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If you’ve ever sat down excited to letter a project, only to watch your ink bleed, feather, or barely show up at all — it’s not you. It’s your pen!

So many crafters ask me which lettering pen to use, and the honest answer is: it depends on what you’re lettering on. Not all markers are created equal, and once you understand what’s actually inside your pen, you’ll never second-guess a project again!

Let’s break it down together.

My Favorite Pens, All in One Place

I get asked all the time exactly which pens I reach for, so I rounded up my go-to favorites from this post. These are the ones I personally use and recommend for each surface:

• Sakura Gelly Roll Pen: My favorite gel pen for smooth surfaces, paper, and cardstock
• Acrylic Paint Pens: My go-to for wood, banners, and door hangers
• Faber-Castell Markers: Rich, pigmented India ink, perfect for banners and smooth wood
• Tombow Dual Brush Pens: Water-based ink that’s beautiful on paper and mixed media
• Tombow Fudenosuke Markers: Permanent, fade-proof ink for fine lettering on paper
• Micron Pens: Archival ink, great for detail work on paper
• Zig Markers: Another reliable permanent-ink option for paper projects
• Copic Markers: Alcohol-based, best for surfaces that can handle a fast-drying ink
• Prismacolor Markers: Another solid alcohol-ink option for color work

(Not sure which one to start with? Come ask me inside the Happy Lettering Club — I’m happy to help you pick!)

You can also shop my full storefront of favorite lettering supplies here.

Now then…let’s get into those tips!

Not All Pens Use the Same Ink

Most people don’t realize that the “ink” in your pen matters just as much as the tip. Different ink types behave completely differently depending on the surface you’re working with.

Gel Ink

Water-based and smooth. My go-to here is the Sakura Gelly Roll pen — or really, anything labeled “gel.”

Acrylic Paint

This is thinned-out acrylic paint housed in a pen body. It’s opaque, durable, and perfect for surfaces that need real coverage.

Alcohol Ink

Think Sharpies, Copic, and Prismacolor markers. These dry fast and can bleed on the wrong surface (more on that below).

India Ink

Rich, heavily pigmented, and beautiful for bold color. Faber-Castell markers are my favorite in this category.

Water-Based Ink

Blends well with water for softer effects. Tombow Dual Brush pens are the classic here.

Permanent/Archival Ink

Waterproof and fade-proof — ideal for anything that needs to last. Micron, Tombow Fudenosuke, and Zig markers all fall into this group.

The Pen-to-Surface Pairing Cheat Sheet

This is the part I get asked about the most, so let’s go surface by surface.

Fabric

Fabric markers are your best friend here. Their tips are flexible and durable, which means they hold up beautifully to the fabric’s texture. Acrylic paint pens can work in a pinch, but they’re harder on the tip and wear out faster.

Banners

Acrylic paint pens and Faber-Castell markers are the way to go. Faber-Castell’s India ink formula gives you that rich, highly pigmented look that really pops on banner material.

Door Hangers, Smooth Wood, Birch, or MDF

Acrylic paint pens and Faber-Castell markers are your best bet once again. These smooth surfaces let the ink sit beautifully without soaking in unevenly.

Rough or Raw Wood

Stick with acrylic paint pens. Raw wood grain drinks up thinner inks fast, so you need something with real body and pigment to show up clearly.

Watercolor Paper, Cardstock, or Mixed Media Paper

Good news — almost any pen works here. These papers are thick enough to handle heavy or light ink flow without bleeding through. My personal favorites for this surface: acrylic paint pens, Faber-Castell, Tombow Dual Brush, Tombow Fudenosuke, and gel pens. Honestly, you can’t go wrong!

Regular Paper

This is where you want to be careful. Stick with pens that have a lighter ink flow so you don’t get bleed-through to the next page. Tombow Fudenosuke, gel pens, Micron pens, and dual brush pens are all great choices here.

Wait…What About Sharpies?

I know, I know — Sharpies feel like the obvious grab-and-go option. But I don’t recommend them for lettering projects. Because they’re alcohol-based, they have a much higher chance of bleeding or feathering, especially on porous surfaces. 

On top of that, the ink isn’t always richly pigmented, so your lettering can end up looking faded or inconsistent instead of bold and solid.

So if you’re going to use a Sharpie, use it for practice on scrap paper, scrap wood, or even a scrap piece of cardboard. 

Why This Little Detail Makes Such a Big Difference

Once you match your pen to your surface, lettering stops feeling like a guessing game. You’re not fighting your materials anymore — you’re just creating. 

And that’s really the whole point, right? Less frustration, more of that satisfying, “I can’t believe I made this” feeling.

Want More Tips Like This?

This is exactly the kind of thing I love sharing inside the Happy Lettering Club. 

It’s where we go deeper on techniques, troubleshoot projects together in real time, and I answer questions like “what pen do I use for this?” as they come up — live, with a group of fellow letterers who are learning beside you!

If you’ve been wanting more guidance (and a supportive community to letter alongside), I’d love to have you inside the Club. Come join us in the Happy Lettering Club →

I can’t wait to see what you create!