Thanks for this great topic! I love all the wonderful suggestions I’m reading here. I am slightly obsessed with pens too, although I’m trying very hard to not accumulate too many of them. Until recently I’ve been on a search for the one perfect pen that would serve me in all circumstances and perform beautifully on all kinds of paper, but now I realize I’ve been on a fool’s errand: with the wide range of papers and even postcard surfaces, as well as the wide range in my moods, there will never be one perfect pen for me. But these are some of my current favorites for writing postcards:
Uniball Signo gel 0.38 mm in black, blue-black, and blue. I buy these refills for the Uniball Signo 207 and use them in Zebra Sarasa clip pen barrels, which I find more comfortable and attractive than the Uniball barrel. I use Uniball ink because it’s advertised as also being good for thwarting check fraud.
Sakura Pigma Micron 005 (0.2 mm) in black and blue. The ink is permanent and archival/acid-free. The blue is a turquoise blue that to me mimics (at least a bit) the shading of fountain pen inks. It works well with all but the glossiest postcards.
Sakura Microperm 01 (0.25 mm), black. This permanent, quick-drying ink is for the glossiest postcards where even the regular Pigma Microns won’t work. It’s also good for writing on plastic, photos, etc. It’s like the ultra-fine Sharpies, but with a finer line. Judging from some of the comments above, I think I’ll be trying out the UniPin next, because it seems similar to this Microperm.
Ohto Rays Flash Dry gel 0.5 mm in black. This ink writes smoothly and dries quickly, and I use it on postcard surfaces where I don’t mind a thicker line than what I normally prefer. I like the retro look of this barrel, and it feels very comfortable in my hand and improves my handwriting a bit.
Marvy Le Pen fine point in blue and Oriental blue. I just like the vividness of the colors, and for some reason these pens also feel comfortable in my hand and improve my handwriting a little.
I usually use ballpoint pens with black ink; any brand will do. I do have some colored ink ballpoints I bought at the Family Dollar that I’ve used recently for some postcards and greeting cards. I find for affordable writing and mailing supplies (envelopes, tape, etc), dollar stores have good items
Two other types of pen I use in my post cards are Pilot Precise V5 and Uniball.
I’ve heard a lot about Marvy Le Pen and maybe one day I’ll try it!
For me, a ballpoint pen of the cheapest kind is always my favourite, but recently I have been having the problem of railroading (when the ball of the pen writes funny and the lines come out like two parallel lines, like a railroad track) so I recently bought a Sakura Micron PN. I have the regular ones but because I’m a really rough writer (I push down hard on my pens), I keep ruining the nibs. The PN model stands for “plastic nib” and the thickness is variable according to how you’re using it. I’m unsure if I like it more yet, but that’s what I have been writing my postcards with lately.
I know the problem with having a heavy hand. This is why I have destroyed a lot of pens. Therefore I like ballpoint pens or gel ink pens better. They are simply more sturdy.
I’ve been using my fountain pens lately!! On glossier cards I use a Sharpie ultra fine too…or my Pentel Energels/Parker pen with a gel refill. I’m afraid I’ve got other gel pens as well but I don’t reach for them that often anymore (Uniball Signo 0.7, MyGel 0.7).
Sharpie Ultra Fine Line pens. Nice dark lines and easy to write on most postcard surfaces- especially the ones that are shiny or laminated on the back. The don’t smudge either.
A fountain pen Kaweko brass sport Fine nib, sometimes a Twsbi eco. But the main question for me is how is the ink if the postcard takes rain for the recipient ?.
I received my pack of Sharpie Ultra Fine Point pens today and I’m totally disappointed. They don’t meet my demands in any kind. The ink isn’t deep enough, feathers and bleeds on normal paper. And the “Ultra Fine Point” is a joke. The line width is more like the one of the Sakura Pigma Micron 08 which is 0,5 mm. Sorry Sharpie lovers
The picture shows the Sharpie compared to a real ultra fine point, the Sakura Pigma Micron 003 (0,15 mm line)
So many pens! I use different colours of glitter gel pens, no particular make, but I like the way they write although they do need time to dry.
But the glitter is what makes them - it shines in the light!
I have had compliments on the glitter gel, so I stock up on these.
Otherwise just normal gel pens.
Anyone uses Neuland markers? I used them once when joining a brainstorming activity at work. Never tried it on postcards though as it’s not available to purchase at my city.
@sannah82 is right. Think of Sharpies as markers, not pens. The Ultra Fine Point performs really well on glossy cards. You won’t feel the benefit on uncoated paper.
