When you're in the business of selling for a large corporation/manufacturer, it takes time to learn all the products and jargon that goes with that niche in the retail/wholesale world. When I first began my journey with Gray Enterprise, I didn't know much about the hundreds of items available in the warehouse. I wrote about my frustration with paint markers in another blog and today I'd like to help clarify the world of the specialty marker. Things like  'special to whom'?

 Basically, the specialty marker has limited application and was designed for a need that was unique. One example would be the Rub-A-Dub marker. It's made for marking clothing, uniforms, bedding and more. The ink is made to stay on the fabric through the wash cycle, so it's called a laundry marker. It's great for camps and other group settings where laundry is done collectively. A nursing home comes to mind along with some schools. The idea isn't decorative, it's an identification tool. The ink is permanent and the intention is to make it last. It's made in black only.

Now the Fabric marker, or Stained by Sharpie, is another kind of specialty marker, but it's not a laundry marker per se. It was conceived to keep up with the large numbers of people getting into decorating their own clothing. The tips are an artistic brush style, so the ink goes on in a different way. You can do an artistic piece on the front of a tee shirt or your sneakers. Or a hat. The eight colors stand out, and they don't wash away. (Getting any cool ideas?)

Ok, how about if you want to detect counterfeit bills? We have a marker that interacts with the paper so that if a key ingredient used in the American dollar is missing, the paper changes from yellow green to blue black. You then know you have a bad bill. The counterfeit detector is great for anyplace where lots of cash is being exchanged. Take a look:

Last time you went to a club, you probably got a stamp or mark of some kind before you went in the door. The ink in that stamp was treated so that it could be seen under UV light. That way security can tell you've paid to be there. But that isn't the only use. This kind of pen is used in medical and industrial settings as well as for entertainment. One example is its use in blood doner centers. The pen is used to mark the cuticle so that the doner can't give blood too often. It's a control product to protect health. 

Another product that fills a great need is the Sharpie 20-20 Easy To Read pen.

This pen is used by folks who have visual difficulty. It's dark and makes a wide line so someone who has problems seeing things like credit card numbers or phone numbers can copy them onto bright white paper and use the 20/20 to highlight important information. So, if you need a dark, wide line, this might be an option for you.

If you love scrapbooking, the Uniball Gellyz Big Tropical White pen is one to use. It shines on dark papers and lasts and lasts. White ink is hard to find, but Uniball crafted this little gem to help with projects that need contrast and ink control.

And so, those are a few of the specialty markers in that category on the front of our site. Take a look and see!