pen 115: prismacolor premiere fine tip

today's pen, the prismacolor premiere fine tip is the precision version of the  prismacolor chisel-fine double ended art marker from back in post 80. these pens are mid range pens as far as pricing goes, they seem to be a little more expensive than pens like sharpie and even microns, although not by much. at one point i would have recommended these pens as the brand to get, however, over the years i have come to discover better quality pens for around the same price and, not surprisingly, as i gain a wider range of experience with pens of this type, i have found there to be equals if not better choices to this line that wont cost you an arm and a leg. i,m not saying that these are bad pens, even crayola markers have their uses, but experience has shown me that there are others out there that seem to work overall better for my uses.

the premiere pens are fairly solid construction, they have moderately durable plastic porous tips, they have good flow with little, if any skipping or stuttering, the line is consistent, with little bleed (out - and no bleed through) although, like the sharpie pen and the new bleed-free ink option, the ink is not as dark as those pens like original sharpies, microns, or staedtlers to name a few. while the ink is not as fully saturated, it does have a limited value range, and falls into that category of being an all or nothing pen - its just that it's all is not as dark as some of the other pens out there.

these pens come in a good range of sizes and types, like chisel and brush tips, and come in a modest range of colors. prismacolor has even made sets containing different types of tipas and colors geared to specific uses, sets like:

primary: black (also sold separately) red blue and green
fashion: brown, purple, orange and sepia
sepia: brown
manga: a mix of black and sepia pens and some assortment of tip sizes and types.

as far as whether or not i think these pens are a good buy? i'm not the fan i was back during my college years. i wouldn't buy another set unless they improve their quality. there is one exception, however, i do like their sepia pens and would recommend these to anyone who likes coloring in muted/desaturated color schemes.

pricing:
individual pens seem to start around $2 for an individual pens, sets vary considerably depending on where you find them .

amazon.com

$5-$8 +s/h (7 pen assortment pack)

websites:www.prismacolor.com
www.dickblick.com/
www.amazon.com/

what they say:

prismacolor.com
These markers have you covered no matter the task at hand. Take your pick from multiple tip sizes to experience paintbrush-like strokes in the convenience of a marker. Go with the fine tip for serious precision and control. Lettering, outlining and free form drawing look exceptional with the chisel tip. But why limit yourself? Pick up an assorted set with a variety of tip types for all your drawing needs.

Archival quality, lightfast ink. is smear resistant when dry.

Available in Fine Line, Brush and chisel tip sizes for excellent technical and artistic drawing applications.

dickblick.com

• These markers contain premium pigmented acid-free, archival ink that is lightfast, permanent, non-toxic, and water resistant.
• Use these markers for crisp, detail work in artistic and technical applications.

amazon.com

• Ideal markers for the aspiring artist and scrapbooker
• Non-toxic
• Conforms to ASTM D4238
• Archival, acid-free premium pigmented ink prevents work from deteriorating over time
• 
  
• Fine Tip great for detail work
• Lightfast colors maintain their vibrancy
• Permanent, water-resistant ink will not bleed through and is smear resistant when dry