Kuretake ZIG Calligraphy Marker Pens, 12 Colors set, 2mm & 3.5mm Dual Tip Markers, for Writing & Hand Lettering, for Professional, Beginner, Water-based dye ink, Made in Japan

I’ve used a lot of calligraphy pens over the years, but this Pen Set easily stands out as one of the best for both beginners and experienced artists. The colors are vibrant and richly pigmented, giving your lettering a professional, polished look right out of the box. Each shade is distinct as the jewel tones in particular really pop and they dry quickly without smudging, which is a lifesaver for left-handed writers or those who like to work fast. The brush tip has just the right balance of flexibility and control. It’s firm enough for clean, crisp downstrokes but still soft enough to create smooth transitions and expressive flourishes. I’ve used these pens on everything from watercolor paper to planner pages and even on envelopes, and the ink performance has been consistently smooth and even. After months of use, the tips haven’t frayed, and the ink hasn’t dried out which is something I can’t say for many other brands at this price point. Whether you’re journaling, crafting, or just exploring hand lettering as a creative outlet, this set feels like a small luxury that genuinely elevates your work. These are a staple in my art supplies now, and I reach for them far more often than I expected to. Great variety of colors and incredibly functional.

These pens are great for learning calligraphy and come in bright, cheerful colors. The lines stay sharp and make fun, bold lines for lettering. Many tutorials on line will stimulate your love of writing with a flourish!

I used to buy this brand in the store. They no longer carry them. Went into an infamous stationary store and asked the clerk, he was young, "do you carry calligraphy pens?". He looked at me like I was nuts, told me he never heard of them and that was that. So glad to find these wonderful pens on Amazon. They really make your handwriting for cards and letters look special. They are fun to use, dry quickly and function the way they are suppose to.

These markers are a quick, easy and cheap way to practise calligraphy, especially for beginners. Nice range of colours but some are a bit weak especially the grey, red and pink. A second layer can darken them acceptably. They do bleed a bit through the 80 gsm copy paper I use. However, they are good value for what they are and with practise some really nice effects can be achieved on thicker paper when mixing and blending colours. I prefer and have used the Staedtler duo markers for many years but, unfortunately, they have reduced their range down to about 5 colours. Once proficient in the basic calligraphic scripts (Foundational, Uncial, Gothic and Italic) you may want to invest in a traditional dip pen. Then again, for practise purposes, these are hard to beat!

Smooth and durable many colors to play with.

I purchased these for a class that I have, and they worked smoothly. I didn't realize how nice they were until I purchased Speedball markers as well. The Speedball markers jittered and felt rough in the hand. These markers glided smoothly and were easy on the hand. I would highly recommend these for practice markers, or for nicely colored options for those doing any kind of calligraphy.

I bought them for a different purpose than calligraphy originally (drawing in weaving patterns on 3 mm square / 1/8" graph paper), but have started using them for my calligraphy practice. I primarily use the 2 mm tips for calligraphy and the larger ones for drawing my patterns on graph paper. I like the available colors. They work well on different types of paper. They don't have any noticeable odor. Very happy with my purchase.

Pretty, bright, but dry. Perhaps they’ve been on some shelf somewhere too long. Write slowly or you’ll have to retrace it over, the ink doesn’t flow that well.