A marker pen , fine liner , marking pen , felt-tip pen , felt pen , flow marker , sign pen (in South Korea ), vivid (in New Zealand ), flomaster (in East and South Slavic countries), texta (in Australia ), sketch pen (in South Asia ), koki (in South Africa ) or simply marker is a pen which has its own ink source and a tip made of porous, pressed fibers such as felt . A marker pen consists of a container (glass, aluminum or plastic) and a core of an absorbent material that holds the ink. The upper part of the marker contains the nib that was made in earlier times of a hard felt material, and a cap to prevent the marker from drying out.
30-450: Until the early 1990s, the most common solvents that were used for the ink in permanent markers were toluene and xylene . These two substances are both harmful and characterized by a very strong smell. Today, the ink is usually made on the basis of alcohols (e.g. 1-Propanol , 1-butanol , diacetone alcohol and cresols ). Markers may be waterproof, dry-erase, wet-erase (e.g. transparency markers), or permanent. Lee Newman patented
60-423: A photosensitive reaction with live skin cells. This means that the stain will fade as new skin grows. Silver nitrate is an irritant and is used as a cauterizing agent at concentrations of 25% or higher. Electoral stain is traditionally violet in colour before the photosensitive element takes effect to leave a black or brown mark. However, for the 2005 Surinamese legislative election , orange replaced violet as
90-415: A pigment for instant recognition, a silver nitrate which stains the skin on exposure to ultraviolet light , leaving a mark that is impossible to wash off and is only removed as external skin cells are replaced . Industry-standard electoral inks contain 10%, 14%, or 18% silver nitrate solution, depending on when the mark must be visible. Although usually water-based, electoral stains occasionally contain
120-566: A dry-erase marker in some locations, uses an erasable ink, made to be used on a slick (or matte-finished), non-porous writing surface, for temporary writing with overhead projectors , whiteboards , glass and the like. They are designed so that the user is able to easily erase the marks using either a damp cloth, tissue, handkerchief, baby wipe, or other easily cleaned or disposable items. Generally, people use fabrics to do so, but others use items like paper, clothing items, some even use their bare hands to wipe it clear. The erasable ink does not contain
150-453: A felt-tipped marking pen in 1910. In 1926, Benjamin Paskach patented a "fountain paintbrush", as he called it, which consisted of a sponge-tipped handle containing various paint colors. Markers of this sort began to be popularized with the sale of Sidney Rosenthal 's Magic Marker (1953), which consisted of a glass tube of ink with a felt wick. By 1958, use of felt-tipped markers was commonplace for
180-795: A point that is made of some porous material such as felt or ceramic . Draftsman 's pens usually have a ceramic tip since this wears well and does not broaden when pressure is applied while writing. The use of the terms "marker" and "felt-tipped pen" varies significantly among different parts of the world. This is because most English dialects contain words for particular types of marker, often generic brand names, but there are no such terms in widespread international use. In some parts of India , water-based felt-tip pens are referred to as "sketch pens" because they are mainly used for sketching and writing on paper or cardboard. The permanent ink felt-tip markers are referred to as just "markers". In Malaysia and Singapore , marker pens are simply called markers. In
210-726: A popular brand sold there, the Bic Stephens Vivid In South Africa , the term "Koki" is used for both felt pens and markers, by South Africans, as well as the standard "marker". In the United States, the word "marker" is used as well as "magic marker", the latter being a genericized trademark . The word "sharpie" is also now used as a genericized trademark; Sharpie is a popular brand of permanent markers used for labelling. Markers are also sometimes referred to as felt-pens or felts in some parts of Canada. Permanent marker A permanent marker or indelible marker
240-483: A solvent such as alcohol to allow for faster drying, primarily when used with dipping bottles, which may include a biocide to ensure bacteria are not transferred from voter to voter. Hydroxides can easily remove silver chloride. Hence, other photosensitive pigmentation needs to be added. Silver nitrate can cause a condition called argyria , although this requires frequent or extreme exposure. Election stain typically stays on skin for 72–96 hours, lasting 2 to 4 weeks on
270-505: A stain lasting several weeks. It was first used during the 1962 general election in India . The ink was developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) , a research institute of CSIR, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India and manufactured by Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd . It is exported to more than 30 countries. Electoral stain
300-480: A stolen, but recovered item can be determined by using ultraviolet light to make the writing visible. Marker pens with election ink (an indelible dye and often a photosensitive agent such as silver nitrate ) used to mark the finger, and especially the cuticle , of voters in elections in order to prevent electoral fraud such as double voting. The stain stays visible for a week or two and may also be used to assist in vaccinations . A porous point pen contains
