarkers #realisticart #copicmarkers
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Do you suspect your refillable markers hold less ink now than when they were new? You're not alone and the drip refill method is why. Copic Markers are not cheap, so let's protect your investment! Watch my refill tutorial after this video for the full process: ruclips.net/video/jbMR7qAwrqM/видео.html
This is the BEST explanation of how Copics work that I have ever come across and I have been using Copics for a long time. I could never understand why they weren't working right after I refilled them to the point where one nib was dripping! Your video needs to be the FIRST video in every Copic coloring course. Thank you for this!!
Thank you! I did laugh because this info is simply a repackaged version of a lesson in my beginner Copic courses. I'm so glad you finally have the answer to your core issue!
I love this and I love what you're doing! People need to know the truth and you're giving it to them. This community is so thankful for you. Even though I knew most of this, I still learn something from you every time. Thank you.
Thank you so much! It's sad to see people with dead markers and according to the internet, they've done nothing wrong. I hope you'll help to spread the word too. And thanks for watching!
I’m laughing too hard at the disclaimer 😂😂 I want to clarify that markers have souls if we observe their existence, so they actually live on forever like us!
Thanks a lot. My dog once ate a V09 which means the spirit of that dead marker is either haunting me now or waiting for vengeance when I pass into the hereafter. Great, something else to look forward to…
This is so informative, thanks Amy
Glad it’s helpful! Thanks for the feedback too!
Fantastic video, so helpful. I've never seen any video instruction like this before. Thank you so much. You have rendered a valuable service. Again, thank you.😅
I'm so glad it helped... and happy to hear that I'm doing something unique here on RUclips. Thanks for the feedback!
You’re absolutely right! I have tried every method and this is the best one I’ve seen. The problem I run into is that you *cannot* find the refills for sale anywhere for certain colors, especially in my area’s art stores. 😢 I’m having to replace about 40 copics this year because they all got crusty from being dry and no refills available.
Thanks for the great content keep it up!
❤
Not sure what country you're from Milly but if you're in the US, try ordering online. I've had great service from Dick Blick and I just checked, they're out of stock on 3 colors but the other 355 colors are all in stock. Scrapbook Pal is my other favorite Copic resource. I just flipped through 8 pages of refills and didn't see any marked "out of stock".
I'm in a very rural area, it's a 45 min drive to the nearest craft store and twice that to the nearest art store. When I do go in person, it does seem like stores are carrying fewer items and there's just not as much on the shelves overall. Anyway, because of my location, I regularly order art supplies. Occasionally there are issues with bent paper or wet paper but I've never had an issue with shipped markers or refills.
Excellent info!
Thanks! And hopefully the word spreads. I just have a sneaking suspicion about the timing of the current rash of dead marker complaints. If you bought markers during the pandemic and drip refilled them, they'd be croaking about now... .
I have to admit that I use the drip method to refill, but I use a scale to make sure I get them to at least 14 grams. I also refill at 13.7 because I can tell the difference at that weight. I think I started this with the new refill containers. I really do not like them compared to the old ones. I do have the tool to remove the chisel nib, and you have convinced me that I should remove it to refill. Thanks Amy!
I hate the new refill bottles. The long nozzle makes them unpredictable and they splatter more. You also didn’t see in the video how sore my hand was after 140 drops. Definitely a big step backwards in efficiency and convenience.
Thank you, once again, for a very informative video. I learned long ago to fill my markers using a scale, after using the drip method for years. You answered a question I had about refilling a marker and it was pouring out the other end, but was still underweight. I suspected it was a core problem, but you explained if so well. Another marker bites the dust. 😞
Glad it helped. Crossing my fingers that it's just your one marker and not a bunch! How much does it weigh now? Can you limp along with it injurred but not dead?
Thank you VERY MUCH for all the information you have given about our treasured copics. I have learned so much and have changed what I do. I just received another shipment of refills....with more to order. What do you recommend when I need to fill my copic and I have changed the nib from a chisel to a fine nib? Will I destroy the fine nib each time I do a refill when I pull it out?
So I've only looked at the Sketch Medium (bullet) nibs, not the fine ones. The mediums are a single piece of pressed felt but I wonder about the fines because they have a collar like the brush nibs. You'll need to play with one to see if they de-glove as easily as the sketch nibs. Remove whichever nib is the least fragile (or the cheapest to replace?) Please let me know what you see and do, would love to learn from your experience!
