Markers, coloured pencils and art books do practical work well beyond the art room. This guide covers six jobs where they earn their place: workshops, training sessions, planning walls, signage, displays and classroom activities. For each one you will find the tool that suits it, what to check before you buy and one example from our range.
After the six use cases there is a marker comparison by surface, so the right ink ends up on the right board, window or sheet of paper. We have also added Copic to the range this season, and you will find their alcohol markers and Multiliner pens in the sections on displays, classrooms and the marker comparison.
Q4 brings planning days and end-of-year events, and it is when the shared marker cup gets the most use. It is a sensible time to restock it with the right tools.
Keep whiteboard markers and permanent markers in separate, labelled cups in every meeting room and classroom. It takes a minute to set up, and it stops a permanent marker ending up on a whiteboard by mistake.
From our team in Tweed Heads
Six jobs for creative supplies at work and at school
Each use case pairs a job with the tool that suits it. Tick the checks that apply to your room before you place the order.
Prefer paper? Print this page (Ctrl + P or ⌘ + P) and only the guide will print. Ticks are not saved once you leave the page.
Workshops and brainstorms
The right tool: a self-stick easel pad and bold, broad markers
A workshop needs paper big enough for a group to read from the back of the room, and sheets that can come off the easel and go up on the wall as the ideas pile up. Self-stick easel pads do both. Pair them with broad markers in a few strong colours, so the facilitator can separate headings from actions at a glance.
Example: the Post-it 559 Easel Pads come two to a pack with 30 sheets each. 3M make the bright white paper so markers do not soak through, and say a sheet can be moved on most surfaces without harming the wall.
Flip charts and easel pads · Sticky notes · Presentation accessories
Training sessions
The right tool: whiteboard markers in more than one colour
A trainer draws, wipes and redraws all day, so whiteboard markers do most of the work. Colour matters more than people expect. One colour for the main point and another for examples makes a busy board far easier to follow, and a marker that has dried out halfway through a session costs time in front of a room.
Example: the Artline 577 Whiteboard Marker box holds 12 assorted markers with 3mm bullet nibs. ACCO describe the pigment ink as dry safe, with up to 48 hours caps off before a marker dries.
Whiteboard markers · Whiteboard cleaners · Staedtler whiteboard markers
Visual planning walls
The right tool: sticky notes with a fine, colour-coded pen
A planning wall works when everyone can read a note from a step back and the colours mean something. Agree a simple code before the first note goes up, such as one colour per team or per stage, and stick to it. Fineliners write cleanly on sticky notes, and a wide colour range gives each team or stream its own ink.
Example: the Staedtler triplus Fineliner wallet holds 20 colours, each with a superfine tip in a metal casing for lines of about 0.3mm. Staedtler rate the water-based ink dry safe, and the case stands up on the table.
Signage and labelling
The right tool: chalk markers for signs that change, permanent markers for labels that stay
Signage splits into two jobs. Window notices and event directions change often, so they suit liquid chalk markers that wipe off with a damp cloth. Carton labels and storage tubs need to stay put, which is a job for a permanent marker. Mixing the two up is how a temporary sign becomes permanent.
Example: uni-ball say their PWE-5M Chalk Markers suit non-porous surfaces such as glass, windows, mirrors and metal, stay on in the rain and wash off with a damp cloth. For permanent labels, ACCO describe the Artline 70 as working on cardboard and wood as well as steel and glass.
Displays and presentation boards
The right tool: Copic alcohol markers for concept work, paint markers for display pieces
Architects and design teams still sketch by hand, and so do many marketing teams, because a marker render on a presentation board shows an idea faster than a finished file. Copic markers suit that work. Grey scales give form and shadow to products and buildings, and a small set of colours is enough to pick out the parts that matter. For display props, shelf talkers and painted signs on timber or plastic, a paint marker such as POSCA does the job better.
Example: the Copic Sketch 12 Cool Grey set runs from C-00 to C-10, greys with a hint of blue that Copic recommend for depicting metal, which suits shading vehicles, appliances and buildings. Each marker has a Medium Broad nib and a Super Brush, and Copic make them refillable with replaceable nibs.
