Posca Markers
Posca Paint Markers are a super-cool art supply to have in your stash, because you can use them for so many creative things!
Poscas come in a bunch of different sizes, colors and nib shapes, which can be overwhelming if you haven’t used them before and don’t know what to get.
In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know about Poscas so that you can get the right paint pens for your creative projects!
Table of Contents
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After using almost a dozen different brands of paint markers over the past 10+ years, I always turn to Poscas the most because they’re reliable, come in a wide range of colors and nib types, and offer excellent value for the price!
What are Posca Markers?
Uni-Posca Paint Markers, (affiliate link) also known as paint pens, are essentially a marker that allows you to effortlessly use actual paint on almost any surface, without the mess and hassle of traditional painting!
Because they’re so easy to use, you don’t need any prior painting experience. Plus, you don’t need a million painting supplies, all you really need are your Poscas and something to paint on!
Posca Paint Markers contain a water-based acrylic paint that is highly pigmented, opaque and matte. The consistency is more liquidy, compared to the thicker paint that you typically get from an acrylic paint tube.
Posca’s water-based paint is easy to clean and doesn’t contain any alcohol or solvents, so there’s no unpleasant odor. The paint is non-toxic and it dries quickly. It has good fade resistance, and you can use a spray varnish if you want to help the colors last longer. The paint in Poscas can be layered, mixed and blended (while wet), and even manipulated with water (like regular acrylics)!
Unlike other high-quality paint markers, you can find Poscas in most art supply stores, and even some mainstream stores like Staples and Target (in the US)!
What Surfaces Can Poscas Be Used On?
Poscas are incredibly versatile, because the acrylic paint in the markers is opaque and binding, so you can use them to decorate almost any surface with vibrant color!
Here’s a gallery illustrating some of the surfaces that are suitable for Poscas:
But some surfaces are more difficult to work on than others
For instance, porous surfaces - like paper, cardboard, fabric, wood and stone - will tend to soak up more paint, so mistakes will be harder to fix and you’ll use up your marker faster. You can help prevent this by first applying gesso to the surface, which you can see me do in my rock painting video.
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For non-porous surfaces - like glass, ceramics and plastic - the paint does not penetrate the surface, so you’ll use less of it, blending will be easier, and you’ll be able to easily fix mistakes. The downside is that the resulting artwork will be less permanent, and more susceptible to scratching and flaking, so it can be a good idea to fix it with a spray varnish.
When it comes to paper, I’ve found that the rough Posca nibs can damage soft or textured paper, resulting in pilling. The liquid paint can also warp thin paper and even bleed right through!
My favorite paper to use with Poscas is Yupo Paper, a synthetic paper that is non-absorbent. Posca paints lays down smoothly and vibrantly on Yupo, and blending is easy. The only downside is that the paint will take longer to dry, which slows down layering.
On the Posca website, you can find tips for how to best use Poscas on the most common surfaces. Posca also tested their Paint Markers on 55 different surfaces, and presented their results in this PDF!
Tip/Nib Shapes
Poscas come in 9 different varieties based on their sizes and nib shapes.
Which Posca nib type to get?
The best Posca nib types for your needs will depend on the type of art you make in terms of style, size and surface. Illustrators and fine artists get more use out of the thinner nib types, while graffiti artists, muralists and painters who create large format artwork prefer the thicker nibs.
Posca’s naming system is a bit confusing, so let’s clarify some definitions.
PC stands for Posca.
M stands for bullet tip.
K stands for to the chisel tip.
The numbers just indicate the hierarchy of nib size, and don’t refer to specific measurements, like millimeters. For example, the PC-5M marker has a 2.5mm tip, not a 5mm tip.
Let’s now take a quick look at each marker type.
The PC-1MR, features a 0.7mm Extra Fine Tip (X-Fine), that’s designed for precise, consistent lines and detailed work. It’s kind of like a technical pen that contains paint instead of ink!
Colors: 16. Tip: Washable but not replaceable.
PC-1M
The PC-3M is a Fine Bullet Tip, that measures between 0.9 to 1.3mm, which is around the size you’d typically find on most bullet tip markers. Its versatile size allows for both line work and coloring to fill in larger spaces.
