Permanent Marker on engravable plastic?

[Amy Shelton]

A customer wants me to make some signage, with engraver's laminated plastic.

He wants me to engrave a white rectangle on the sign, which the installer will fill in a number on the job site with a permanent marker, such as a Sharpie. He would like red that engraves white. (The funnest combination ever.) I have done a few tests, using a black Sharpie and BF Select (which is like Rowmark, etc), and the marks don't come off with water, but they do somewhat come off with rubbing alcohol, and when using Goof Off, the red comes off the surrounding areas so it doesn't matter anyway. I will engrave perforated circles with numbers that can be punched out that have the same number that will be written.

Is there a better pen that is more permanent?

Or can you recommend a different substrate?

I might suggest to him that since the same value is punched out, the handwritten number isn't as important.

Thank you for your thoughts, wise Sawmill Creekers!
Amy

[David Somers]

Penny,

All "permanent" means in terms of markers is that it is won't wash off with water. It may not be lightfast or even fade-resistant.

You might look instead to a paint pen. There are various acrylic paint pens that deposit an acrylic paint on the media. Dont confuse them with just Paint markers. Those deposit a pigment based ink that will not be resistant to sun and fading, and may not even be water resistant/proof.

None of those choices are truly long lasting that I am aware of. I might not count on them for more than a year. Check with a local art store for advice. Or a good mail order art shop like Dickblick.com. Or, a local shop that deals with construction supplies. They may have something that would work well.

Dave

[Mark Sipes]

Your product is the Red Sign with a White Rectangle. Beyond that it's the customers to do what they need to do. You could sell them a stencil set and let them spray paint the numbers they need. Not your problem..

[Keith Outten]

You might try a grease pencil, they are often called china markers.

The marks are not permanent in that you can rub them off but it takes some serious elbow grease. The numbers should last for many years without fading.
.

[Kev Williams]

Most all 'permanent' markers - Magic Marker, Sharpie, etc are alcohol soluable. However, red never seems to go away no matter what!

Been seeing TV ads for 'Extreme Sharpie' lately:

http://www.staples.com/Sharpie-EXtreme-Fade-Resistant-Fine-Point-Permanent-Markers-Black-4-Pack/product_1545022?cid=PS:GooglePLAs:1545022&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=1545022&KPID=1545022&lsft=cid:PS-_-GooglePLAs-_-1545022,kpid:1545022&gclid=Cj0KEQjwwIKxBRDKhOz7ytT30vkBEiQAT1NaPS9YPZGl Oy-Dsbs1ipGRBZBNkE3g3n31Z746TYzoyQkaAoRW8P8HAQ

-- Probably worth a shot. Also, Uline and Marsh have "industrial valve markers", which may just be another Sharpie for all I know... ;)
http://www.uline.com/BL_1709/Industrial-Valve-Markers

[Mayo Pardo]

"I will engrave perforated circles with numbers that can be punched out that have the same number that will be written."

OK maybe I'm not following the need to write the numbers in by hand with marker if you know the numbers ahead of time. Why not just engrave the white rectangle and leave the number in red within that rectangle?
If they wanted the numbers a third color, you could mask off that area, vector cut the numbers, weed off the mask, spray paint or otherwise paint the numbers through the masking.

Or did you mean you're just making a set of stencils with the numerals 0 throuth 9, and the customer will assemble whatever stencils they need to produce the (as yet unknown) numbers?

[Robert Tepper]

You might try a DECO marker made by Marvy/Uchida. Part # 200 for medium tip, part # 300 for broad tip.

Robert

[Mike Null]

One thing I've found about permanent markers is that they aren't.

[Mike Clarke]

Make the rectangle out of something like slickers it will be easier to clean and won't stain as easily. Another option is sell him some transfer tape to use as a label or he can find an appropriate size label keep adding labels over the old one.

It comes down to the customers needs and we don't know the full details of how long temporary is.

[Mike Clarke]

One thing I've found about permanent markers is that they aren't.

I have found them to be contrary. When needing to remove a mark they become permanent. When you want them to be permanent they bead up and won't even leave a decent mark.

[Chris DeGerolamo]

What about using a ~$10 engraver from the big box store instead of a "permanent" marker??

[Amy Shelton]

THANKS, everybody!

I am going to engrave a couple of samples, and leave the mark up to the customer. But I will tell him about the Extreme Sharpie, china pencils, and Deco markers.

The perforated circles I will cut will be punched out on the job site by the installer, kind of like how a car battery is marked, so the number that is hand written is kind
of redundant, in my opinion. I won't know the numbers at the time I engrave, but when they determine the number, they can punch it out plus write it.

Heh heh, Mike and Mike, you're right about the permanent markers not being permanent, unless you need to remove it.