How I Refill My Copic Markers

As 2016 winds down and New Year's festivities are getting underway, I thought I would share a little annual Copic maintenance I usually do during slower times of the year (or whenever I get the chance!). And that is refilling my Copic markers.

My personal favorite and quickest-for-me way to refill markers (because most of the time I refill whenever I run across a too dry marker while I'm coloring) is the Drip & Dab method (detailed fully below). If you look closely at a top view of the chisel end of the marker, you will see a small gap on each side of the nib. I add drops of the refill to the side of the nib and ink is drawn down into the marker.

To show the process, I put together a quick video since it’s a question I am asked a lot.

(Caution: This was my first video attempt, so I appreciate your patience during my learning process! It is intentionally slow, so you can see my full process, which really doesn't take that long when you get going at a normal pace! It probably only takes about half the time of this video to refill a marker. I hope it is somewhat helpful ) . . .

Always remove the chisel end, never the brush, to refill a marker as brush nibs are easily damaged when removed.

A Copic Nib Tweezer is inexpensive and makes pulling nibs super easy, plus it will keep your fingers clean.

Here's a little bit more about Copic Various Ink Refills:

Copic Various Ink Refills are available in all 358 Coic colors, and are compatible with all marker styles. Empty ink bottles are available for mixing custom colors. Depending on the marker style you are using, you can refill a marker a number of times with one bottle of Various Ink Refill. Here's the breakdown:

I personally use mostly Copic Sketch Markers; so I would get 12 refills out of one refill bottle for one of my markers! So that one bottle of Various Ink Refill will probably last me about 12 years (on average) for my personal coloring style/use . . . that's a great value in my book, friends!

The graphic below explains both my personal favorite Drip and Dab method, and also the method using Copic's Refill Booster:

How do you know when your marker is dry?

If your marker, especially the Medium Broad/Chisel tip, is not coloring solidly, it is probably dry.
If your Super Brush nib is not blending well or if it is streaking, it may be dry.
If your marker is noisy, or sometimes squeaky, and just louder than usual as you move it across your paper -- it may be starting to get dry.
If the Super Brush tip is a lighter color than the rest of the Super Brush after you color for a couple of minutes, chances are you need to re-ink that marker!

Not everyone refills their markers the same way, so this month the Copic teaching and design team have posted how each of them refill their markers and you can check them out here. I'm sure you'll find a method that's just right for you!

Cindy Lawrence
Michele Boyer
Debbie Olson
Michelle Houghton
Lori Craig

Thanks so much for joining me today and I hope you have a fabulous New Year's!