BTW, I de-glove a brush nib in the refill video here if you need to see what I'm talking about: ruclips.net/video/jbMR7qAwrqM/видео.htmlfeature=shared&t=408 (should open to just before I de-glove).
Thanks!
Thank you very much. I appreciate the support.
@@AmyShulke I appreciate the time you've taken to help me with questions!
Thanks so much for such a chocked full video, Amy!! Here's a problem I have encountered. A couple of my markers' caps don't fit tightly. These markers ALWAYS need refilling. I've tried to switch the caps to the opposite end, but it is still loose. Is this a lost cause and I should just replace? 😒
This is a manufacturing defect and no fault on your part. It’s definitely a lost cause. You’re also wasting ink and the markers are actually getting darker with all the evaporation + excessive refills over time. I recommend you contact Copic- I’d start with the retailer you purchased from and work my way up until someone helps.
This was EXTREMELY informative!! thank you. My question is why do they sell the marker nibs for replacement? should we not replace them if they get crusty?
I'll be addressing this subject in the next video of the series but Copic sells replacement nibs to keep your marker healthy and functioning. I change brush nibs on most of my markers 2x a year because paper causes friction which wears out the sides of your nibs and your hand pressure also makes the nibs less accurate and responsive. This is the point of a replacement nib. I changed my BG70 nib yesterday because it had softened from pressure. To your question, once a nib gets crusty? Of course you should replace it, because it's non functional. But by the time it gets crusty, you're only trying to revive a terminal marker that's already doomed. Replacing a crusty nib is a Hail Mary measure, it's not how a normal tool care routine is supposed to work.
Amy, what fantastic information! I have learned so much more about Copic markers in this one video! Now I understand why I need to keep my markers to at least 14 grams. I have a huge job ahead of me, when I was sick for 3 years, my poor Copics just sat in their case, not being used. So, I need to check every single one, all 300, I wonder how many I have to re-buy? Thank you so much Amy, for all your valuable information on Copic markers.🥰
Glad it was helpful! I'd nurse as many markers as possible but start a list of those you know are dead or dying. Kinda triage them, to continue the health metaphor :)
@@AmyShulke That's a great idea, I will nurse as many markers as possible, and I will definitely start a list for the ones I need to re-buy. I will do my best to triage them, to continue the health metaphor lol. :) Thank you again!
@@Keniv. Keep 13.5 grams in mind as the magic number. Below that point is where blending will suffer. So if you have a marker that can only be refilled to 13.8g, that's not an emergency unless you use it a lot and have to refill it a bunch. Meanwhile a 12.2g marker would be higher priority. This isn't life or death here, so don't blow your retirement savings just because you suspect damage. And remember, there's that bad batch of cracking markers, so I'd be reluctant to replace anything pre-2018 unless absolutely necessary.
@@AmyShulke Thank you Amy! Again, a lot of great advice and information. I have copy and pasted this comment and placed it in my iPad notebook under Amy/Copics, so I will always have this as reference. I truly appreciate you and the time you take to make sure we all have the knowledge we need.❤️
❤️❤️❤️Thank you !
You’re welcome and I’m glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.
Hello! Thank you very much for this video! It was a life saver. I got one problem I don't know you have talked about. I stopped buying copic markers because the new ones I bought, the cap or even the core of the plastic cracked, but it only happened to the colors I bought recently. Do you know anything about it? Thank you! I loved copic with my heart but I can't afford them anymore if they are going to die so soon :((( I didn't place them in direct sunlight or anything so I'm really sad. It's like 10 caps and 1 core broken.
Unfortunately, the cracking issue is very common in Copics manufactured in the last ?four? years. I don't have exact dates on when it started but it's a manufacturing issue. My markers are all older so I've not personally had the issue happen to me but I've seen the cracks after asking a couple friends to send me their cracked markers. You can contact Copic and I've heard people say the company replaced the defective markers. Again, no personal experience on this, just people chatting and mentioning that the customer support was good and they were shipped new markers.
Thank you so much for educating me. My poor Copics! I’ve been slowly killing them. 😥
You're not alone. It's so common now. Give 'em a good thorough drink and hopefully you haven't incurred to much core damage.
