How Long Do Posca Pens Last: All You Need to Know

Posca Pens are a popular choice among artists and crafters. They’re versatile, easy to use, and inexpensive. So, it’s not surprising that they’re in such demand. But people often questioned their lifetime.

One of the most common questions about Posca Pens is, “How long do they last?”

If I give you a short answer, it’ll be like – you can expect to have around seven and a half pages of continuous coloring with a Posca pen.

However, a few factors like frequency of uses, ink capacity, color absorption, and others affect their lifetime. And obviously, it’ll vary for beginners and professionals.

So, in this article, I’ll break down these factors in detail so you can better understand what affects the lifespan of your favorite pens!

Do Posca Markers Dry Out Easily?

Posca pens are basically acrylic markers that contain water-based ink. And it’s one of the best And it’s also one of the best markers for doing graffiti arts.

But if I talk about alcohol-based markers, they dry out pretty quickly if you don’t properly store them. Even if you keep them uncapped for a long time in a well-ventilated area, there is a chance of drying out. But you can indeed revive dried-out markers.

Well, in terms of water-based markers, they don’t dry out so quickly. And if you go through the battle of alcohol-based vs. water-based markers, there you’ll see this advantage of watercolor markers over alcohol ones.

However, the rule of thumb of every marker type is to store them properly if you plan to use them for a longer period.

So, follow some basic rules –

How Long Do Posca Pens Last Actually

The longevity of any marker will depend primarily on how well you handle it. For making the best use of any markers, you must need to store them properly. The reason is, it’ll make a massive difference in quality and quantity.

However, I’ve already mentioned that how long Posca pens will last depends on some important factors. It’s basically the supply of the ink you got inside the bottle while purchasing.

So, let’s move on to the factors without any further delay.

1. How Frequently You Use

It’s one of the essential parts of a marker’s lifetime. We all know that the frequency of using a marker is not the same for hobbyists and professional artists.

Well, I can clear you this with one example. Suppose you are a beginner or hobbyist who uses markers Posca pens regularly but not extensively. In that case, you can expect to use it for four to six weeks or more.

On the other hand, if you are a professional level artist and love to use Posca pens on every art project, you may expect less than the beginners.

Even the frequency of use is one of the main important parts of how long a Copic will last. So, you can check another piece of writing on it too.

2. Ink Reservoir Capacity

The Posca markers come in 8 ranges – PCF-350, PC-1MR, PC-1M, PC-3M, PC-5M, PC-7M, PC-8K, and PC-17K. These ranges also have 8 different nib sizes – brush, ultra-fine, extra-fine, fine, medium, bullet tip, chisel tip, and extra broad tip. (1)

The reason for explaining all these things is that the markers have a different body size, just like the various tip sizes. And different body size means the ink reservoir capacity of every marker range is not the same.

Since they hold a different quantity of ink, not all of them will provide service for the same time, just like the Copics. We all know that Copic has four different types, and their ink holding capacity is totally different from each other.

So, it’s evident that the bottle holds more ink will last more than others. But in terms of sizes, the nib shapes also change in Posca pens. That’s why I always recommend picking one according to your need. It’s not like always picking up the big ones only.

3. Color Covering Area

When you buy a set of markers, whether it’s a 8 color set or a 15 color set, you won’t have to use all of them in the same quantity. So, how long a Posca pen will last depends on how many areas you cover with one color.

For example, if you are doing projects where you need to use dark colors, mostly black or blue, these colors tend to run out faster than other colors.

But from my experience, I run out of the lighter color inks more quickly than other darker colors. And I think it’s just because I need to use the lighter shades more. Even it’s evident that most of the professional artists run out of lighter colors first.

However, I have experimented with one of my markers to provide a more vivid example of Posca markers ink capacity. And I have ended up filling with seven and a half pages of standard size marker papers with one Posca pen.

Even most of the artists who have experimented with this have got pretty same results. By going through the video I’ve embedded here, you’ll get a more precise idea.

