Put An End To Unlabeled CD's & Jewel Cases With Avery's Fine Mark
Written: Mar 29 '03 (Updated Jan 15 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sturdy tip, quick drying ink, inexpensive
Cons: Cap is hard to snap into place, only available in three colors.
The Bottom Line: Looking for a solid, low odor, well designed permanent marker? Check out the Avery Marks-A-Lot Fine Mark!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Avery 48939 Marks-A-Lot Finemark Permanent Marker |
The Avery name represents quality to me. From general school and binding supplies to a wide variety of pens, Avery ranks right up there with the Sanford and Sharpie line of products in my books. I was trolling around the aisles of Smart & Final when I came across the Avery Mars-A-Lot Fine Mark permanent markers and couldn’t resists picking them up. Looking at the package I assumed that these would be a fine tip marker like the fine line Sharpies that you could use for general writing purposes. It turns out that I got it half right. These are fine tipped but they aren’t for general writing purposes since the ink is powerful and will go through most standard types of paper. Marketed as an “all surface writing tool” this is great for labeling CD’s, addressing packages, making plastics, writing on surfaces that don’t normally accept markers and for labeling jewel [CD] cases.
Avery Marks-A-Lot FineMark
A little wider than most standard markers, this one delivers a crisp and clear black line on most surfaces. This is the mid sized marker in the FineMark line, it is also available in fine line and wide line. The ink dries almost instantaneously so you won’t have to worry about it bleeding or smudging. There is a slight odor to it but unless you have this right up to your nose, you won’t smell it when you are using it. The ink is non-toxic and resists water – a real perk for any item that might be exposed to liquids or rain. The rubber comfort grip makes this a breeze to use but getting the cap back on the pen is another story. You really have to push the cap back into place so you hear a load snap. It almost looks like you are forcing the cap back on to the pen because a small part of the clear cap starts to overlap the silver body of the marker.
I’ve used this to touch up the tires on my vehicle since I am not the best at parallel parking. Even after being exposed to rain and mud, the ink stayed on the tire. Other uses for this ‘wonder marker’ include addressing packages, labeling burned CD’s, for use on poster board, covering up nicks on the video game console and marking the computer cables. I was a little worried about using this on the other cables in the house since I didn’t want it all over the carpeting so I tested it out on a spare piece of carpet and an old cable and there was no smudging or rub off. With a computer tower, monitor, scanner, modem, printer and computer speakers all going to one power strip, it was a little confusing to try and unplug the correct item from the strip when something needed to be cleaned, fixed or moved. The Sharpie markers were either too small or too large to label the power cords but the Avery Marks-A-Lot FineMark were just the right size.
Things To Know
• As I said, this comes in three sizes so if the regular medium point doesn’t do it for you, there are other options. You can purchase this pen individually, in a 2, 4 or 12 pack or in a three pack bundle that includes one red, one black and one blue marker. If you are a little leery about purchasing this type of permanent marker, try picking up one of the individually to see if they suit your needs. These can be found at most office supply stores as well as selected retail locations like Target and Wal-Mart. Prices vary from area to area however I’ve seen these priced around $1.29 - $1.49 for the individual markers, $1.99 for the two pack, $2.99 for the four pack and around $14.99 for the 12 pack. If you really like these and want to invest in them, the large ‘office size’ 12 pack is the way to go.
• Even though the ink in this marker is non-toxic it is a little hard to remove from skin and clothing so make sure that if you are allowing children to use this for school projects that they try to be as careful as possible. I got some of the ink on a white t-shirt and managed to get it into the sink in about a minute. I used hand soap to try and get out a bulk of the ink and after about three washes [back to back, it never went into the dryer] I got out about 95% of the ink. There aren’t any washing instructions on the package but I would assume that if you called the toll free number [listed below] they would be able to offer some type of assistance.
• All of these markers are packaged on cardboard sleeves so you can check out the attractive design of them as well as identifying the colors. So far I have only seen these in the basic black, red and blue colors so if you are looking for more variety than that, look elsewhere. The 12 pack comes in a box and so far I've only seen them at office supply stores. Make sure you ask if you can try the markers out if you are purchasing the 12 pack so you purchase ones that are fresh / not dried out. Again, I highly suggest going with the individual pens or the two pack to try theme out and see if they suits your needs. If you find you don't like them or the way they write, you aren't stuck with a dozen.
The Bottom Line
So far I am impressed with how this marker delivers ink and the staying power of the ink after a period of time. The body is a little thicker than most markers that deliver a medium line but after you get used to it, it is great to work with. The rubber comfort grip is an added perk and eliminates hand cramps when you are working on a large project or need to have a lot of control over the ink flow. Inexpensive, low to no odor, functional and permanent are just a few of the kudos of the Avery Marks-A-Lot Fine Mark. To see all the products available from Avery, visit their official website at www.avery.com. If you are having trouble location Avery products in your area, call the toll free customer service line to assistance. [800] GO AVERY.
As always, thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2004 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
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