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Indellible Pencils

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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Mike Jackson
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Indellible Pencils

Post by Mike Jackson »

Old Forum Posts: Oct. 17, 2001

Moderator:
Topic: Indellible Pencils. Anyone still use one? Maybe someone could give a short review of why people ever used one? The almost became extinct with the ban of red dye. Anyone found a replacement source?
Mike Jackson
Indellible pencils used to be used a lot by billboard companies. When a board needed repainting, they would draw around all the faded lettering with the red indellible pencil. Then they would paint over the whole sign with white or light colored paint. The red lines work their way through the fresh background paint, making it fairly easy to re-letter. (no patterns required) I can't really remember how long it takes for the red to completely disappear, but normally it wasn't an issue due to the viewing distance.

Back when they outlawed red dye #2 (or was it #7), they had to quit making the old version. I believe they have substituted a different dye now and you can still get them. Rick Sacks and I went in together and bought a couple of dozen a long time ago and I probably still have a couple. They are probalby still available from Dick Blick, though the salesperson probably won't know what you are talking about.

Maybe other "old timers" will know of more uses.
Rick Sacks:
I've seen folks use those Sharpie marking pens and they claim the lines fade away in a month. I've also seen some water based felt pens bleed through light backgrounds, but don't know the brand names. I do know the ones from Dick Blick don't work well at all and don't compare to the old Potent Copying Pencils made by Mongul
Kent Smith:
I have used them as well for lining on pictorials as they will bleed through smith's cream and most lighter colors. I got my supply from Rayco Paint Co. in Chicago and they seem to be better than Dick Blick's. Some of the markers we used in Belvedere worked ok and others did not. Some were the same brand so I don't trust them.
Tim Blewitt:
I have been trying to find a source for indellible pencils for sometime. Here in England they have disappeared off the planet.As an artist I need one to experiment.I used to have the emains of one and when used under oil paints they bleed through after awhile, bluring slightly and giving random effects. Old carbon paper used to have similar effects but the modern stuff is 'sterile' Does anyone know of an English supplier?
Mike Jackson / co-administrator
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