There is a reason the refill bottles have a mililiter scale on the side. You can use that to determine the amount of ink you need for a refill aswell. I refill my markers as soon as I notice the first signs of low ink and it takes about 3 to 5 ml depending on model. I have used the drip method for ten years and have not noticed any issues. However there are a few things I do to make sure my markers are actually filled. I am always taking my time to make sure the core has time to absorb the ink. When I notice the second tip starting to drip I put the marker aside, both tips closed and stored horizontally, and let it sit for a while until the excess moisture is distributed through the core and then I try if the marker can take some more ink, which usually it can. Also, if you don't feel the need to wait for your markers to run dry completely you can usually find a handful of markers that could use a refill aswell, so it's always worth the hassle of setting up a refill station. And something I regretted not doing in the past is to always buy a refill when I buy a new marker, so I won't have to wait until I can get one, when the marker runs dry for the first time.
So far I haven't felt the need to weigh my markers, but now that I am aware of the resin in the ink I might be even more diligent. Btw, 20-30 drops seems like something you could do if you want to refresh your markers after every project or so, but that always seemed laughably low to me. Is that even enough to saturate the tip on a completely dry marker?
The problem with using the ticks on the refill bottle is they only tell you what’s happening inside the refill bottle, not the marker. You sound very diligent but honestly, you could be nursing damaged core markers and never know it because the cores drip when they’re “full” but can not tell you when today’s full is less than last years full. Without weighing, you can’t know for sure. You’re personally guessing more often than the average person but you’re still guessing.
@@AmyShulke not really. The volume is really just another way to measure the amount of ink. 3 ml is 3 ml. That's true today and it will be true next year. And honestly even if you weigh your markers, dried out ink also weighs something. How do you know you're not weighing cured ink and only liquid ink? You would have to work under scientific lab conditions to really be sure. Otherwise your guess is as good as mine. The important part is, that you keep your markers saturated. If I was nursing damaged cores they would not be able to take the same amount of ink as they did last time. If a marker that can usually take 3 ml only takes 2, I know for sure that something is wrong with the core.
I’m thinking that as I’ve watched your copic care videos, that copic should be sending instructions for use and care with each purchase.
This is a great video which I’d recommend for anyone I know that uses copic markers…
They should, right? Back when I first started in art, it was very rare for art supplies to come with instructions. That's still true today where the labelling on some products is mostly scientific sounding art jargon about open times, mix ratios, and pigment numbers.
But the arts and crafts movement kinda changed all that and some art companies are getting very, very good at customer outreach and education.
Copic? Nope. They're getting better because at one point, half the info on their English site was either flat wrong or gibberish. They're missing a tremendous opportunity and I just don't think they see the potential.
They are…
These days card makers doing videos are being compensated to advertise cheaper, more inferior products. Their products are being made to sound awesome, when they’re not.
Copics are expensive and known to be a great product, but they do need to promote it. Instruction and promotions such as what you’ve been doing as well as written material would go a long way to educate potential users.
This would go with the comment I made with the 1st video about not knowing that you refill them. I’ve never seen refills sold in a Michael’s store to dispel that thought. So, if you don’t know about refills, cheaper markers are going to sound better…
What I did back in the day (2013ish?) was buy used copics because they were cheaper. Not all, but probably as much as 1/3 of my collection. I think I've gotten lucky in the cores department, only a couple Copics have had core problems (but it may have been my fault because I bought markers first instead of refills back before I knew better). Just something to be aware of if someone went the same route as me.
If the price is right and the seller is honest, you can get a really good deal. Plus, they’re likely to be the older Copics before the crack issue started. If someone is considering used markers, it may be worth it to ask for weights… or for sellers to list them.
I'm in a stone cold panic right now. I just weighed my heavily used copic sketch markers and ordered refills from Blick for all the ones the weighed less than 10 grams! So now I'm terrified those FORTY FIVE refills are going to be useless and I just wasted hundreds of dollars! Ugh. The order hasn't even shipped yet. I am wondering now if I should just have bought new markers instead!
Don't panic yet. How dry did the markers look on paper because I have a hard time imagining anyone not noticing a 10 gram marker... in which case your scale could need calibrating.
If the markers are truly bone dry, then they're definitely dead. If that's the case, I'm so sorry. It's an expensive lesson to learn.
Refills are never useless if you have the marker, so replace the colors gradually and you'll have the refill ready and waiting to keep this mistake from ever happening again.