Colors: 40, including 8 glitter colors. Tip: washable, reversible, replaceable.
PC-5M
The PC-17K is a 15mm Extra Broad Chisel Tip, also known as a rectangular XXL tip. This is what you need if you want to lay down lots of color or do large scale artworks.
Colors: 10. Tip: washable and replaceable.
PCM-22 - MOP’R
The PCM-22, otherwise known as the MOP’R is relatively new and differs greatly from the rest of the Posca lineup. It features an XXL Round Foam Rubber Tip that allows for a surprising amount of versatility. The round tip can be used at an angle to create lines as thin as 3mm and used flat to create 19mm strokes. You can also use it to create controlled dripping or splashing effects with the paint. They seem to be designed mostly for painters and graffiti artists who like to lay down a lot of paint.
Colors: 8.
Posca Colors
Depending on where you live, Poscas come in a range of 55 colors (in the U.S.) or 66 colors (elsewhere in the world). I’m not sure why Posca offers different color ranges, but 55 colors is still plenty of colors to express your creative vision, especially because Poscas can be blended while wet.
The 66-Color Range
It’s also important to note that the colors are not distributed evenly amongst the different marker types. As you can see in the graphic below (which is based on the 55-color range), the PC-3M markers are available in 40 colors, while the new Mop’r is available in only 8 colors. These figures may change as Posca adds more colors.
Are Posca Markers lightfast?
Lightfastness refers to how long the color in the paints will last, without fading or discoloring, when kept under normal lighting conditions. If you want your artwork to last as long as possible, then the lightfastness of your paints is an important factor.
Because the paint in Posca Markers is colored with pigments, you can expect fairly good fade-resistance, especially when compared to dye-based media like alcohol markers, which are much more prone to fading.
However, I haven’t been able to find information from Posca about exactly how lightfast their colors are. This is in contrast to professional acrylic paint brands, like Golden, which provide lightfastness ratings for every color they sell.
So far, after 10+ years of using Poscas, I haven’t noticed any color fading in my Posca art, so I’d suggest that it’s not something to worry about unless you’re a professional artist who cares about longevity. If you plan to sell your original Posca art to collectors, you might want to try to track down a definitive answer from Posca about the lightfastness of their paint markers.
In any case, to help your Posca artwork last as long as possible, you should always keep your art out of direct sunlight, and consider protecting it with a non-yellowing UV-resistant spray varnish.
How much do Posca Markers cost?
I won’t go into specific prices, because cost can vary depending on your location and the type of Poscas you’re interested in. But it’s helpful to see how Poscas compare to other paint marker brands.
Pricewise, I find that Poscas tend to fall somewhere in the middle. They’re less expensive than most of the professional-quality brands, like Montana, Molotow and Liquitex. But they’re more expensive than the cheaper brands.
When considering price, this is when it’s also important to keep quality in mind. In my experience, there is a noticeable difference in quality between the super-cheap paint markers and the professional-quality paint markers. The more expensive paint markers do tend to have better opacity, more vibrant colors, a wider range of colors, better nibs, and they don’t dry out as quickly as cheaper paint markers often do. Plus, the professional-quality paint markers often have nibs that are removable and replaceable, and some offer paint refills.
For the price, I think Posca paint markers are an excellent choice for artists and hobbyists at any skill level. Posca is a well-established brand with a solid reputation and reliable products.
Best Posca Set for Beginners
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If you're looking to try out Posca markers for the first time, I recommend the PC-5M (medium tip) markers. They're the most versatile Poscas, useful for a range of artistic styles. Of course it all depends on the scale you like to work on. If you're doing large pieces (like murals), you'd get more use from a set of PC-7M (broad tip) markers. But if you favor smaller, more detailed artworks, I'd start with the PC-3M (fine tip) markers.
Keep learning!
Check out my video to learn my Top 10 Tips and Techniques for using Posca markers!
If you like the type of paint in Posca markers, learn more about painting with acrylics.
Learn about essential art supplies for painting with acrylics.
Looking for something to color? Check out my printable coloring pages!
