Customers ask me this more than almost anything else: “which POSCA do I need?” The honest answer is that the paint is identical in every pen — opaque, water-based, gloriously bold. What changes from one marker to the next is the tip, and the tip changes everything. So here is the whole range translated into plain speech, so you can choose before you are standing at the wall wondering.
The fine tips: PC-1MR and PC-1M
These are your detail pens — lettering, outlines, fine linework, the whites of an eye. The PC-1MR is the finest of the lot, an extra-fine bullet that behaves almost like a technical pen. The PC-1M is a hair broader. If your work lives in small marks and tight corners, start here.
The everyday writer: PC-3M
A fine bullet tip that suits handwriting, journaling, labelling and general small-scale colour. It is the pen most people reach for without thinking, and it plays well on paper, card, stone and pots.
The one to buy first: PC-5M
If you only ever own a single POSCA, make it this one. The medium bullet tip handles both a confident line and a clean fill, which means it does about eighty per cent of what most people want a paint marker to do. It is the workhorse of the range, and the pen I hand people when they are not sure where to begin.
Moving real colour: PC-7M and PC-8K
When the surface gets bigger, these earn their place. The PC-7M is a broad bullet; the PC-8K is a broad chisel, so you get a wide flat stroke that fills space fast and lays down crisp edges when you turn it. Ideal for bold lettering, larger illustration and blocking in backgrounds.
The big one: PC-17K
Frankly a squeegee with ambitions. The extra-broad chisel tip is built for murals, signage and large backgrounds — it covers ground no other POSCA can. Overkill on a sketchbook, indispensable on a wall.
A quick cheat sheet
- PC-1MR / PC-1M — extra-fine and fine detail, outlines, lettering
- PC-3M — everyday writing and small colour work
- PC-5M — the all-rounder; buy this first
- PC-7M / PC-8K — broad bullet and broad chisel for larger work
- PC-17K — extra-broad, for murals and backgrounds
A couple of things worth knowing
Whichever tip you choose, prime a new pen the same way: shake it capped, then pump the tip gently on scrap paper until the paint flows. Let the valve do the work — pressing hard just floods it. And if a piece is going outdoors or will be handled, seal it with a clear acrylic varnish or fixative.
Every tip size is on the wall in the shop, and the drawing bench is there so you can try before you buy. Can’t get to Belfast? Browse the full POSCA range here, or read our wider POSCA guide.
