Alternative Markers For Cricut

I rarely use Cricut Brand Markers.  They are almost always the most expensive option, unless there's a really good sale - and the off brands are just as good, if not better.  In addition to off brands made to look and write exactly like the Cricut Brand, a variety of other pens can be used in the machine, no adaptor needed.  For instance, a bic round stic pen works great.  As does the set of jot markers that are 20 for $1.25 at the Dollar Tree.    Here's a look at some of the various pens I've used over the years, in my machine:

Quick Links:

• FREE Single Line Fonts That write without bubbling in cricut
• Tips & Tricks & Projects For Drawing With Cricut
• A Very Simple Draw Then Cut Step By Step Tutorial
• Videos of the different pens writing in the Air2
• Drawing With Fun Fonts (Think Posters) with Cricut (Free fonts!)

The pens I use in my Cricut Air 2 are all pens that fit right in the pen slot.  I do not  remove the pen adapter, I do not add tape or pencil grips..  if they do not fit "as is", I don't mess with them.  

The Pens:

• Cricut Brand -  30 fine tip for $37  (Watch for them to go on sale for around $17)
• Pack of Black "REALIKE" Pens, including glitter  - the black I'm using in most write tests in 2023  They also have sets of Metallic Pens
• Staedtler Markers  from Wal-Mart  Video
• Leisure Arts Markers from Wal-mart (Around $7 for 18)
• Dual Tip Markers From The Target Dollar Spot  $3 for 12 Video
• Precise V5 pens (I bought these at Wal-mart )
• Crayola Markers (these did the best on fabric - sample near the bottom of post)
• Jot Markers from the Dollar Tree  - Pack of 20 for $1.25
• Bic Round Stic Pen 
• Arteza FABRIC MARKERS - An alternative to Infusible ink markers, for fabric.  Please note, I have never used these myself.  They have been recommended to me, and I'm told the colors are much more vibrant than cricuts infusible ink markers.

Videos

VERY short clips of the machine writing with various pens.  There's no audio on most of these, it is just to show that the pen works - 

• Drawing With Jot Markers From The Dollar Tree
• Writing with Target Dollar Spot Markers
• Writing With Crayola Thin Markers
• Writing With A Bic Pen

You can also find the video clips here - https://www.facebook.com/pg/fieldsofheathercrafts/videos/

I used all of these pens in this sample page

See more examples of fun drawing fonts here - 

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/12/writing-with-fun-fonts-in-cricut.html

I'm really, really impressed with the Dollar Tree markers!!

Those are all free fonts - find them all (and many more) here:

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/11/6-single-line-fonts-that-will-write.html

Arteza FABRIC MARKERS - An alternative to Infusible ink markers, for fabric.  Please note, I have never used these myself.  They have been recommended to me, and I'm told the colors are much more vibrant than cricuts infusible ink markers.

 https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2019/02/free-fonts-for-writing-with-cricut-with_14.html

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2019/02/free-fonts-for-writing-with-cricut-with.html

THE ORIGINAL POST

Early tests & samples from when I first got my cricut - 

Today I set out to compare marker options for my Cricut Air 2.  I wanted SIMPLE options.  I do not want to take my machine apart, use pencil grips, wrap masking tape around pens, or buy adapters.  These are all options I may eventually explore - but for the amount of writing I do, I'd really prefer to keep this super simple.

I stopped at Wal-Mart and bought thin Crayola Markers, thin sharpies, and a pack of Leisure Arts double ended markers.  The Leisure Arts Markers were not in the pen aisle, nor in the crayola aisle, but rather in the back of the store in a craft area.  I believe others have found them with the adult coloring books, near the books and magazines.  

Sharpies:

I've read that Sharpies can be used in the cricut, but these did not fit in mine.  

Crayola:

These fit - but they are a "loose" fit.  They don't wiggle around, but it is possible to push them in too far.  The second time I used one of these, I had it in a bit too far, and it made drag marks as it moved across the paper.  It's not hard to put them in "just right" - I have a fairly short attention span & patience level, and didn't have any trouble using these, it's just something to be aware of.

These were my favorite when I did a second test, on fabric.  I haven't yet washed the fabric to see how the ink holds up.

Leisure Arts:

These are my favorite!  I love the thin end of these.  I did a sheet of all the fonts that work as writing fonts, using both a cricut marker, and a leisure arts marker, and the LA sheet is so crisp and pretty, it's the one I hung in my craft area.  BUT - I also love the cricut fine tip marker - I just only own one of those, in black. 

On fabric these worked great, but it was hard on the tip.  After using one on fabric, it did not work well on paper.  These are cheap enough that you could keep one set for fabric, and one for paper, if needed.

Cricut - 

I love the fine tip pen, and the medium point markers are ok.  The metallic have not held up for me - they dry out really fast.  I wouldn't buy more of those.  The medium point cricut and the thicker end of the Leisure Arts markers are pretty similar. 

I've started storing all of my cricut markers upside down, and was surprised at how my metallics have come back to life - they work now!

Precise V5-
These are a bit more expensive - it was $11 for 9.  But they write beautifully!

This is how they wrote on a lightweight canvas fabric.  Writing on the fabric was hard on the markers, I wouldn't use a marker that I really wanted for paper on fabric.  The cricut thin tip did not work well at all.  Here it was an issue of the fabric moving.  My brand new purple mat did not hold the fabric as well as I think it should have - but even when it held, the cricut fine tip did not write as well as the Precise V5 - it's not meant for fabric, none of these are, so the only real surprise is how well the Crayola DID work for this.

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The font I used for this comparison is a free font from DaFont.  It is NOT an official writing font from cricut.  Most fonts that are not official handwriting fonts in cricut will write as an outline. But there are some that will "collapse on themselves" and look like single line handwriting.

Free Fonts That Will Write As Handwriting (without being an outline) in Cricut, sorted by which size pens they work with, and all with the links to download them - 

http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/11/6-single-line-fonts-that-will-write.html

And the cricut will write FUN fonts too!  

http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/12/writing-with-fun-fonts-in-cricut.html