Marker Pen Information
A marker pen, marking pen, felt-tip pen, flow or marker, is a pen which has its own ink-source, and usually a tip made of a porous, pressed fibres such as felt.[1] A typical permanent marker consists of a container (glass, aluminum or plastic), which is filled with felt or some sort of wadding. This filling serves as a carrier for the water-proof ink. The upper part of the marker contains the nib that was made in earlier time of a hard felt material, and a cap to prevent the marker from drying out. Until the early 1990s the most common solvents that were used for the ink were Toluene and Xylene. These two substances are both harmful and characterized by a very strong smell. Today, the ink is usually made on the basis of alcohols (eg 1-propanol, 1-butanol, diacetone alcohol and cresols).[2]
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History
Lee Newman patented a felt-tipped marking pen in 1910.[3] However, markers of this sort began to be popularized with the sale of Sidney Rosenthal's Magic Marker which consisted of a glass tube of ink with a felt wick. By 1958 use of felt-tipped markers was commonplace for a variety of applications such as lettering, labeling, and creating posters.[4] 1962 brought the development of the modern fiber-tipped pen( in contrast to the marker, which generally has a thicker point) by Yukio Horie of the Tokyo Stationary Company.
Types
Permanent marker
Permanent markers are porous pens that can write on surfaces such as glass, plastic, wood, metal, and stone. The ink is generally resistant to rubbing and water, and can last for many years. Depending on the surface and the marker used, however, the marks can often be removed with either vigorous scrubbing or chemicals such as acetone.
Highlighters
Highlighters are permanent markers used to highlight and cover over existing writing while still leaving the writing readable.
Non-permanent marker
A non-permanent marker (also called a whiteboard marker or dry erasable marker), uses an erasable ink—an ink that adheres to the writing surface without binding or being absorbed by it—for temporary writing with overhead projectors, whiteboards, and the like. They may also be used by children when adults want to be able to clean up after them. The erasable ink does not contain the toxic chemical compounds xylene and/or toluene, unlike permanent markers.
Wet erase markers are another version that are used on overhead projectors, signboards, whiteboards, and other non-porous surfaces.
Security marker
Special "security" markers, with fluorescent but otherwise invisible inks, are used for marking valuables in case of burglary. The owner of a stolen, but recovered item can be determined by using ultraviolet light to make the writing visible.
Election marker
Marker pens with election ink (an indelible dye and often a photosensitive agent such as silver nitrate) used to mark the finger, and especially the cuticle, of voters in elections in order to prevent electoral fraud such as double voting. The stain stays visible for a week or two and may also be used to assist in vaccinations in developing world communities and refugee camps.
Dialectal variations
The use of the terms "marker" and "felt-tipped pen" varies significantly among different parts of the world. This is because most English dialects contain words for particular types of marker, often generic brand names, but there are no such terms in widespread international use.
Asia
In India, Felt-tip pens are referred to as "sketch pens" because they are mainly used for sketching purposes whereas the permanent felt-tip markers are referred to as just "markers". In Malaysia, marker pen is just called marker without the word "pen". In the Philippines, a marker is commonly referred to as a "Pentel Pen." In Indonesia a marker pen is referred to as "Spidol." In South Korea and Japan marker pens are referred to as "Sign pens" or "Name pens." In Japan permanent pens are also referred to as "Magic" (from a famous pen brand name).
Australia
In Australia, the term "marker" usually refers only to large-tip markers, and the terms "felt-tip" and "felt pen" usually refers only to fine-tip markers. Markers in Australia are sometimes called "texta". "Texta" is a brand name of a type of permanent marker, which is sometimes used generically.
Germany
The common term for “markers”, in particular permanent markers in Germany is “edding”. Edding is the leading brand for markers and stationery. Another term used is “Filzschreiber” or “Filzstift” what means felt pen. It is more common for non-toxic and non-permanent felt pens for children. However, some permanent markers are labeled “Filzschreiber”.
Hispanic Countries
In Spanish-speaking countries, the common word for marker is "rotulador", or "marcador" and "plumón" in South American or Latin America countries. Hightlighting markers are known as "rotulador fluorescente", "marcatextos", "resaltador" or "fosforito".
New Zealand
One would use the term "Sharpie" or "Vivid" only if using pens of those particular brands. The generic term for fine tipped marker is usually "felt pen" or "felts".
Russia, Lithuania, and generally throughout the Balkans
South Africa
One would use the term "Koki" for both felt pens and markers.
United States and Canada
In the United States, the word "marker" is used, as well as "magic marker", which is a genericized trademark.
In Canada and the U.S., "Magic Marker" is sometimes used to refer to "reveal markers" for "magic picture books" where the colours of a picture are revealed by a colourless marker. Sharpie is a popular brand of permanent markers used for labeling. Markers are also sometimes referred to as felt-pens or felts in some parts of Canada.
References
- ^ www.sbctc.edu (adapted). "Module 6: Media for 2-D Art". Saylor.org. http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Module-6.pdf. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ http://justsomemarkers.wordpress.com (adapted). "A little bit history about markers". justsomemarkers.wordpress.com. http://justsomemarkers.wordpress.com/page/2/. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
- ^ Lee W. Newman, Marking Pen, U.S. Patent 946,149 Jan 11, 1910.
- ^ History of Pens & Writing Instruments, About Inventors site. Retrieved March 11, 2007.
See also
External links
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