The Blackest Permanent Marker: We Measured 8 Black Markers, Including Sharpie

Black permanent markers are in almost every drawer. They dry fast, write on almost anything, and come in dozens of brands. Most reviews compare how permanent they are or what surfaces they write on, but none we found measured the one thing in their name: how black they are. So we measured it.

We're the team behind Musou Black, one of the world's blackest paints, so measuring blackness is what we do every day.

The 8 markers we tested

We chose eight popular black permanent markers from Japan, the U.S. and the U.K.:

• Teranishi Chemical “Magic Ink ML-T1 Black”: Japan's first permanent marker. In Japan, “Magic” is practically the word for a marker.
• Pilot “Twin Marker” (bullet tip): ranked No. 1 for usability in a well-known Japanese product-testing magazine.
• Mitsubishi Pencil (uni) “Peace Marker PA152TR.24”: from the maker of the uni-ball One gel pen, known for its very dark black ink.
• Sakura Color Products “My Name Twin”: a classic for writing names on school shoes and supplies in Japan.
• Zebra “Mackee Pro DX YYSS10-BK”: Mackee is one of Japan's best-known permanent markers.
• Tamiya “Paint Marker XF-1 Flat Black”: from the model-kit maker. One of the few markers with a matte finish.
• Sharpie “Permanent Marker”: the go-to permanent marker in the U.S.
• Holts “Color Pen”: a matte black paint pen from the British car-care brand.

How we measured blackness

Each marker was applied to a business-card-sized piece of matte paper, in two layers (one horizontal, one vertical) so that there were no gaps. We then measured the total reflectance of each sample with our in-house instrument, averaged it over the visible range (400 to 700 nm), and calculated the light absorption: absorption = 100% − reflectance. The higher the absorption, the blacker the ink.

Results: the blackest permanent marker

Average total reflectance over 400 to 700 nm, measured in-house on matte paper (two coats). Values marked ≈ were read from our measurement chart and are accurate to about ±0.1 point. Holts and Teranishi were almost tied; Holts was very slightly higher. Results depend on the paper, the number of coats and how much ink each pen delivers.

1st: Tamiya Paint Marker XF-1 Flat Black (97.3%). It won by a wide margin. Most of the others stayed around 94 to 95%, so the Tamiya marker reflected only about half as much light as a typical marker (2.7% against about 5 to 6%). Writing on black construction paper with it still gave clear, readable letters: black on black.

2nd: Holts Color Pen. The other matte marker in the test. 3rd: Teranishi Magic Ink. The best of the ordinary (glossy) permanent markers, and easy to find in Japan.

Sharpie placed 7th, at about 94.2%. Among ordinary permanent markers, the spread from 3rd to 8th was only about 1.5 points, so for everyday use the choice comes down to tip, smell and surface, not blackness.

At the time of our test, the Tamiya XF-1 marker was out of stock on Tamiya's online shop and on Amazon Japan, although some hobby shops still listed it. Please check current availability.

Why matte markers look blacker

Ordinary permanent marker ink dries to a smooth, slightly glossy film. Any smooth surface reflects about 4% of light at the surface itself, however dark the ink below it is. That's why a line drawn with a regular marker looks gray or shiny when light hits it at an angle, and why the glossy markers in our test all landed at about 5 to 6% reflectance.

Matte paint markers dry to a rough surface. Instead of bouncing light back like a mirror, the surface scatters it and traps part of it, so less light comes back to your eyes. That's how the two matte markers took first and second place.

Tips for the blackest line: use a matte paint marker, apply two coats in crossing directions, and use matte rather than glossy paper.

Need an even deeper black? Try black paint

A marker can only go so far. If you need a black that looks like a hole in the surface, for models, art, photography or optical parts, use a paint made to absorb light. Musou Black Paint absorbs up to 99.4% of visible light when airbrushed, and up to 98.9% when brushed on. That's less than a quarter of the light the winning marker reflects.

The card on the left was colored with the Tamiya marker; the card on the right was painted with Musou Black Paint.

Musou Black Paint comes in 100 ml and 1 L bottles, a 15 L can and bulk sets. We also offer a painting service.

FAQ

Q. What is the blackest permanent marker?
A. In our test of eight black permanent markers, the blackest was the Tamiya Paint Marker XF-1 Flat Black, with 97.3% light absorption (2.7% reflectance). The other seven, including Sharpie, absorbed about 94 to 95%. Matte markers came first and second.

Q. Is Sharpie the blackest marker?
A. No. In our test, the Sharpie Permanent Marker absorbed about 94.2% of visible light and placed 7th of 8. The difference between most ordinary markers was small, about one percentage point.

Q. Why does black marker ink look gray or shiny?
A. Most permanent marker ink dries to a smooth, slightly glossy film. A smooth surface reflects about 4% of light at its surface, no matter how dark the ink is, so it looks gray when light hits it at an angle. Matte inks have a rough surface that scatters and traps more of that light.

Q. What is the Japanese equivalent of a Sharpie?
A. In Japan, the best-known permanent markers are Magic Ink by Teranishi Chemical, Japan's first permanent marker, and Mackee by Zebra. In our blackness test they placed 3rd and 4th, both slightly blacker than the Sharpie.

Q. Is there anything blacker than a black marker?
A. Yes. Black paints made specifically to absorb light go much further. Our Musou Black Paint absorbs up to 99.4% of visible light when airbrushed, and up to 98.9% when brushed on.

First published on June 6, 2025. Revised in October 2026.