@@AmyShulke I'm double checking these on paper now. I ordered refills strictly off weight, which all were between 8-9 g. So I stopped using them once I learned about weighing them, roughly a year ago.
Your instructions and information is so well done and helpful. Thanks very much for going to the lengths to explain copics so thoroughly!
@@AmyShulke great news! I spent the entire afternoon weighing and cleaning each of my 300+ markers. 😰 Only one was turned to stone, which happened to be one that I swapped the chisel for a bullet tip. Have you experienced any wonky business with the bullet nibs? The rest of my markers were all weighing in no less than 12.something. Majority are around 13.5 and up. So I think I'm mostly ok! I'm wondering if I had my scale set to something other than gram. Guhhh. Scary day! 😂
@@Vanned-UpComedy Do you mean the brush nib or did you replace the chisels with fine point bullets? I have one black with a bullet but I never use it. Describe the problem and I’ll ask around.
@@AmyShulke hi Amy, thanks for taking the time. I removed a cool Grey 3 chisel nib and replaced it with a fine point tip. Maybe "bullet" is the wrong word, but this is the only marker that turned hard at both ends after little to no use. So I'm wondering if the fine point nib (copic official) had an effect on the marker drying out tip-to-tip.
Very informative but…… now I’m truly frightened. I have a very large collection of markers and they have not been touched for a very long time. As I was getting interested in returning to coloring again by watching this but now I’m scared to check my markers. Coloring was going to be my calming zen space in a time that life keeps handing me challenges and disappointments but now I’m afraid Have no idea where to begin now😢
Ugh. I hate that I've scared you but marker maintenance was always part of the package, whether you realized it or not. Personally, I'm a get-it-over-with kind of person, so I'd start by getting a jeweler's scale and evaluating the damage.
When it comes to the refills, because I'm sure you'll be needing more than a few-- there are two logical approaches. 1. Refill the lowest weight markers first -OR- 2. Refill your most frequently used colors first.
If the goal is to start coloring again right away, there's a benefit to refilling the colors you use most, right away. If we only refill the deadest, you could be spending money on weird browns or swampy greens but waiting months to get your everyday blue or favorite pink back into working order.
Another thought and the odds of this are slim... but I used to refill markers for a scrapbooking store. Customers would drop off their Copics, I'd take them home and refill, bring them back later. The store where I taught prior to that had a whole refill collection and they refilled for customers. I have no idea if there are stores still doing this in your area but it's worth a few phone calls. It was always less economical over time to have us refill than to do it yourself but the benefit was that we had all the colors immediately available for emergencies.
@@AmyShulke my scale is arriving today. Hope I got the right thing. It wasn’t expensive. Just ordered one on Canadian amazon. I work nights and shifts so process of checking all my markers will be slow but the process will begin soon
@@AmyShulke so I weighed a few just now. I don’t know if you’re available for questions and I’m not sure best place to ask but here goes. In video you say manufacturing makes markers around 14.2 - 14.6. I have a few coming in at 14 even. I’ll assume that is good enough for now but confirm on that if you can. Second question. How do I know if the interior core is damaged? Refill and hope it’s good?🤷♀️🤷♀️
I refill before I get to 13.5g (Sketch). You're fine to wait on your 14 gram'ers.
When a marker dips into the 11-12g zone, that's when I worry about core damage because you're basically weighing just the plastic parts at that point.
Damage can also happen over time when you keep a marker hovering in the 12-13g zone. Signs of core damage:
1. You refill but the marker drips out the other end and will not accept more ink even though you're not yet back to 14g.
2. As you color, the marker runs out of ink fast. For instance, it starts acting totally dry in the 13-14g zone.
3. One or both nibs has gone crunchy either now or in the past. This doesn't mean the marker is dead or unusable but a nib will only dry out if there's a core issue and changing the nib doesn't fix the core.
@@AmyShulke I spent the afternoon weighing all my markers. I have written down all the ones that came in under 14. The list is very long but I’m surprised that most are over. In the under 14 markers, most are coming in around 13.8 range. Only one or two were in 12 category. Like I said the list of markers under 14 is long but I’ll be buying some refills on Monday and I will slowly and gradually get the refills needed
The fact that I just found out Copics are NOT lightfast makes me so mad I bought the complete set after saving for them for 2 years. 😫
I can sympathize but honestly, maybe 90% of craft supplies and more than half of art supplies are not lightfast. Lightfastness is NOT a normal, standard thing. It wasn't until scrapbooking hit the hobby market that the general public even cared about it. "Archival" was a marketing campaign designed to lure you into preserving your photographs with supposedly time-friendly (and expensive) paper crafting supplies.
