How to Refill Copic Markers

Copic markers are an expensive investment, especially upfront. After buying the marker you don’t want to have to buy a new one each time they run out. Luckily copic had the foresight to make refills and once you’ve got the refill technique down it’s it’s not only easier, it’s also much cheaper to buy a refill than another new marker.

It costs around the same price as a new marker to buy a refill bottle, but you get 12 – 17 refills depending on the type of marker you originally purchased. Saving you a tonne of money and of course adding less to landfill. And I’m all about that!

Today I’m going to show you how to refill your markers in a quick and easy way. There are a few different ways to do this. Some of these methods require extra tools to purchase but today’s method just requires you to start with your empty marker and buying the refill.

You’re probably asking yourself how do I tell if my marker needs refilling? There are a couple of easy signs that will indicate to you it is time for a refill.

When using the marker it should leave a wet look on the page before it drys. This means there is plenty of ink in it.

If the marker is leaving streaks and is squeaky when you use it (like the marker above on the left) it is time to refill.

The nib of the marker can also start to look lighter in colour or even white when it needs a top up.

On a maintenance note if it has been a few years since refilling the marker the ink does evaporate so it is a good time to refill as well.

Before you start, lay down some card, paper, or paper towel for any ink droplets that get loose. It is much easier to throw that out then trying to clean it off your bench surface.

First; take both caps off the ends of the Copic markers to allow air pressure to equalise in the marker while filling it up. But also and most importantly if ink drips out the other end you know you have filled the marker.

If you have a marker with a chisel point, this end is much easier to fill than the other nib options as it the ink drops go through the gap quicker. If you have a a marker that doesn’t have a chisel tip end fill the ink into the largest of the two nib ends.

Hold the refill ink end over the tip you are going to fill and slowly drip ink into the marker by lightly squeezing the refill bottle. Repeat this light squeeze to allow the ink slowly flowing until the marker nib takes longer to absorb the ink or ink comes out the other end of the marker. Take the time and allow the nib to slowly absorb all of the ink.

Once the marker is struggling to absorb the ink this means your marker is full. It can also at this stage drop ink out the other end, keep a watchful eye out for this as you don’t want it drop too much ink as it can possibly still leak into your marker lid after your done.

I hope this copic refill guide was helpful. Is there other marker tips you want to learn about let me know in the comments below.