330-899: A surface layer that, despite their name, can be removed by high pressure cleaning , paint thinners , or organic solvents such as acetone , xylene , or toluene . When used indoors, isopropyl alcohol , ethanol , and ethyl acetate are preferred cleaners, as their fumes are much less hazardous than toluene and xylene, the main components of paint thinner , or the longer-chain hydrocarbons found in mineral spirits . Other common non-polar solvents include benzene , turpentine and other terpenes (which constitute essential oils of many plants with strong scents), most ethers , chloroform and dichloromethane , hydrocarbon fuels, and diacetone alcohol , among many others. Many of these solvents are toxic, carcinogenic, or flammable, and should only be used with adequate ventilation. Most brands of "OLFA" marker wipe off easily with acetone-free nail polish remover ,
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#1733105485464360-557: A variety of applications such as lettering, labeling, and creating posters. The year 1962 brought the development of the modern fiber-tipped pen (in contrast to the marker, which generally has a thicker point) by Yukio Horie of the Tokyo Stationery Company (which later became Pentel ). In 1987 the Copic Sketch markers were released, further popularising markers for professional illustration. The marker reservoir, which holds
390-562: A week before voters went to the polls, saying it would be unconstitutional to prevent people from voting even if they had already had their fingers stained. Additionally they cited reports of ink being smuggled in from neighboring Thailand to mark peoples' fingers before they had a chance to vote, thus denying them their rights. During the 2008 Zimbabwean presidential election , reports surfaced that those who had chosen not to vote were attacked and beaten by government-sponsored mobs. The mobs attacked those without ink on their finger. During
420-582: Is a practical security feature to prevent double voting in elections. Ink is typically applied to the left-hand thumb, over the nail and finger in a straight line, especially to the cuticle , where it is almost impossible to remove quickly. In some countries, like Sri Lanka, the ink is applied on the little finger on the left hand. Ink may be applied in various ways, depending on circumstance and preference. The most common methods are dipping bottles with sponge inserts, bottles with brush applicators, spray bottles, and marker pens . Electoral stain typically contains
450-405: Is a semi-permanent ink or dye that is applied to the forefinger (usually) of voters during elections in order to prevent electoral fraud such as double voting. It is an effective method for countries where identification documents for citizens are not always standardised or institutionalised. One of the more common election ink compositions is based on silver nitrate , which can produce
480-642: Is a type of marker pen that is used to create permanent or semi-permanent writing on an object. In general, permanent marker ink comprises a main carrier solvent , a glyceride , a pyrrolidone , a resin , and a colorant , making it water resistant . It is capable of writing on a variety of surfaces from paper to metal to stone. They come in a variety of tip sizes (ultra fine to wide), shapes (chisel point, bullet tip, and wide bristle), and colors (metallic, or ultraviolet reactive). Most markers have alcohol-based solvents. Other types, called paint markers, contain volatile organic compounds which evaporate to dry
510-481: Is generally resistant to rubbing and water, and can last for many years. Depending on the surface and the marker used, however, the marks can often be removed with either vigorous scrubbing or chemicals such as acetone. Highlighters are a form of marker used to highlight and cover over existing writing while still leaving the writing readable. They are generally produced in neon colours to allow for colour coding, as well as attract buyers to them. A whiteboard marker, or
540-517: The 2010 Afghan parliamentary election , the Taliban delivered night letters threatening to cut off anybody's finger which was marked with indelible ink. During the 2013 Malaysian general election , in light of the first-ever implementation of electoral stain, voters reported that the ink could be easily washed off with running water, despite assurances by the Election Commission of Malaysia on
570-501: The Philippines , a marker is commonly referred to as a " Pentel pen", regardless of brand. In Indonesia , a marker pen is referred to as "Spidol". In South Korea and Japan , marker pens are referred to as "sign pens", "name pens", or "felt pens". Also, permanent pens are also referred to as "Magic" (from a famous pen brand name). In Iran , felt-tip pens are referred to as "Magic" or "Highlight" regardless of its brand. In Australia ,
600-400: The fingernail and cuticle area. The election ink used puts a permanent mark on the cuticle area, which only disappears with the growth of the new nail. It can take up to 4 months for the stain to be replaced completely by new nail growth. Stains with concentrations of silver nitrate higher than 18% have been found to have no added effect on stain longevity, as silver nitrate does not have