4. Types of Surfaces

Posca markers can be used on over 50 different surfaces for various types of art and craft projects. Paper, cardboard, canvas, textile, wood, stone, plastic, metal, ceramic, porcelain, glass, and think of a surface you can’t use. Even you can make it permanent on those surfaces.

However, if you think of paper, there are mainly two types – hard and soft paper. Luckily, if you use hard marker papers for your artwork, you can expect more longevity of these markers. 

But if you use them on soft paper, the ink will run out more quickly as they have a high absorption power. So, I always recommend you to use sketchbooks made for markers. It’ll help you to increase the durability of your markers.

Again, if you are planning to give a new look to your canvas shoes, you can’t use these markers long. The reason is, fabrics absorb ink more than paper. So, while using the pens on other surfaces, think twice!

5. Absorption of Colors

It’s another vital fact while playing with colors. But people don’t care since it’s challenging to know which color the paper will absorb more in which brand.

However, according to my years of experience, I’ve seen that paper soaks blue, black, brown, and purple most as these are the dark ones. But depending on the paper quality, it also varies.

So, it would be best if you also kept this thing in mind.

If you notice that your darker colors are running out of ink faster than lighter shades, then it’s probably the reason that your paper is soaking them more.

And artists actually take it usually, as there is nothing on you in this regard. However, it may vary from surface to surface.

Warning

Textiles soak more ink than usual, so you’ll run out of ink faster if you decorate your canvas shoes, backpacks, or do art on canvases with Posca pens. It’s better not to use the pens on these surfaces if you plan to use your Posca marker set a bit more.

FAQs

Q: Do Posca pens have refills?

With such a reasonable price, the service Posca provides is mind-blowing. But Posca paint pens are not rechargeable.

However, I can guarantee that you can get the most out of it without being refilled and will be pleased with its service.

Well! If you really need to have markers that can be refilled, then there are no such good options as Copic markers. However, they are a bit expensive but worth your money like Posca pens.

Q: Are Posca pens worth the money?

Posca pens are not just like your average water-based markers. It worths every single penny due to its versatility. The durability of the pens is also amazing, and they produce bright colors.

In recent years, the way it is dominating the paint marker industry is just unbelievable. No other acrylic marker brands can compete in terms of performance, longevity, blend-ability, color range, nib sizes, and ink holding capacity.

So, whether you are a beginner or professional artist, you can go for the Posca marker set without any hesitation.

Q: How do you revive a Posca pen?

Though you cannot refill your Posca markers, you can revive them to use for a few more days. Since the markers are water-based, you can quickly restore them using water. Thanks to the marker’s piston mechanism and valve system. 

First of all, you have to open the marker’s front side (tip side) by twisting the head clockwise. Then you have to keep the tip and ink sponge aside. After that, using a pipette or drop, pour distilled water into it. Fill half of the marker pouring water.

Lastly, use a paper towel to clean the marker’s body and reassemble all the parts together. Then shake the marker vigorously so that tip gets soaked with the water properly.

And voila! Your dried-out Posca pen is ready to use again.

Q: How do you fix a Posca pen nib?

Sometimes the paint pens seem to be dried out due to the ink gets clogged into the tip. That’s why you need to clean it to fix the nib and make the marker work again. 

First of all, you have to open the marker just like the way you do it while reviving. Now, store the marker vertically, keeping it upside down. Then pull the tip and the colored cap out by using tweezers.

Now take a bowl with water, soak the tip and cap into it, and clean them properly.

After cleaning, dry them out using a paper towel and make sure no ink remains in the tip and cap. Lastly, put all things back into the marker and set it. Now, use paper and pump the marker to check the ink flow. If all is okay, you can use it as before.

However, sometimes you can fix it another way without opening the marker. Just soak the marker tip into the water, swirl it around and then pump it on the paper. By doing it several times, your marker should work again.

Final Thought

By coming to this point, hopefully, you’ve got the answer you were looking for. It is quite difficult to tell only a limited time frame that your marker will work this long. Instead, it depends on some factors that I’ve mentioned in this article.

If you want to use your Posca pens set a bit more, you should keep these things in mind!