This is probably the most asked question I get. And since I want my clients to have the best experience writing in their books I decided to put this to the test. There are literally hundreds of pens and markers out there that I had to sit down and decide what the requirements were going to be to make the cut for my experiment. I went to my local Michael's craft store and hit the pen isles.

Let's first talk about where to find these pens because I get asked that as well. Most people don't really know where to look once they get into the store. I first hit up the fine arts section. You know the section that has all the expensive paints and canvases? There is a section there with pens and markers that are sold individually. I then headed over to the scrapbooking section where all the decorative papers and stamps are. There you will find another display of individual markers and pens to test. Once I gathered all of my potential options I went to the checkout line and found yet another display of pens for sale so I snagged a few there as well. Bottom line, when you go into the store make sure you are checking all three of those locations. 

Here are the factors I took into consideration when testing these pens.

1. Bleed. This is probably the most important factor besides being archival you want to consider. Especially if you plan to write on the front and back of your pages. 

2. Smoothness. Does the pen write smoothly and not skip or leave blank spots while you write. There is nothing more annoying then going back over your writing. 

3. Smear. I'm thinking of you lefties! No one wants their writing to smear.

4. Availability. This one was easy. I chose a craft store that is most common although I'm sure most of these can also be found on Amazon.

 So here is the list of pens and markers that I sourced for this test.

Remember, these are Michael's Craft Store prices. I did have a 20% off coupon that I pulled up on my phone before checkout so I was actually able to save 20% on my total order. Yah!

How I did the test

I wrote the name of each pen on our blank white paper. After I wrote the name I immediately ran my finger across it to do the smear test. After I wrote all of the pens names down, I turned the paper over to check the bleed.

Here are my results

Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel 0.5

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner

Sharpie Pen 

Paper Mate Flair

Zig Memory System Vellum Writer

Pigma Micron 005 and 03

So what are my top picks? I have to be honest, all of these are great options. And it's hard to pick a favorite. It comes down to how much archival and acid free is important to you, what tip size you prefer and if you are looking for different colors.  If I had to choose one for my Wedding guest book, I'd go with the Pigma Micron 03 tip pen. It's archival and acid free, comes in many different tip sizes and several colors. And it has great color output and ink flow. However, the Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel pen came in a close second for me. And the one I personally reach for when I write in my memory books. The comfortability of the design, the color output and ink flow were great. And the tip size is just perfect for my liking. I was very impress with this for being a gel pen. I expected smears but the ink dried instantly. I also love the fact that it comes in so many different colors. The only con to this option is it's not archival or acid free which is a real bummer.

I hope this helps you find the perfect pen for your projects. If you want to get started with journaling or memory keeping I have some great personalized journals in the store! Click the images below for some great options.