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Coloring has recently become an extremely popular pastime for adults. While it’s perfectly acceptable to use your kid’s crayons and coloring books, anyone who is looking to make this into an enjoyable hobby should looking into the best markers for adult coloring books.
Coloring supplies for adults can be a bit more expensive, but there are plenty of budget-friendly options for those who are just starting out as well. To achieve those Pinterest-worthy pictures, you’ll need to trade in crayons for markers and find a coloring book geared towards adults.
Typically, sophisticated coloring books for adults are made with sturdier paper and single-sided drawings. This is because almost all of the best markers for adult coloring books will bleed through the paper. It’s perfectly normal, and only one of the brands we’ve reviewed can boast that their markers don’t bleed through.
In this post, you’ll find tips on features to consider when shopping for markers as well as a roundup of a few of our favorite options. If you just want to know which set we think you should purchase, you can skip down to our final verdict at the end of the page.
What to Consider Before Buying
Barrel shape
If you’re going to be coloring for more than 20 minutes at a time, it’s important that your markers have a shape and thickness that’s comfortable for your hands. Long coloring sessions are usually easiest when the barrel is slightly thicker and in a rounded triangular shape.
Blendability
Not all markers are blendable, even with water or wet pigment. If you want smooth, artistic gradients or true-to-life shading, you’ll need pens that allow you to seamlessly blend colors together.
Pigment base
Markers can be either alcohol-based or water-based. Each has its merits, but it’s important to note a couple of major differences. Alcohol-based pens dry more quickly and blend well, but they tend to have a stronger “marker” smell. Water-based pens are great for very bold, dramatic color, but they dry more slowly and can damage regular paper if you pile on too many layers. Beginners are usually better off with alcohol-based markers.
Bleed-through
Almost all quality markers have issues with bleed-through. To minimize this, it’s best to choose coloring books that have single-sided, thick pages. You should also tuck a scrap piece of sturdy paper between the page you’re coloring and the one behind it so that the color doesn’t seep onto the illustration underneath.
Skill level
Remember, the goal here is fun and relaxation. Be honest with yourself about your skill and patience levels. You don’t have to be a professional artist with expensive markers to enjoy yourself. There are quality markers at all price points, so you should pick the set that seems most appealing to you and your style of coloring.
Product Reviews
1. Copic Ciao Art Markers
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For artists or serious coloring enthusiasts, Copic is a top-tier, “holy grail” marker brand. These pens are generally considered to be the standard by which all other alcohol-based markers are compared to. The Copic Ciao markers are dual-tipped, which means that you can use the broad brush tip for coloring larger areas and the fine chisel tip for coloring smaller details.
We like how comfortable these feel during a coloring session, and the pigment is beautiful. The markers come in a nice mix of shades, and every color can be blended and built up to achieve any level of shading you desire. The ink will absolutely bleed through regular paper and cardstock, however, so these can’t be used on double-sided coloring books.
The biggest drawback to these markers is the price point. They are by far the most expensive of all of the markers we’ve rounded up in this post, so we hesitate to recommend them to anyone other than the most serious coloring lovers.
What We Love:
- Bold, vibrant color
- Smooth, even coloring
- Blendable
- Best markers for artists
What We Don’t Love:
- Expensive
- Will bleed through thick or thin paper
2. Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Markers
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Of all the markers we’re reviewing, these Staedtler ones are the least likely to bleed through your coloring pages. We still recommend using scrap paper just in case, however.
This set of markers has an incredibly fine tip that makes them ideal for intricate or complex designs, and they lay down color evenly. Unfortunately, they don’t blend well at all, and they come in a limited range of shades.
Unless you exclusively enjoy coloring detailed illustrations, these markers work best alongside a set of broad-tipped ones that can be comfortably used for larger areas.
What We Love:
- Brilliant color
- Tiny tips for intricate details
- Affordable
- Least likely to bleed through paper
What We Don’t Love:
- Not ideal for coloring large areas
- Only come in 36 colors
- Not blendable
3. Ultra Fine Point Sharpies
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Sharpies are the most versatile and affordable option on this list, which means they’re a great choice for beginners that just want to get started quickly without any hassle. The ultra fine tips on these markers make them great for coloring in details, but they aren’t so small that it’s tedious to color larger areas with them. You can purchase them individually and in packs of various sizes, so you can curate your perfect coloring arsenal fairly quickly.
The colors tend to feather at the edges, which is great for covering more space quickly, but it can be a challenge to keep the pigment inside the lines if you’re not careful. These also have the strongest “marker” smell of all of the products in the roundup, so if you’re coloring for long periods or sensitive to smells, this might not be the best choice.
What We Love:
- Extremely affordable
- Come in a full spectrum of color
- Easy to lay even color strokes
What We Don’t Love:
- Not really blendable
- Lots of bleed through on regular paper
- Can feather outside the lines
4. Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pen
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Faber-Castell is a renowned name in the art world. They’re widely known for their premium-quality art supplies, and these markers are no exception. In terms of price, they’re in the same range as Copic, but their performance is unlike any of the markers on this list.
The PITT pens use India ink, which is odorless, water-resistant, highly pigmented and bleed-proof. They can be purchased with a fine, 0.5 mm tip like the Sharpies mentioned above, or you can purchase these pens with a thin brush nib.
The only major downside to these pens is the cost. Unless you’re an advanced artist or a very serious hobbyist, these are probably not the best tools to start with.
What We Love:
- Waterproof, zero-bleed ink
- High-quality pigment
- Longest-lasting coloring markers
- Come in a variety of nibs
What We Don’t Love:
- Not ideal for beginners
- Slow drying can damage paper
- Expensive
5. ColorIt Dual Tip Art Markers
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ColorIt markers are a great, mid-level set for anyone at any skill level. They have comfortable, ergonomic barrels like the Copic pens and are dual-ended like the Copics as well.
The colors in these pens are blendable and not prone to feathering, so you can achieve a more precise stroke when necessary. These are also non-toxic and low-odor, so you can color with your kids or for prolonged periods without the smell bothering you.
The tips on these markers may take some getting used to. The broad, chisel tip can be used for thick strokes that cover large areas, but it can also be angled to achieve more precision. The fine tip is more like a bullet-style brush nib than a pen point, which may be disappointing for anyone expecting an ultra-fine point.
What We Love:
- Ergonomic pen shape
- Sturdy traveling case
- Balanced, pigmented color selection
- Good for layering color
What We Don’t Love:
- Significant bleed-through
- Feathering when adding multiple layers of color
- Fine tip is not precise for small details
Final Verdict
All five of the brands we mentioned in this post have plenty of pros and few cons. The best set for you will ultimately be determined by your budget and needs.
If you’re looking for a clear winner, however, we have to award that title to the ColorIt Dual Tip Art Markers. While we love the performance of the Faber-Castell pens and enjoy the velvety smoothness of the Copics, the ColorIt markers are the overall best markers for adult coloring books.
They’re affordable, pigmented, versatile and blendable, which makes them an ideal choice for beginners. However, they’re also sophisticated and smooth enough to be a great choice for more advanced artists as well. They’re not perfect dupes for the top-tier brands, but they’re close enough to be a worthwhile investment.
Regardless of which set you choose, remember that the ultimate goal is fun and relaxation. Invest in a quality coloring book and a good set of pens to maximize the joy of the coloring experience.