Copic and creative markers · POSCA paint markers · Art markers
Classroom activities
The right tool: class packs for the room, art diaries for each student
Schools are one of the places where creative supplies get used hardest. For a whole class, a class pack keeps colours even across tables and saves opening a dozen small boxes. Visual art diaries give each student one place for drafts and finished work. Senior art and design students often move on to alcohol markers for folio work, and a small Copic Ciao set is a sensible first step.
Example: the Spirax P704 Visual Art Diary is A4 portrait with 120 pages of acid free cartridge paper, a black polypropylene cover and a sturdy backboard for drawing without a table. It comes in a pack of 5.
Visual art diaries · Coloured pencils · Copic and creative markers
Seven markers and the surfaces they suit
Most marker problems are surface problems. Details below come from each maker's own description. Where a surface is not listed, test on a small corner first.
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Whiteboard marker
Dry-wipe ink made to come off a whiteboard with an eraser. Keep it away from paper you want to keep.
- Surface
- Whiteboards, including electronic and lapboard boards for the Artline Supreme
- Ink type
- Dry-wipe; ACCO describe the 577 ink as pigment ink
- Best for
- Training rooms and lessons
- Example
- Artline 577 Assorted Box of 12
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Flipchart and easel pad marker
Use a broad marker that reads from across the room, and test it on a spare sheet first.
- Surface
- Easel pads and flipchart paper
- Ink type
- Varies by marker; 3M make the 559 paper so markers do not soak through
- Best for
- Workshops and offsites
- Example
- Post-it Easel Pads 559
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Paint marker
Opaque colour that stands out on dark and shiny surfaces.
- Surface
- POSCA list paper, cardboard, wood, glass, metal, ceramic, fabric and many plastics
- Ink type
- Water-based pigment ink, quick drying
- Best for
- Display props and painted signs
- Example
- POSCA PC-5M Wallet of 16
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Liquid chalk marker
Bright, chalk-style lettering that wipes away, for signs that change week to week.
- Surface
- Non-porous surfaces such as glass, windows, mirrors and metal
- Ink type
- Wet-wipe, removed with a damp cloth
- Best for
- Window notices and event signs
- Example
- uni-ball PWE-5M Chalk Marker Pack of 8
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Permanent marker
For labels that need to stay put. Not for whiteboards.
- Surface
- ACCO list cardboard and wood, and steel and glass, for the Artline 70
- Ink type
- Alcohol based, which ACCO say dries instantly
- Best for
- Cartons, crates, storage tubs and equipment
- Example
- Artline 70 Black Box of 12
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Fineliner
A fine, even line for notes, diagrams and colour coding on paper.
- Surface
- Paper and sticky notes
- Ink type
- Water-based on the Staedtler triplus; Copic Multiliners use pigment ink
- Best for
- Planning walls and line work
- Example
- Staedtler triplus Wallet of 20
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Copic alcohol marker
Made for layered colour and grey shading in design and illustration work. Refillable, with replaceable nibs.
- Surface
- Paper and marker-friendly board; test thinner stock first
- Ink type
- Alcohol-based marker ink
- Best for
- Concept sketches, presentation boards, product renders and senior art folios
- Example
- Copic Sketch 12 Cool Grey
Nine examples, sorted by job
These show what suits each job, not the whole range. Details come from each product's own description.
Design
Copic Sketch Marker Set 12 Piece Cool Grey
The full C-00 to C-10 run of blue-tinged Cool Greys in a clear stand-up case, which Copic single out for depicting metal. The even steps suit shading vehicles, appliances and buildings.
Each marker has a Medium Broad nib for wide areas and a Super Brush for tapering shadows.
View product
Classroom
Copic Ciao Marker Set 12 Piece Basic
Twelve primary and secondary colours, each double ended with a Super Brush and a Medium Broad nib. Copic describe the clear case as standing upright so every cap is visible.
A first step into alcohol markers for senior students, and refillable with Copic ink when it runs low.
View product
Training
Artline Supreme Whiteboard Marker Assorted Pack 4
Black, blue, red and green with 1.5mm bullet nibs, designed for traditional, electronic and lapboard whiteboards. Artline say the ink dries fast, so it is less prone to smearing.
A starter set for one board. Single colour boxes of 12 cover the refills.
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Workshops
Post-it Easel Pads White 559 Pack of 2
Two Super Sticky pads of 30 plain white sheets. 3M make the paper so markers do not soak through, and a sheet can be moved on most surfaces without harming the wall.