630-570: The colour for marking the voters' fingers. It was found to last just as long and be more appealing to voters, as it resembled the national colours. Marker pens are the most efficient use of ink, with one 5 ml pen able to mark 600 people, although dipping bottles are often preferred, despite a 100 ml bottle only marking 1000. Dipping bottles can leave a more comprehensive stain with slightly greater longevity (depending on silver nitrate content) than markers can. However, marker pens are much cheaper and easier to transport, considerably reducing costs to
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#1733105485464660-471: The election organisers, and the advised option when stains are only needed to be guaranteed for 3 to 5 days. Marker pens also leave a much smaller mark when properly applied, which is more agreeable to many voters. The armed guerrilla Shining Path of Peru has repeatedly threatened to kill those found with indelible ink stains to dissuade from participation in elections . In the 2004 Afghan presidential election , allegations of electoral fraud arose around
690-565: The ink can be up to 10%. Besides solvents and the dye itself, the ink may contain additives (e.g. nonylphenylpolyglycol ether, alkylpoly- glycol ether , fatty acid polyglycol ester, or fatty alcohol ethoxalates) and preservatives (e.g. 2-Phenylphenol and its sodium salt, 6-acetoxy-2,4-dimethyl-m- dioxane ). Permanent markers are porous pens that can write on surfaces such as glass, plastic, wood, metal, and stone. The marks made by such pens are however, not permanent on some plastics like Teflon , polypropylene etc., and can be erased easily. The ink
720-498: The ink tends to bleed through and become visible on the other side. In addition to being used for labelling microscopy slides, permanent markers can be used to do a negative stain of a bacterial sample. This means the background is stained with the marker, but the bacteria are not. The bacteria can be seen because they are unstained (lighter) while the background is stained (darker). Permanent markers are generally used on hard, non-porous surfaces, because instead of staining they form
750-596: The ink, and are similar to spray paint . Due to solvents such as toluene and xylene often being present in permanent markers, they have a potential for abuse as a recreational drug . The permanent marker was invented in 1952 by Sidney Rosenthal . Permanent markers are used for writing on metals, plastics, ceramics, wood, stone, cardboard etc. However, the mark made by them is semi-permanent on some surfaces. Most permanent marker ink can be erased from some plastic surfaces (like polypropylene and teflon ) with little rubbing pressure. They can be used on ordinary paper, but
780-462: The ink, is formed from polyester . The " felt " used for the tip is usually made of highly compressed synthetic fibers or porous ceramics. Toluol and xylol were used as solvents for the dye and are still used for the indelible ink in permanent markers. Due to their toxicity, they have often been replaced with less critical substances such as alkyl or cyclic alkylene carbonates (like propylene carbonate ) in other types of markers. Water content of
810-742: The kind containing ethyl acetate , a relatively non-toxic organic solvent. A permanent marker can also be removed by drawing over it with a dry erase marker on non-porous surfaces such as a whiteboard , as dry erase markers also contain a non-polar solvent. Most dry-erase board cleaner solutions also contain effective organic solvents like 2-butoxyethanol to remove the pigment. Due to their potential to be used for vandalism , some locales, such as Florida , California , New York City , and Berwyn, Illinois , have laws against possessing permanent markers in public, and prohibit sales of them to people under age 20 . Election ink Electoral ink , indelible ink , electoral stain or phosphoric ink
840-641: The term "marker" usually refers only to large-tip markers, and the terms "felt-tip" and "felt pen" usually refer only to fine-tip markers. Markers in Australia are often generically called "texta", after a brand name of a type of permanent marker . Some variation in naming convention occurs between the states, for example in Queensland the brand name "nikko" has been commonly adopted. The generic terms for fine-tipped markers are usually "felt pen" ,"felt tip pen" or "felts". Large permanent markers are called 'vivids' after
870-436: The toxic chemical compounds xylene and/or toluene as have been used in permanent markers, being less of a risk to being used as a recreational drug . Wet-wipe markers are another version that are used on overhead projectors, signboards, whiteboards, and other non-porous surfaces. Special "security" markers, with fluorescent but otherwise invisible inks, are used for marking valuables in case of burglary . The owner of
900-403: The use of indelible ink stains, which many claimed were easily washed off. Election officials had chosen to use the more efficient marker pen option; however, regular marker pens were also sent out to polling stations, which led to confusion and some people being marked with less permanent ink. In the 2008 Malaysian general election , the election authorities canceled the use of electoral stain
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