Copic marker maintenance

Crafting is not all creating and shopping, there is also a certain amount of organising and maintenance to be done.

I signed up for Sandy Allnock’s Copic Jumpstart class next month, so I figured it was time to freshen up my colour charts and, at the same time, check over my markers and do a bit of basic maintenance. I also wanted to check whether there are any Copic refills I should pick up to start my Various inks collection.

My supplies:

• a standard Copic chart
• Sandy Allnock’s hex chart
• Copic cleaning solution
• alcohol wipes
• cotton buds
• cotton wool pads
• scrap of Neenah card
• kitchen roll

My process, working one colour group at a time:

• check that the right caps are on the marker; guess how I learned this lesson…
• colour in the charts; I love the hex chart, but finding the right space for some colours can take a moment, especially when you’re just starting …
• if the marker feels like it might be a bit dry, check it on the scrap card and make a note to get a refill if needed
• clean above the nib and wipe off any marks on the barrel; I rarely use the chisel tip so I’m focusing on the brush tips this time
• clean inside the cap
• return the marker to its storage

The alcohol wipes are great for cleaning around the nib, but they do dry out pretty quickly so I tend to use those only for the grubbiest markers where a bit of extra elbow grease is required. For the others and for the inside of the caps, I use a cotton bud moistened with Copic cleaning solution. If the cotton bud gets a bit too wet I use a bit of kitchen roll to dry the marker before putting the cap back on. Part way through the process I remembered I had some cotton wool pads as well; those came in handy when I was working my way through the eternity of greys…

This is a time-consuming job, but a necessary one, and my markers are now all lovely and shiny.