Hey guys! I need some advice about what micron pens can be used with Copic markers. As far as I know, Sakura, Neopiko, and Copic itself, are the only pens which don't smear. Which one would you recommend? Or is there another brand you would point out? I usually use regular marker paper.
Besides, any tips about what point sizes I should buy will be great too
Thanks in advance!

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And love will steer the stars

_{5th Dimension, Age of Aquarius}

Those three are great pens. Although the copic multiliner ink isn't completely black. The blackest one would be the mircons. Either brand you get I'd recommend the full set. You'd use the smaller nib sizes if your style uses alot of details or the bigger ones for simpler styles.

Never been a fan of marker paper though. I tend to use cardstock, bristol board, or manga paper.

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Actually, there's quite a few brands of inking pens that won't smear with Copic ink. The ones I've used in the past are Sakura Microns, Staedtler pigment liners, Radiograph pens, and Copic multiliners. The ones I'd recommend are Staedler and Copic.

I don't like Sakura brand at all even though they seem to be quite popular among traditional artists. Compared to Staedtler (which are around the same price of $2-3), their tips wear off very quickly and the lines become thicker, so a 005 pen would start making lines as thick as a 01 pen. Rapidograph pens are just really, really expensive ($15-20 each), so you should probably start out with cheaper alternatives. Copic multiliners is what I use, mostly because they come in the smallest nib size I can find (0.03), and I need really tiny nibs. They're about $2-3 each and can be found in certain art stores and online. None of these brands bleed as long as you give your lineart a few minutes to dry before coloring.

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The brands I'd recommend are Sakura and Radiograph; Sakura's Pigma Microns, I've noticed, gives the darkest line and the best control of any of the disposable inking pens I've found- the downside is, as =cartoongirl7 mentioned, that they wear out rather quickly, but to me, it's worthwhile to replace pens a little more often in order to get that extra control and opacity. They don't wear out that much more quickly, and really, if you ask me, if you're inking often enough to make the speed in which Sakura's pens break down really effects your budget, then it's time to switch to Radiographs, anyways. Radiographs are extremely high-quality drafting pens, which you refill and refurbish over the years rather than replace. They cost a lot up front, but for people who ink a lot, they'll pay for themselves in no time at all. I've heard of people who ink about ten comic books a day only having to spend about ten dollars a month to keep their Radiographs working nicely, whereas with Microns, they might have been spending ten dollars every day to replace them.
However, their high starting cost, combined with their very high of maintenance makes me very loathe indeed to recommend them for beginners.

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Thanks for the advice. I think I have some Staedtler liners at home... do you use them on marker paper?
(By the way, your marker tutorials are great )

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Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

_{5th Dimension, Age of Aquarius}

I use Copics, and have found that you don't need to buy artists fineliners to get similar/very good results.
I use Officemax fineliners, they are a generic, 0.5mm black pigment liner, made in china, and I can buy a box of 10 for $14
Or singularly, they cost around $1.30
So, It wouldn't really harm to give one of these a shot they worked wonders for me, the only thing that makes them inferior to artists liners, is that they are not as dark, but this is only evident when you use a solid black marker.

Good luck mate

Thanks for the advice

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Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

_{5th Dimension, Age of Aquarius}

The copic multiliners are REALLY good pens. I don't really use mine anymore, I ink with nibs and brushes more these days but I would really recommend them. I am not a fan of Sakura microns, they break and dry out really easily, and the ink is not as BLACK BLACK as the copic ones. Its more of a dark grey, not a huge fan.

And the Staedtler ones, while more sturdy than the Sakuras, are also more of a grey than a black.

I was also looking this up (how i found this forum!) and found this site:
[link]

personally, i dont like microns... the one i got the tip was bent when i got it and then fell off within a day's use... quite sad, really. staedlers, i feel, are more sturdy.

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