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info on the comparison of Copic & spectrum noir alcohol markers
I have so much money invested in my Copic Alcohol Markers and now so many of the tutorials I've been watching on Stamp TV are using the SN Markers,I'm wondering if there is a chart or info somewhere saying the Copic equivalent to SN, for instance the red colors etc. Thanks for any help. Marge
A few of my friends who got the SN complained of them being dry, or drying out quickly. I have Copics, have had them for years; and with average coloring, have had no issues and hardly any refilling - only a couple!
The one thing that I personally don't care for about the SN is the smaller nib to color with. I prefer the brush tip for my style of coloring, I use a flicking motion to blend, and a nib would make that much more challenging for me to master, i would think! Guess I'm too used to the brush tip on the Copics. SN does have a brush end on the Aqua markers, so I don't know why they don't make them for their alcohol markers?
I should add, I can easily get swayed or caught up in marketing from companies, so I would look to our fellow crafters here and check out reviews on the internet or YouTube before you invest. I have been happy I didn't rush to purchase something before doing my "homework" on some products, that would otherwise end up at the LSS yard sale or being saved for the grandkids to play with!!!
If you're wanting to add to your Copic collection, I've heard good comments about the Shinhan Twin Touch markers. They also have the brush ends like the Copic brand. You may want to check out their red line. They too can be bought individually and be refilled.
I invested in every set of SN markers that ACMoore carried and while I use them a lot, I really love using copics better. They blend better and the brush nib is easier to use. I won't say I wasted money on the SN's because they are good, but instead of blending those with different shades, the best I can do with those is use the same color on top to get a darker shade.
Back in 2013 I posted this thread about comparisons in colors between some of the Copics and Spectrum Noirs. Although it is older, and not a full comparison, it might help.
I do want to add, though, that I own the Spectrum Noirs that dried out very quickly. I didn't buy a lot of the Copics because I couldn't afford them, but it upsets me that I bought all the sets of Spectrum Noir and am not able to use a lot of them. I refreshed some of them with isopropyl alcohol.
I think the other posters were right--do your homework first. I've heard that the newer SN markers are better than the old ones.
Back in 2013 I posted this thread about comparisons in colors between some of the Copics and Spectrum Noirs. Although it is older, and not a full comparison, it might help.
I do want to add, though, that I own the Spectrum Noirs that dried out very quickly. I didn't buy a lot of the Copics because I couldn't afford them, but it upsets me that I bought all the sets of Spectrum Noir and am not able to use a lot of them. I refreshed some of them with isopropyl alcohol.
I think the other posters were right--do your homework first. I've heard that the newer SN markers are better than the old ones.
You are right, the newer versions of Spectrum Noirs don't seem to dry out like the older original ones do.
I have both, the originals, and the newer ones, and was able to fix my dried out ones using the method Lindsay the Frugal Crafter shows on her blog. She recommends using denatured alcohol, instead of regular rubbing alcohol, so I went to Walmart and got a can of it. It seems to work better than just the rubbing alcohol for this purpose. The ones I fixed have stayed pretty juicy so far!
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
Thanks for the chart it'll help some anyway, and thanks to everyone who gave their input about SN and Copic's. I really didn't think I'd get that much feedback. Thanks again. Marge
Ha, just pulled out a couple of SN markers that I've only had for a couple of months and two of them are dry as heck. My BP4 and LV3, I have a set of Reds that I bought and one of them is kinda dry and they are the newer ones. Guess I'll stick to Copics I've had some of those for at least a couple of years and never had any problems with drying out. Plus I find that the SU are really hard to take the tops off and awkward to hold. Oh Well live and learn I say. I do like the lower price of the SN but the old saying goes you get what you pay for. Marge
I posted this video https://youtu.be/aXFkRD60Iis a while back that is very informative on the various alcohol markers out there.
What I learned from watching it is that the main difference in the SN and Copics is the pigment to alcohol ratio. SN has more alcohol so the colors aren't as saturated and don't blend as easily.
hth
__________________ Kathy
Last edited by dini; 10-31-2015 at 04:17 AM..
Reason: added embed code
Uggg...the only markers I have are the cheap bic's, and I've noticed a couple of them are already drying up on me, not even a year in...and I haven't used them THAT much either! :( I've been planning on trying to start saving money for the spectrum noir markers hopefully this next year... have read bad stuff about the older ones...but not the next generation ones. Now...I'm starting to wonder if that's a good idea. Unfortunately, I can't really afford many copics, cause they are just to expensive. Those of you who have dried out ones...are they the next generation ones, or the older square style?
Any more "reviews" on spectrum noir markers would be great too...like or dislike! :-))
info on the comparison of Copic & spectrum noir alcohol markers
