Over the last few years, the Sakura Pigma Micron range of pens has exploded in popularity with more and more people using them for writing, drawing, and journaling. The pens tend to perform very well for a number of common tasks as well as in a number of situations allowing the user to use them in a number of situations rather than having to purchase multiple pens for the same tasks.
That said though, we constantly see people reaching out and asking questions along the lines of “are micron pens waterproof?” so we have decided to publish this article covering the subject to try and help as many of our readers as possible. There are also a number of other related questions that we see asked about Sakura Micron pens and if they are waterproof so we will be covering them all in this article.
Are Sakura Pigma Micron Pens Waterproof?
If you are on the hunt for waterproof pens for writing or drawing then the Sakura Pigma Micron range can be perfect for you. The standard range of Micron pens comes with pigment-based, archival ink as standard that is certified waterproof, chemical resistant, fade resistant, bleed free, and fast-drying. On top of this, Sakura has also put the time in to make sure that the ink is pH neutral to reduce the chances of there being any issues with the pens causing acidity issues with paints or other inks.
The waterproof properties of the ink in the Sakura Pigma Micron range has made it a very popular option for watercolor artists, illustrators, archivists, laboratory professionals, and anyone else who may need a waterproof pen that has a low price tag and offers great performance. Although Sakura did release a specialist Waterproof Pigma Micron range a few years back, it uses the same ink as the regular Micron pens offering no real advantage to the user while also having a higher price tag.
In our opinion, the Micron pen range are some of the best waterproof pens available on the market and offer one of the deepest shades of black of all popular, cheap waterproof pens. In addition to this though, there are bundles of Pigma Micron with different coloured inks available to ensure that no matter what you are doing, you can gt the colour you require. The majority of the competing pen brands offering a waterproof pen to the level of Sakura often offer a small range of coloured inks for their range but it is rare to find one as wide as the Micron range.
One point of note that we would like to make to our readers aware of is that you should let the ink from your Micron dry before doing any water-based work. Thankfully, the ink in the pens is quick to dry meaning you don’t have to waste much time but we would still recommend leaving the ink for at least one minute before adding water for optimal performance.
Can You Watercolor Over Micron Pens?
We often see people reaching out and asking if you can watercolor over Micron pens after drawing the initial outline of your work. As we just touched on, provided that you leave the ink of the Microns to dry for around a minute before watercoloring over the top of the outlines, you will be fine.
On top of that, the ink has excellent anti-bleed properties for general writing and this is one of the main reasons it is so popular with the bullet journaling community. On the flipside of that though, this also plays into your hands as a watercolor painter as a large number of popular pens will instantly bleed through the paper once you paint over them with your watercolors. The anti-bleed ink properties of the Micron range prevent this from happening helping to prevent your work from being ruined.
The ink in the pens is also smudge resistant too, even when wet allowing you to work your brush over the ink without issue when applying your watercolours. This is another advantage that the waterproof ink has over some other pens that can instantly smear or smudge over your work as soon as the brush hits them with the water-based paint on it.
The Problem With Counterfeit Micron Pens
One of the main issues with the Sakura Pigma Micron range of pens is that they are so successful, counterfeiters have already moved in on the brand to push low-quality, fake alternatives into the community in search of a quick buck. Unfortunately, as the popularity of the pens increases, this is only going to become more and more common and as you would expect, these fake Pigma Microns do not have the same high-quality that Sakura guarantees on their official range of pens.
This is why you often see people on social media, forums, or platforms such as YouTube comment that their Micron pen is not waterproof as they have been sold a counterfeit. Your local art or stationery store should be selling official Micron pens but there are a number of reputable online vendors that sell genuine Microns too with their waterproof properties intact.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over if Sakura Pigma Micron pens are waterproof or not to an end. Although the answer may seem simple, the huge number of counterfeit Microns on the market can make it a pain and potentially end up spiling your work. Always purchase your pens from a reputable vendors to ensure that you are getting real Sakura Pigma Microns that come with their high-quality waterproof ink to avoid any issues.
