How to Refill a Whiteboard or Permanent Marker

Never Buy a Whiteboard or Permanent Marker Again!

Most of us just throw away our markers once the ink dries. But did you know that you can refill it?

Stop wasting money buying new markers every time! I used to buy new markers every time one dried out, and it costs a lot once you add it all up. I even resorted to just buying the cheapest markers instead to save money.

Well, one day at Office Warehouse, I saw that they were selling permanent marker refills. These are little bottles of ink that you can use to refill dried out markers, or what we more commonly call Pentel Pen.

I bought a blue refill ink bottle and the marker to go along with it. I’ve had it for a while and since that time, I have never purchased another blue permanent marker. Unless the marker tip gets ruined or something from normal wear and tear, and I think that really takes a long time to do unless you abuse your marker by writing on wet or rough surfaces.

I use whiteboard markers a lot at home. I bought a 2 x 3 whiteboard and placed it in the kitchen, and that’s where I write our Things to Buy grocery list. Sometimes, I write our weekly menu on it. I also have another poster frame that I repurposed by removing the old poster, and putting a light-colored paper inside the frame instead. Whiteboard marker writes very well on glass, and they are easier to clean unlike whiteboards that start to retain the marker colors over time.

One time, I was writing out our weekly menu, and I noticed that our old whiteboard marker was not writing as well as I wanted. The ink was not as dark as I expected. So when I found myself at National Bookstore, I bought some whiteboard marker refills. They were only P70 – P80 per bottle, and I think they will be able to provide years and years of marker ink refill!

HOW TO REFILL YOUR MARKERS

Check your marker to see if it is refillable. How can you tell? With some pens, the tip can be removed by unscrewing it, something like this:

With other pens, the end of the pen can be unscrewed.

Then all you have to do is to add a few drops of the refill ink to the appropriate area. Screw the pen back up, and cap the pen. I usually let the pen absorb the ink for a few minutes before trying to write with it.

But what do you do if your marker pen is not the refillable kind? Fret not! I have markers that are not meant to be refillable, but I’ve refilled them just fine. I just drop some of the refill ink on the tip of the marker, let it absorb, and it works.

I noticed that it’s easier to get a good result for the marker if I refill it before it totally dries out. Once I notice that the marker ink is getting lighter, I refill it. I don’t wait until the marker totally dries out before refilling. If I wait until the marker is totally dry, it takes longer to get the refill to work – I refill the dry marker with ink, and I think that I’ve already put enough ink, and then when I try to write with it, the ink still comes out dry or light, or it writes for the first few strokes and then won’t write again. It takes me several refill tries to get the pen working correctly.

If you’re picky about your marker ink color, you can try to find the same brand ink refill as your marker pen. For example, if you like the marker color of Brand A, try to ask if the office supply store sells refills made by Brand A. This way, you get consistent color for both your marker and your refill ink.

Most of us are not really that picky. I just buy whatever brand is available. However, try to buy the brand that already has the “dropper” thing built into the refill container – the few extra pesos will be worth it. This makes refilling so much easier. It’s more difficult to refill ink if you have to get a separate dropper to get the ink from the bottle to the marker. It’s messier, as well.

When doing the refilling, use an old newspaper or something so you won’t dirty your table in case there’s a spill. Here I’m just using an old magazine.

To make your markers last longer, make sure to cap it tightly after use, and don’t leave the marker tip exposed to air for long periods. If you’re still thinking about what to write next, cap the marker, and just remove the cap again to write after you have gathered your thoughts.

Hope this helps you! Everyone I’ve told about refilling their markers had no idea that refilling is so easy and so cheap!