Crazy as this might sound, using the Signo Uniball, I find that I get the smoothest results when I shake it well and then scribble on the "heel" of my hand. Works better than scribbling on paper to get it going. As I use it, I have to go back to shake and scribble again, but having tried every white pen I know to exist, this far out-performs the others. Well worth the trouble.
I've found the Signos worked best for me, too. Sometimes you get one that doesn't perform as well but I think those might have been in storage too long. I'll try the heel-of-my-hand method 😁
Hey Becca, just a tip that wasn’t mentioned- when using the Posca pens, don’t press hard when lettering- use a very light pressure or the paint will flood out onto the surface.
Watching you write is like asmr for my eyes. Thank you for the info, too! I knew my favorite white choice but I was curious if we would come to the same conclusion in the end. We did :)
the gel pens are choppy because you get dried bits of gel on the roller ball that makes it skip. A lot of the time you can clean the ball with rubbing alcohol (pour some on a paper towel and "write" on the spot) and it will keep it working decently. The gelly roll fine (05) and medium (08) seem to be very finnicky and it's hard to get those going again. Works well with the 10 size though.
This is very helpful! I think I've spent a small fortune on white pens, while gaining .... what .... much frustration! I have a .7mm Posca pin tip, which is ok, but I'm going to try the .7mm bullet tip. Thanks so much! ❤
Becca, you should try the Sharpie Creative markers! They’re soooo opaque and great for lettering. There are two different ones, but both of them do the work. Even the ball tipped ones.
Thanks for doing this comparison, Becca‼️ I’ve always been annoyed with white pens/markers but have had good luck with Posca. Have you considered contacting Uni Mitsubishi Pencil (head company) via their website or going onto their social media to suggest or request they create for one that is more conducive to calligraph writing? Worth a try! 😃
Like you I’ve tried them ALLLLL and the one I keep going back to that I think folks are sleeping on is the Grabie extra fine tip pen. I even buy them in the 3 pack and keep them at all my doodling desks. 10/10 recommend.
I was rooting for the Posca before you even started testing. :) I bought a set a few months ago (probably after watching you use them in an older video), and I really love them. I wanted to use the pens on my faux leather planner covers, but I've been using the white one for lots of other things.
I also find with gel pens, changing the angle the pen sits at when writing…I also write with my pen mostly vertically…but when I try writing with it more at a 45 degree (or even 30 degree) angle, it works better and isn’t as choppy…
Shaking your gel pens that vigorously can actually cause air bubbles in the ink which makes them skip or stop working. You can tap them on a paper or tabletop or if you can take them apart, blowing on the end of it will help.
hi, just stumbled over your video , desperate looking for the perfect white pen , for years, and tried most of the ones you showed. I don´t know if somebody mentioned it already: You can turn the Faber Castell Pitt Artist tips around. Just pull them out carefully, and turn them around...I`ve been using Pitt Artist pens for about 10 years, and I love them. Thanks for your video :)
Thank you so much for doing this! Is there a white pen that you would particularly recommend for cat whiskers? The paint pens all seem to have a much wider tip than I would need for that and I hear you about the jelly roll pens being choppy and unreliable.
Shayda Campbell once said that white gel pens only really work on top of ink. I tried it and have to say that’s true. So great for details on top of ink drawings but not much else.
Hi Becca, I thought of you yesterday and hope you are well. Nothing weird, was practiciny my drills, haven't in a while. I really hope you'll consider doing it again in the future, the community vibe is great!
Maybe the paper is the issue? It may not be a brand or type that works well with any of the pens. I don’t use paint pens, but my experience with the Uni Ball Signo 1.0 is that it’s really juicy, doesn’t railroad or scratch at all, and works really well for covering errors of black pen on white paper. It’s also vibrant on dark paper that is meant for journaling. The Gelly Roll is not as saturated and will smear gel pen when trying to cover dark lettering on white paper in my experience. I’ve found that the paper really makes a difference, and it sounds like the paper you’re using is creating scratchy sounds with every pen. Maybe try on a black paper that is a little more slick. But, I’m a journaler not an artist…so, for my uses the Uni Ball has been great.
Probably best white pen is a Noodlers Boston Safety pen and its a fountain pen that can handle India inks and other tough to clean inks so if you can get white ink put that in and the nib is literally immersed in the ink so wont gunk up. Clean the pen out when you are done and enjoy the pen with inks again another day….the entire pen can be opened up and cleaned per Nathan Tardiff’s videos.
have you ever used a towel as a whip well the same principal needs to be used when working with a white ball point pen you need to hold it at the farthest end from the nib and shake it with the cap on to force the ink to the nib but if you shake it flat back and forth your not doing anything to the ink its just getting jossled back and forth to and away from tne nib ... you neee to use that cintrivical force to force the ink out the nib :) hope that helps
You don't shake or tap gel pens. There is no air in the refill, so ink does not move, except in direction of the tip when you use it. See manufacturers' websites. Mild heat have more effect to reactivate pens.
I have spent a small fortune on the signo pens. They are choppy after the initial use …. Sadly I use them to take notes-or do sketch noting. I’ve transitioned to the silver and gold mostly because they do not behave the same as the white .
