Marking / Outlining

[SteveA]

What are some favorite ways to mark fabrics - both light and dark - for cutting straight lines and patterns ?  I have round chalk, tailors flat chalk, ball point pen, and a wax crayon, and dislike some characteristics of each.  Am I missing one that can become my go to marking aid ?

SA

[gene]

I have tailors chalk that never seems to work very well.

I have chalk from the Dollar Store that I sometimes use. I have a big pencil sharpener that puts a point on it but wastes a lot of chalk in doing so. I use this on dark colored fabrics.

I NEVER use ball point pen or any kind of ink. I have read enough places that the ink stays active: it never drys.

I almost always use magic markers. I get them when they are around 70 cents each. They work the best but once you put your mark down you cannot change it. I NEVER use these on vinyl. I've heard and read that they can work their way from the back up through the face of the vinyl. I use the FINE POINT. The VERY FINE POINT ones snag the fabric too much.

I am trying to use chalk more and more, but the magic markers are just so easy to use.

There was a fairly recent post where someone was using a dissapearing kind of fabric marker.

gene

[MinUph]

Regular dustless chalk (white) i's the safest bet.

[Darren Henry]

Same here. I also keep some of the yellow on hand for light coloured fabrics. I have chalk holders for both colours (the white is always in my shirt pocket/the yellow in my sewing machine drawer for when I need to trade them out), but Gale Hansen [NDAV8TER] posted another good tip a while back to reduce the waste from letting them fall on the floor. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the chalk and where the two ends meet stick the tape to the tape instead of overlapping and make a 1 1/2 "tab" so the chalk can only roll <1 turn.

I sharpen mine with my scissors like a cold chisel. One quick nip from each side and I'm good to go.

For non-porous stuff like window plastic, white vintex, etc... I like to use the Staedler  NON PERMANENT fine point markers.DISCLAIMER I try not to leave that out in the summer sun too long (> a few hours) if it's notes in the middle of a window pain etc...It can set up to where you need windex to scrub it off.

[brmax]

Does anyone use the diamond brand washout pencils, they float!
I picked up some earlier and like them in red, green, white and I believe they have several colors.  Im not sure but some flat style or carpenter type could be handy also.

[MinUph]

There have been many types of marking utensils through the years. Most will cause a problem at some point with some fabrics or vinyl. I have not seen one that is 100% safe except chalk. I do use pencils, and a china marker at times. But always try to cut the line off. Sharpies are good if you again cut the line off. I'm very careful with these things as I've seen the damage after the piece is in use and the heat of someones body goes to work. Worse thing I hate is when I bring a marking product to the shop and some other employees use it not knowing how and when it is safe. Then write all over a piece of fabric with it.

[Mike]

Ive used taylors crayons i like them but cant find them now i mostly do vinyl and i like a normal pencil on the backside. Never ink and most definatly not majok marker it will bleed to the face.

[bobbin]

I use wash out pencils.  And I'm really careful with the blue ones! I use them very lightly.  I don't like the way chalk feels on my fingers.  Never use ink or sharpies, either. 

[scarab29]

On vinyl , chalk , tailors chalk that is or reg pencil on the back side   . On canvas chalk pencils  . On clear  vinyl i use china marker , like a light color yellow , no black ! Soapstone pencil is on my want list  to try !

[Darren Henry]

Soapstone pencil is on my want list  to try

I hate to burst your bubble,but I can't see them working at all. They are very hard. They are designed for --and work very well on--rough steel. I doubt most fabrics etc... would even take a mark.If what's left of my memory is right, I think I tried one once , and that was the case.

[brmax]

Now them, I have a handful of in the garage at the old Hobart beta mig 200 yes its in z 80s. I had the same thoughts Daren, remembering that even on smooth steel sometimes its a pain marking. So I just got back inside and using sunbrella black, blue, yellow by d they mark and plenty good on yellow wow! I think if I new that I just might not have bought the qty of pencil$ I did. I do have to say its the only thing cheap in the welding supply store. Now I only tried the flat kind as I use to use it most so give it a shot, and flat has more sharp corners between sharpenings. I have had a couple chrome cases for the flats but its to much hassle. If I didn't have tea I would have bet a beer against, so sorry and happy for the idea though I learned something. That's why im here. 

[Darren Henry]

I stand corrected.  :-[ Thanks for testing that for us Max.

[Peppy]

I use all of the above, but mostly white washout pencil. I found if you keep them damp while you're using them the lead breaks a lot less. I keep a used tea bag nearby and roll the lead in it periodically. And on a dust cloth pattern where I need to write a lot of stuff I'll squirt the pattern lightly with water in a squirt bottle and that let's you write without pressing hard.

[MinUph]

Peppy, Does this come off easily? And if so what are they called for real?

[Peppy]

It's mostly for Sunbrella and it washes off that easy. You have to get it pretty wet to remove it so you wouldn't want to erase too much on a couch or something.

This is what I mean- https://www.jennisfabrics.com/jennis-web-core/productProfile.jef?prdCode=00024175&invType=REG