Whiteboard Marker Problem

[captnemo]

I bought a set of Pelikan 418 F whiteboard markers in black, red, blue, and green. They all write well but I have a problem / complaint with two of the colors and I'm looking for a fix.

 

The black and green markers dry quickly and erase cleanly--no problem. The blue and red markers do not dry quickly, or at all. Even after 12 hours of drying time the red and blue markers do not erase, they smear on the whiteboard.

 

Has anyone run into this problem and does anyone have a recommendation for red and blue markers that dry fast and erase cleanly like they're supposed to?

[jsonewald]

Years ago I had a set that was slow drying. It was an off brand, though, not from one of the better known suppliers. Since then I pretty much stick to Expo markers. They always seem to work well.

[captnemo]

Thank you. Your information broke the logjam and Googling turned up lots of information.

 

It turns out that the very best whiteboard markers are the original formulations that contain the smelly solvent, which is a ketone. They dry quick, erase clean. The smell annoys some people and gives them a headache so new designs were developed that use less obnoxious solvents like alcohol but they have compromised performance vis-a-vis the original types. Reading about it brought back memories of the original dry erase markers because I liked the smell. Although I can understand it becoming a problem with 30 students all waving uncapped markers around. Haha.

 

Expo makes several types including the original formulas. But I can't find Expo markers here--at least not yet. So I returned the red and blue Pelikans to the store and so far have found a red one made by Tucan that I like. I popped the cap off in the store and there was that smell. When I tried it, it worked great.

 

At least now I know what I'm looking for. The nose knows, so to speak.