Posca acrylic paint markers have become quite popular in recent years. Made by Uni/Uni-ball (Mitsubishi Pencil Co.) of Japan, these markers are very high quality. The colors are bright, they flow beautifully and apply evenly, can be used on nearly any surface, dry quickly, and can be layered or blended. I absolutely L O V E these markers!
Buying Posca markers online can get really confusing, with conflicting information about what colors are available in which sizes (even between official sites posca.com/en, poscausa.com, and puni.co.jp), what colors come in which packs, and inconsistant color names in product listings; so I've made a handy guide!
Guide is incomplete and still in progress, if you have something to add please leave a message on Neocities or #Fuzz3676 on Discord. This page is notably lacking in images, I'll be adding some eventually.
Page Last Updated: July 2024
Sheet Last Updated: July 2024
Contents:
My Experience:
I originally purchased a set of 16 markers in PC-3M, immediately fell in love, and went to track down every color I could. I really had to work hard to track down all the colors in the cheapest possible way, since there is No existing set that contains all available colors, and the bigger sets tend to be pricey.
In addition to the full range of PC-3M, I have one PC-1M in White.
I'm looking to add more 1M and 5M markers to my collection soon. I have noticed that my 1M White requires A LOT of shaking, I'm not sure if that is normal for this size.
I have only ever had 1 marker that didn't work. The Blue from my first pack worked fine at first, but quickly began to swing wildly between having a dry, scratchy tip, and then gushing everywhere if I tried to pump it even once. I bought some replacement tips thinking that was the problem, but it didn't help.
Overall, I'm really surprised at the amount of ink in these, I thought for sure my most-used markers would have dried up by now, but they continue to work flawlessly.
Where to Buy:
Always check your local craft supply or hobby shop first! You should be able to find them at most major craft store chains too.
- MarkerSupply.com unique packs and low prices, great place to track down hard-to-find colors
- Micheals packs are expensive, single markers decent price (locked up)
- eBay usually has better prices than Amazon
- Amazon (last resort) useful for finding large sets and single markers
Tip Sizes & Types:
Name
Size (mm)
Tip Type
PCF-350
1-10mm
Brush
PC-1MR
.07mm
Extra Fine
PC-1M/MC/ML
07-1mm
Extra Fine Bullet
極細
PC-3M
0.9-1.3mm
Fine Bullet
細字丸芯
PC-5M
1.8-2.5mm
Medium Bullet
中字丸芯
PC-7M
4.5-5.5mm
Broad Bullet
PC-8K
8mm
Broad Chisel
太字角芯
PC-17K
15mm
Extra Broad Chisel
極太角芯
Color Names:
The official English names for some colors appear to have changed. Also, some online listings use their own translation of the Japanese names, further adding to the confusion.
I'm not sure if any of these changes have been reflected on the markers themselves, but these are the colors that have changed on posca.com:
Bright Yellow・やまぶき
is now
Orange
Orange・だいだい
is now
Dark Orange
Blue・あおい
is now
Dark Blue
Green・みどり
is now
Dark Green
Red Wine
is now
Bordeaux
Aqua Green・パステルグリーン
is now
Sea Green
Because "Orange" refers to two different colors, the previously #3 Bright Yellow/やまぶき and what is now called #4 Dark Orange/だいだい. Luckily, these are very similar colors, but if you Need a match I'd suggest using the number or Japanese name to identify, ordering more than one, or buying in-person if you can.
Red is not a true firetruck red, but rather more of a red-orange.
They appear to have started calling the Fluorescent line "Fluo" for short.
Unavailable Colors:
It appears Turquoise (only PC-8K) might be discontinued, but the preview color is very similar to Sky Blue, which is not available in this size.
Charcoal Grey is listed on posca.com, but not available in any size. The preview color is almost identical to Slate Grey.
Metallic and Glitter markers are different, and the Glitter markers are sometimes listed as metallic.
The Metallics are true metallics, with a flat shine.
The Glitter (ラメ入り) markers are more metallic than glitter, but have a slightly brighter shine with a light texture to it. The colors are fairly unsaturated and dark when out of the light, but when the light hits them they are very bright. They need to be shaken a bit more than the other markers, but make a neat transparent color with a slight sparkle when not shaken well. The Glitter markers also do not work as well over dark colors.
The Japanese Glitter set doesn't include Yellow and I had to order it seperately.
Silver is almost an exact match, ever so slightly darker, to Grey when the light isn't hitting it. They work very nicely together.
Glitter Yellow is signifigantly darker than Yellow out of the light, but lighter and brighter when in the light. Personally I don't like using them side-by-side.