The backcard has a handle and fits most easel stands, so the second pad travels to offsites.
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Planning walls
Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Wallet 20 Assorted Colours
Twenty colours with triangular barrels and superfine metal-clad tips for lines of about 0.3mm. Staedtler rate the water-based ink dry safe.
Twenty colours is enough for a separate ink per team or workstream on a busy planning wall.
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Displays
Posca PC-5M Paint Marker Medium Bullet Wallet of 16
Sixteen colours of quick drying, water-based pigment ink with a 2.5mm medium bullet tip that balances coverage and precision.
For larger lettering on signs, POSCA also make the PC-8K with a broad chisel tip.
View product
Signage
uni-ball Chalk Marker PWE-5M Metallic Colours Pack of 8
Eight bullet tip chalk markers for non-porous surfaces such as glass, windows, mirrors and metal. uni-ball say the writing stays on in the rain and washes off with a damp cloth.
Several colours in one pack suit a window display or an event sign that changes often.
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Classroom
Spirax P704 Visual Art Diary A4 120 Page Pack of 5
A4 portrait diaries with 120 pages of acid free cartridge paper, a black polypropylene cover and a sturdy backboard.
Pages have no margin and are not perforated, so drafts and finished work stay together in one book.
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Classroom
Staedtler Noris Colour Class Pack 144 Pencils with Sharpeners
144 hexagonal Noris colour pencils in 12 colours, with 3 metal sharpeners in the box. Staedtler describe the pencils as highly break-resistant.
One carton on the teacher's bench keeps colours even across every table.
View productBefore you place the order
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Order by room, in one go
List what each training room, meeting room or classroom needs, then put it all in one order. Free standard delivery on orders of $149* (conditions apply) to most ACT, NSW, QLD and VIC metro areas.
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Add the refills and cleaners
Whiteboard cleaners and spare black markers are easy to miss. Add them now rather than in a rushed top-up later.
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Ask for a quote on volume
For class sets or several rooms, use Add to Quote or Bulk Enquiry on the product page, or contact our team with your list.
*Conditions apply. Freight applies to bulky items and some locations. See freight and delivery for details.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Copic markers and regular markers?
Copic markers use alcohol-based ink and are made for layered colour and shading in design and illustration work. Most are double ended, Copic make them refillable with replaceable nibs, and the range includes graded grey sets for rendering form and shadow. Regular felt markers suit general colouring and notes, while Copic suit design teams, architects, marketing teams and senior art students working on concept sketches and presentation boards.
Which markers are safe to use on a whiteboard?
Use markers sold as whiteboard markers, such as the Artline Supreme, Artline 577 or Staedtler Lumocolor whiteboard range. ACCO say the Supreme is designed for traditional, electronic and lapboard whiteboards. Keep permanent, paint and chalk markers away from whiteboards unless the maker says otherwise, and store them in a separate cup.
Which markers work on glass and windows?
For signs that change, liquid chalk markers suit glass. uni-ball say their PWE-5M Chalk Markers work on non-porous surfaces such as glass, windows, mirrors and metal and wash off with a damp cloth. For longer-lasting work, POSCA list glass among the surfaces for their PC-8K paint marker. Test on a small corner first.
What should a training room or workshop space keep in stock?
Keep whiteboard markers in at least two colours with a spare black, a whiteboard eraser and cleaner, an easel pad or flipchart pad, sticky notes and a set of fineliners for small writing. Keep permanent markers out of the room, or in a clearly labelled separate cup.
Does free delivery apply to creative supplies orders?
Free standard delivery applies to orders of $149* (conditions apply) to most ACT, NSW, QLD and VIC metro areas. Freight applies to bulky items and some locations, and our freight and delivery page has the details.
The right marker for every board and room
Workshops, training sessions, planning walls, signage, displays and classroom activities all run better with the right tool on the right surface. Check each room against the guide, then order what is missing in one go.
Mega Office Supplies is a family-owned Australian business. We supply workplaces and schools across the country from our team in Tweed Heads and our suppliers' warehouse network nationwide. If you are fitting out several rooms, send us the list and we will help match the right tools to each one.
Nadine and Marty, co-founders, Mega Office Supplies