But does the Posca last or will it dry up quickly? I find most whites pens dry out within a month. I’m looking for one that won’t dry out. Thanks for this video!
I’ve found with paint pens in general that they last longer if I keep them in a sealed container (or even a bag) for “freshness” - possibly slows inevitable evaporation?
Sometimes the pen or liner stops writing because of the paper coating. In this case, I make a few strokes on uncoated paper, then the pen writes again)))
I ordered the Posca, and an interesting thing is happening. It is BOMB on a black envelope, but looks watery on a red envelope. I tried shaking in between each one, so I'm doing it the same way for both. Curious if anyone knows why.
Hey Hope see this. I am trouble signing up for Show Me Your Drill. I put my name and email and when I press I am Not a Robot, it just circles. I swear not a Robot!!😅
Thank you! White pens have been such a challenge. I appreciate your testing them.
So helpful. I am a card maker and the gellyroll pens drive me nuts!
Crazy as this might sound, using the Signo Uniball, I find that I get the smoothest results when I shake it well and then scribble on the "heel" of my hand. Works better than scribbling on paper to get it going. As I use it, I have to go back to shake and scribble again, but having tried every white pen I know to exist, this far out-performs the others. Well worth the trouble.
I've found the Signos worked best for me, too. Sometimes you get one that doesn't perform as well but I think those might have been in storage too long. I'll try the heel-of-my-hand method 😁
I do the same!
Thanks. I need to get a white pen. Posca will be my choice.
Hey Becca, just a tip that wasn’t mentioned- when using the Posca pens, don’t press hard when lettering- use a very light pressure or the paint will flood out onto the surface.
The new sharpie paint/brush pens are fabulous!
Great comparison. This is useful for so many forms of crafting, coloring, painting, etc. New subscriber!
Watching you write is like asmr for my eyes. Thank you for the info, too! I knew my favorite white choice but I was curious if we would come to the same conclusion in the end. We did :)
There is a hole on the top of the gellyroll pen that you can actually blow into and get a better flow with the pen,😂
Excellent - thanks for showing this! Glad I'm not the only one who has soooo much trouble with the Uniball signo.
You have AMAZING penmanship. Thanks for sharing!
the gel pens are choppy because you get dried bits of gel on the roller ball that makes it skip. A lot of the time you can clean the ball with rubbing alcohol (pour some on a paper towel and "write" on the spot) and it will keep it working decently. The gelly roll fine (05) and medium (08) seem to be very finnicky and it's hard to get those going again. Works well with the 10 size though.
Thank you for doing this video. I've always been so frustrated with white pens.
thank you! i'm especially grateful to see the difference in tip sizes for posca!
Thanks so much for sharing this! Very helpful!
The struggle is real………I came to the same conclusions as you, after years of trying different whites!💚💙💜
This is very helpful! I think I've spent a small fortune on white pens, while gaining .... what .... much frustration! I have a .7mm Posca pin tip, which is ok, but I'm going to try the .7mm bullet tip. Thanks so much! ❤
White Sharpie creative brush pens/bullet tips work well on black!
Becca, you should try the Sharpie Creative markers! They’re soooo opaque and great for lettering. There are two different ones, but both of them do the work. Even the ball tipped ones.
Posca is a great product, their coloured pencils are awesome.
Thanks for doing this comparison, Becca‼️ I’ve always been annoyed with white pens/markers but have had good luck with Posca. Have you considered contacting Uni Mitsubishi Pencil (head company) via their website or going onto their social media to suggest or request they create for one that is more conducive to calligraph writing? Worth a try! 😃
The Faber-Castell PITT felt tips can come out and be flipped-there's a brand new one at the other end!
Like you I’ve tried them ALLLLL and the one I keep going back to that I think folks are sleeping on is the Grabie extra fine tip pen. I even buy them in the 3 pack and keep them at all my doodling desks. 10/10 recommend.
I was rooting for the Posca before you even started testing. :) I bought a set a few months ago (probably after watching you use them in an older video), and I really love them. I wanted to use the pens on my faux leather planner covers, but I've been using the white one for lots of other things.
Thanks for doing this test!!
I also find with gel pens, changing the angle the pen sits at when writing…I also write with my pen mostly vertically…but when I try writing with it more at a 45 degree (or even 30 degree) angle, it works better and isn’t as choppy…
Very helpful! Thank you. I've always liked the Signos but will try the Posca 1M for more dependability 👍👍
Shaking your gel pens that vigorously can actually cause air bubbles in the ink which makes them skip or stop working. You can tap them on a paper or tabletop or if you can take them apart, blowing on the end of it will help.
Thank you. I now know to shake my gel pens.
I find the Sakura Gellyroll 10 to be plenty opaque. I suspect that’s because the larger nib lays down more ink so the result is more opaque.
agreed. smaller ball seems to cause more dried goo.
hi, just stumbled over your video , desperate looking for the perfect white pen , for years, and tried most of the ones you showed. I don´t know if somebody mentioned it already: You can turn the Faber Castell Pitt Artist tips around. Just pull them out carefully, and turn them around...I`ve been using Pitt Artist pens for about 10 years, and I love them. Thanks for your video :)
The new Sharpie Creative Marker in white is pretty damn good!! And the Sakura white gel pen is my fav, but also doesn't last long!
