A marker pen, marking pen, felt-tip pen, flow or marker, is a pen which has its own ink-source, and usually a tip made of a porous, pressed fibres; such as felt or nylon.
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Lee Newman patented a felt-tipped marking pen in 1910.[1]
Permanent markers are porous pens that can write on surfaces such as glass, plastic, wood, metal, and stone. The ink 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 permanent markers used to highlight and cover over existing writing while still leaving the writing readable.
A non-permanent marker (also called a whiteboard marker or dry erasable marker), uses an erasable ink—an ink that adheres to the writing surface without binding or being absorbed by it—for temporary writing with overhead projectors, whiteboards, and the like. They may also be used by children when adults want to be able to clean up after them. The erasable ink does not contain the toxic chemical compounds xylene and/or toluene, unlike permanent markers.
Wet erase 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 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 in developing world communities and refugee camps.
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 India, Felt-tip pens are referred to as "sketch pens" because they are mainly used for sketching purposes whereas the permanent felt-tip markers are referred to as just "markers". In Malaysia, marker pen is just called marker without the word "pen". In the Philippines, a marker is commonly referred to as a "Pentel Pen." In Indonesia a marker pen is referred to as "Spidol." In South Korea marker pen is referred to as "Sign pen" or "Name pen." In Japan permanent pen is referred to as "Magic" (from a famous pen brand name).
In Australia, the term "marker" usually refers only to large-tip markers, and the terms "felt-tip" and "felt pen" usually refers only to fine-tip markers. Markers in Australia are sometimes called "texta". "Texta" is a brand name of a type of permanent marker, which is sometimes used generically.
In Spanish-speaking countries, the common word for marker is "rotulador", or "marcador" and "plumón" in South American or Latin America countries. Hightlighting markers are known as "rotulador fluorescente", "marcatextos", "resaltador" or "fosforito".
One would use the term "Sharpie" or "Vivid" only if using pens of those particular brands. The generic term for fine tipped marker is usually "felt pen" or "felts".
One would use the term "Koki" for both felt pens and markers.
In the United Kingdom it is common in schools to refer to felt-tipped pens as "felt tips". This is particularly common with the non-permanent sort of pens used for rendering areas of colour in outline drawings ("colouring in"). Older generations however refer to these non-permanent pens as felt-tip pens with the permanent variety being known as markers.
In the United States, the word "marker" is used, as well as "magic marker", which is a genericized trademark.
In Canada and the U.S., "Magic Marker" is sometimes used to refer to "reveal markers" for "magic picture books" where the colours of a picture are revealed by a colourless marker. Sharpie is a popular brand of permanent markers used for labeling. Markers are also sometimes referred to as felt-pens or felts in some parts of Canada.
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