When comparing Glitter Yellow to Gold, out of the light they are similar, Gold being a little darker, but in the light the difference is clear, with Glitter Yellow being much brighter and very saturated, the Gold almost looking bronze in comparison.
Glitter Orange is a little darker and more saturated than Bronze, of the two Glitter Orange is closer to Brown. In the light especially, they are very similar.
Skin Tones:
Unfortunately, Posca is severely lacking in browns and tans, which can make skin tones difficult. You may have to get creative. If you're having trouble, these colors work nicely:
Ivory:
is a little yellow and very light, works for the extremely pale
Beige:
is beige
Apricot:
a little darker than Beige and less saturated than Light Orange
Light Orange:
a little bright, but works nicely as a flesh tone
Light Pink:
is light pink
Coral:
works as a medium/dark with certain pallets
Brown:
great color for medium-dark to dark skin
Red Wine:
is very desaturated, more a brown than a red. Darker than Brown
Cacao Brown:
Darker than Brown, lighter than Dark Brown. PC-5M only.
Dark Brown:
is REALLY dark, almost imperceptable from Black
Usage Tips
First and foremost, the number one reason I see bad reviews for these markers is because they didn't read the directions. These markers need to be primed before they can be used. Just shake it for a minute or so and then pump the tip down on a piece of paper a few times. You should be able to see the paint start to make it's way down the tip. Some inks flow faster than others. If you pump one too many times and you end up with a little puddle, just wipe the tip with a tissue and you should be good to go.
Shake before each use. Sometimes after sitting unused for a long time the tips dry a bit, a single pump or a dip in some water will get it going again.
I reccomend having a piece of scrap paper nearby when working with these, to prime tips, test colors, clean tips that have picked up other colors, and troubleshoot if need be.
The tips are washable and replacable, and for PC-3M and PC-5M the tips can be reversed as well. PCF-350 and PC-1MR have non-removable tips.
Generally, treat these markers like you would acrylic paint. You'll want to avoid using light colors on top of dark colors and work background to foreground. If you use lineart in your work, do the lines last.
Work in closely placed stokes; going back and forth over the same area or working in a circular motion will cause it to become gummy and clumpy. This is especially important if working on paper surfaces. If you miss a spot, wait for the paint to dry and come back to it later. This method will give you the most even coverage.
If you do notice clumps or bumps in the paint, wait until it has dried and scrape them off gently; reapply color if needed. This can happen even with normal use.
Apparently, Poscas can be blended if you work quickly and/or wet them. I haven't tried this. The tips are washable and replacable if, like me, you worry about keeping them clean.
Layering:
Make sure the previous layer is fully dried and work quickly with confident strokes, it's possible to re-wet the layer beneath and it will become gummy or start to smear or blend.
Yellow is the weakest marker for layering, I've had the most luck laying down a layer of White before laying Yellow if I need to work on top of other colors. This goes for other light colors like Ivory or Beige as well, and works much better than two layers of the same color.
I have successfully made a Lime Green by layering Yellow over Pale Green. I'll provide pictures eventually.
Mixed Media:
Ink works very well with these, both under and over the markers. I've used Copic liners over the top which applied very smoothly, dried quickly, and did not smudge.
They work great over colored pencils.
Custom Colors:
I haven't tried it, but I hear it's possible to mix custom colors by removing the tips and carefully pouring the ink into an empty or low marker and giving it a thorough shake.
Canvas & Paper:
While Poscas can be used on nearly anything, THIS SITE has a really good breakdown of what types of paper Poscas play best with. But any thick, smooth paper will do great.
I've also used these on wood, plastic, and rocks. All of them were very easy to work on.
I've used these on skin for cosplay stuff and they are better than makeup or temporary tattoos. It doesn't smudge or wear off easily, but can be removed easily with just water and a light scrub. Obviously don't use these around your eyes or mouth.
Sustainability
The markers are plastic, acrylic paint is plastic, they aren't refillable and aren't recyclable.
Mitsubishi Pencil claims that PC-5M, PC-7M, and PC-8K markers are made using recycled materials.
On the Japanese site, the PC-5M and PC-8K sizes are marked as グリーン購入法適合商品 (Green Purchasing Act conforming product) and
エコ商品ねっと掲載 (eco merchandise net posting?). You can read about the Green Purchasing Act HERE. My takeaway is that this means these are made using recycled materials.
Packaging for packs is usually plastic, although some are recycled paper wrapped with a plastic film.
Individual markers come wrapped in plastic film, sometimes even if included in a set.
The markers can potentially have their lives extended by adding water to the ink.
The empty markers can be cleaned and filled with ink from other markers or other materials.
The tips and ink pads can also be removed and cleaned for reuse with other markers.
DIY recylers may be able to make use of the material, I suspect they are PET #2, but use caution.
