While I have not used all the pens and markers out there I know quite a bit from making my own mistakes. So here I will help you find your perfect bullet journal pens and bullet journal markers.
[This blog post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small amount from your purchase, but it does not affect your purchase price]
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Bullet Journal Pens and Markers – Intro
It can be a mine field trying to work out the supplies you need for bullet journaling and if you are anything like me, buying stuff and making mistakes, getting the wrong stuff can be such a nightmare.
I want to help you to find the things you need cheaply and intentionally. Remember the supplies you decide to have might be different to other people, the important thing is to have the ones YOU specifically YOU need.
READ: Build the Perfect Bujo with these Bullet Journal Supplies for Beginners
So let’s look at the different options and what features of bullet journal pens and markers you need to look for.
Bullet Journal Pens
Fine Liners
One of the best bullet journal pens for beginners is a good thin black fine liner pen.
Features:
- Water based Fine Liners are bullet journal pens that don’t bleed through the page. [That means that when you write on one side and turn the page you don’t see the ink coming through the paper].
- Fine Liners come in a variety of tip sizes. So you can get very thick lines, or very fine lines depending on your preference of style.
- Fine Liners come in a variety of colors. You can get sets or individual pens in a lot of stationery shops, so it gives you a lot of options.
Recommendation:
Personal Choice: Pigma Micron Assorted Pack
Budget Friendly: Stabilo Point 88 Fineliner Pen set
Eco Friendly: Erin Condren Focused Assorted Multiliner pack
Gel Pens
A gel pen is a great addition to your tool kit, especially a white one because it is opaque and can cover over mistakes.
READ: 5 Essentials You NEED for Your Bullet Journal Starter Kit.
Features:
- Vibrant ink means that the colors really pop with gel pens. Some use them for coloring in art but the tips are small and this can be time consuming.
- Gel pens come in a variety of finishes, you can get metallic options and 3d effect gel pens, so you can make a real statement with your bullet journal.
Recommendation:
Personal Choice: Sakura Gelly Roll Classic Gel Pen White
Budget Friendly: Kingart soft grip glitter gel pens
Eco Friendly: KACO gel ink pens
Bullet Journal Markers
Brush Markers
Brush markers are a very popular choice for bullet journaling. Let’s look why..
Features:
- With a long brush a large area can be colored in quickly and easily.
- Many brush markers are dual tipped and have an option for writing with.
- The color options are huge with brush bullet journal markers.
- There are many uses for these markers such as highlighting text although they might not work well to tick or till in check boxes.
Recommendation:
Personal Choice: Spectrum Noir Metallic Brush Markers
Budget Friendly: 48 color dual tip brush pens
Eco Friendly: Marvy Le Pen Flex
Other Markers
There are other options for bullet journal markers that we definitely can’t ignore. Again, make sure they are water based as alcohol based markers will run straight through your paper.
Features:
- Markers come in a variety of tips, such as chiseled for doing large areas. Highlighters also can be used as markers and often have a thick tip for covering large coloring projects.
- This one probably has the highest range of price points. It is possible that the cheapest set of markers are the ones you find in your own local supermarket.
- Some places will sell individual colors so you can just buy the marker colors you like rather than buying a whole set with a lot that you won’t use.
Recommendation:
Personal Choice: Crayola Super Tips 100 pack
Budget Friendly: Pen Gear Washable Markers
Eco Friendly: Zebra Optex 1 EZ Highlighters [bought individually, refillable]
Deciding the Best
So let’s see if we can draw any conclusions from what we have looked at in this article. Is there a way to decide the best pens and makers?
WHAT PENS ARE BEST FOR BULLET JOURNAL?
For beginners, I think a medium sized tip fine liner is the best to get.
When I started I liked the idea of a really fine tip, but I didn’t know at that point that I put quite a bit of pressure on when drawing so my very fine tip pens were ruined pretty quickly.
I also think it’s a very good idea to have a white gel pen for covering mistakes. Other than that if you want to add color pens, absolutely go for it, but make sure they are water based and not too juicy for the paper you will be using.
WHAT MARKERS ARE BEST FOR BULLET JOURNAL?
The most versatile markers for bullet journaling are dual tips – having a fine tip on one side and a thicker tip or a brush pen on the other end. Also markers for bullet journaling need to be water based, not alcohol based.
Conclusion
In conclusion there are some main things for you to think about when deciding your personal pen and marker supplies.
Decide if you want eco friendly or budget supplies.
Make sure you get pens and markers that are not going to bleed through your page. Don’t get alcohol based, as they do bleed.
Decide your coloring style, if you do a lot you might want to consider brush pens as they will work out quicker for you.
READ: The Search is Over: Finding The Best Bullet Journal Notebook.
Does that give you some tips? Let me know in the comments if there is anything I have missed.
Thanks so much for being here today.
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