More bad news: most lightfast art supplies are not actually lightfast. The PIGMENTS may be lightfast but the product they make from lightfast pigments is rarely lightfast. Generally, lightfast pigments are only lightfast when applied in thick layers and even then, the top layer still fades. Most lightfast watercolors, lightfast pigment markers, and lightfast colored pencils fade because we apply thin washes. And it kills me to see colored pencil people smearing their lightfast pencil projects with solvent because they're removing the small bit of protective barrier which shields the pigments from light exposure.
You're mad because a marketing scheme isn't real. That's not Copic's fault, Copic had nothing to do with it.
But let's look at what you did get for your investment:
1. The highest quality marker bodies in the industry
2. The best brush nibs on the market
3. A gigantic range of bright and vivid colors which covers all the major hues and values
4. Inks designed to blend with each other and a numbering system which guides you to the best potential blends
5. High quality ink which generally fades less than other brands
6. Refillable markers with refill inks for EVERY color and the refill inks are consistently available
And one more thing which isn't really Copic's doing but which is also a great big benefit of using Copic:
7. Copic does not send free sets to anyone and everyone on RUclips in exchange for positive reviews and half-truths. So when you see someone on RUclips working with Copic, THEY ARE NOT BEING PAID TO LIE. In general, I've found the free Copic education to be better, more accurate, and more grounded in reality than videos with other marker brands because the creator isn't being paid to sell you magic beans.
Last, let me remind you of the joy which comes from working with Copics... or maybe just markers in general. It's an accessible medium, it's portable and convenient, and it's also easy to learn and master. Plus, they're just darned fun.
Your marker art doesn't need to last for centuries. Stop worrying about longevity and just enjoy the creative process.
Appreciate Copics for what they are, not what you imagined them to be.
@@AmyShulke I very much agree! I’m just going to use them in my sketchbook and scan/print out what is good enough for actual framing. I really should have done more research into Copics before I laid out almost $2,000 for them. My fault completely, no denying. I’m actually starting my Ohuhu collection now and love them too. Copics numbering system is sooooooo much more logical than Ohuhu’s, no idea what they were smoking when they numbered some of those markers. 😆
I actually appreciate that they don’t send free Copics to any of the influencers, that really does skew the reviews.
Please hold off on investing money into Ohuhu. If you're upset about Copic fade and feel like you wasted money, you really won't like what I found with Ohuhu. I stopped testing them because they're laughably bad on multiple levels. markernovice.com/ohuhu-archive
@@AmyShulke I’ve only purchased the Portrait set as of now, so far really liking them. I am actually more into watercolors at this point though so the alcohol markers only come out a couple times a month. I will check out that video though thank you. 👍🏻👍🏻
It's not a video. I ran uncapped testing and quit because the failure rate was so bad.
Whenever I put more than 40 drops in the marker Dripps ungodly lol
Sounds like a marker that either wasn't terribly underweight to begin with OR a marker with a partially damaged core. Until you weigh it, you'll never know.
@@AmyShulke yeah I'm working on getting a scale. My brothers cooking scale isnt great. I want one small like urs but funds are not great right now. I love how u answr me back. I see your videos and there like a class for me. Thank you seriously
@@eternalsquanch8445 Of course I answer. You're one of the OG commenters on the channel... well, I guess we need to wait a while before we call anyone one of the first on this reboot, but I sincerely appreciate the comments and feedback. Thank you!
important information but i feel that the tone of the video was very accusatory and you repeated yourself a lot, which gave the impression of getting berated for 19 minutes. i've never used the drip method because i haven't had to refill my markers yet - i came to find how to diagnose what was causing the ink to be sticky, and while your video answered that question, i feel like it could have been a lot shorter and a whole lot less dramatic. remarks about how the marker is suffering and dying and comparisons to faithful dogs and so on are unnecessary anthropomorphization and made the tone of the video unpleasant, just dragging it on. be more informative (more to the point) and encouraging and you'll find (especially new) viewers will feel more welcome watching your videos
Thanks for the feedback. Hope the rest of your day goes better. ❤️
Thanks!
Thank you!