I use a white pen in quilting. Yep on fabric. It's the only dependable way to make a semi lasting line on black fabric for applique.
TY for this. I needed it.
Thanks!!!
thanks😊
Thank you so much for doing this! Is there a white pen that you would particularly recommend for cat whiskers? The paint pens all seem to have a much wider tip than I would need for that and I hear you about the jelly roll pens being choppy and unreliable.
Sakura Jelly Roll 10 works best
Thank you!
Shayda Campbell once said that white gel pens only really work on top of ink. I tried it and have to say that’s true. So great for details on top of ink drawings but not much else.
The Gelly Roll worked well for me to sign our family name on glossy photo cards recently. Not perfect but didn’t smudge.
Hi Becca, I thought of you yesterday and hope you are well. Nothing weird, was practiciny my drills, haven't in a while. I really hope you'll consider doing it again in the future, the community vibe is great!
There is a new sharpie pen which includes the white in the set which is amazing. Its the one that advertises that it does not bleed through the page.
I actually love the look of the Karin pen - very ghostly. 👻But, of course, that’s not always the desired effect.
Which sharpie are you referring to? If you haven't already, you may want to try the sharpie creative marker. They have brush and bullet options.
Maybe the paper is the issue? It may not be a brand or type that works well with any of the pens. I don’t use paint pens, but my experience with the Uni Ball Signo 1.0 is that it’s really juicy, doesn’t railroad or scratch at all, and works really well for covering errors of black pen on white paper. It’s also vibrant on dark paper that is meant for journaling. The Gelly Roll is not as saturated and will smear gel pen when trying to cover dark lettering on white paper in my experience. I’ve found that the paper really makes a difference, and it sounds like the paper you’re using is creating scratchy sounds with every pen. Maybe try on a black paper that is a little more slick. But, I’m a journaler not an artist…so, for my uses the Uni Ball has been great.
Probably best white pen is a Noodlers Boston Safety pen and its a fountain pen that can handle India inks and other tough to clean inks so if you can get white ink put that in and the nib is literally immersed in the ink so wont gunk up. Clean the pen out when you are done and enjoy the pen with inks again another day….the entire pen can be opened up and cleaned per Nathan Tardiff’s videos.
Thanks. I’m always looking for a good white pen. I had one but forgot the brand it was and can’t find it.
have you ever used a towel as a whip well the same principal needs to be used when working with a white ball point pen you need to hold it at the farthest end from the nib and shake it with the cap on to force the ink to the nib but if you shake it flat back and forth your not doing anything to the ink its just getting jossled back and forth to and away from tne nib ... you neee to use that cintrivical force to force the ink out the nib :) hope that helps
You don't shake or tap gel pens. There is no air in the refill, so ink does not move, except in direction of the tip when you use it. See manufacturers' websites. Mild heat have more effect to reactivate pens.
I have spent a small fortune on the signo pens. They are choppy after the initial use …. Sadly I use them to take notes-or do sketch noting. I’ve transitioned to the silver and gold mostly because they do not behave the same as the white .
Love it so pretty, but I think it was better before you used the ink. It's still nice, though ❤
But does the Posca last or will it dry up quickly? I find most whites pens dry out within a month. I’m looking for one that won’t dry out. Thanks for this video!
I’ve found with paint pens in general that they last longer if I keep them in a sealed container (or even a bag) for “freshness” - possibly slows inevitable evaporation?
I think it is important to store your paint pens lying flat to prevent them drying out but also not flooding into the lid. 😊
Sometimes the pen or liner stops writing because of the paper coating. In this case, I make a few strokes on uncoated paper, then the pen writes again)))
The Sakura Jelly Roll frequently don't work at all... I can't restart it no matter what I do. Sometimes they come that way. They BLOW.
How did you know this was on my mind??? 😮
I just threw away 3 of the Uni ball signo, cause they always dry! Never getting them again
I ordered the Posca, and an interesting thing is happening. It is BOMB on a black envelope, but looks watery on a red envelope. I tried shaking in between each one, so I'm doing it the same way for both. Curious if anyone knows why.
Hey Hope see this. I am trouble signing up for Show Me Your Drill. I put my name and email and when I press I am Not a Robot, it just circles. I swear not a Robot!!😅
The only gelly roll I have luck with is the 1.0 tip. The rest stink
Please
What is the meaning of "choppy"?
I think that it means unevenly. The ink slightly pools at the beginning and end of each stroke but fades in the middle.
@@flis625 thanks 😊
They are always dried up because no one buys them and they sit on the shelf too long. Yours may be good, but the one I buy is always dried up.
I don't understand why Sharpie doesn't have a white pen...they have all kinds of colors, but no white.
"it's not a brush pen you can't use it for calligraphy."
I don't know what choppy means. You're making up words. Also it seems like shaking the pens made them worse.
Everyone understands what choppy means…
Thank you!