Bottles are shipped sealed to prevent leakage. To open, press and pull the white cap off. Use a push pin to carefully poke a small hole straight down through the applicator tip. For a larger hole, snip off the tip with scissors. If you need additional grip to pull off the white caps, add a piece of double-stick or medical tape around the cap.
The well around the rim of the applicator tip is designed to catch drips and keep the outside of your bottle clean. After each use, be sure to wipe out the well before tipping the bottle to ensure precision placement of your ink drops.
Keep bottles standing upright when capped to avoid spillage inside the well around the rim of the applicator tip.
The entire cap can be screwed off to pour out large amounts of ink, either directly onto your work, into other types of dispensers or onto a palette for color blending and brush work.
Metallics, colorshifts and the Rainbow additive must be shaken well before use. Leave the cap on while shaking or hold your finger over the applicator tip during use if the bottle is open. Shake the bottle from side to side, like ringing a bell, rather than up and down to prevent the ink from splattering. If you cannot hear the mixing ball moving inside the bottle while shaking, tap the bottom of the bottle a few times on your table to loosen the ball from the pigments that have settled.
Our inks are highly concentrated to give you more control in your work. To make the color extend further or “bloom”, we recommend adding the Extender medium. You can also use Isopropyl alcohol to spread color, if desired, though this may affect the adhesion qualities of the ink.
Drip or splatter our Rainbow additive to add glittery shimmer to any color.
Try a hair dryer, canned air (used for dusting keyboards) or blowing through a straw to move the inks around.
Work in a well-ventilated room. If you have sensitivity to the odor of alcohol inks, wear a respirator mask.
Clean spills with isopropyl alcohol.
Combustion of the inks is not recommended as this will produce by products that will be harmful such as soot, Co2, etc.
Do not use inks in spray bottles as inks contain alcohol, which should not be airborne.
Alcohol Inks are acid-free and have a shelf life of five years.
As alcohol inks are dye-based and translucent, UV exposure will cause the colors to fade over time. Unlike pigments, dyes are not inherently lightfast, but the quality of Marabu’s dyes offer fairly good lightfastness (with the exception of the neon colors). To help protect your inks from UV exposure, brush them first with an isolation coat of Aqua Varnish (waterbased sealer), then with a coat of UV-resistant varnish (test a small area first to ensure the inks do not reactivate).
Pigments used in each color:
- Vermillion 006: Red 112; Orange 34
- Magenta 014: Red 122
- Vermillion 006: Red 122; Orange 34
- Orange 013: Orange 34
- Magenta 014: Red 122
- Lemon 020: Yellow 74
- Carmine Red 032: Red 146
- Dark Brown 045: Yellow 83; Red 146; Black 17
- Dark Violet 051: Blue 15; Violet 23
- Dark Ultramarine 055: Blue 15; Violet 24
- Cyan 056: Blue 15-3
- Reseda 061: Yellow 74; Green 8
- Black 073: Black 17
- Petrol 092: Blue 15-3; Green 7
- Mint 153: Green 7; Yellow 83
- Sunshine Yellow 220: Yellow 83
Tips for Success:
To blend or smudge colors smoothly, use your fingertip, a stencil brush or cosmetic sponge. Apply the Colorless Blender Crayon on top of colors as needed for porous surfaces.
For watercolor effects, spray colors on your surface with water or use a wet paintbrush to dissolve and spread the color.
To remove or reduce color in desired areas or through a stencil, use a damp rag or baby wipe.
To transfer a drawing, cover one side of a plain sheet of paper with desired crayon color, lay it color-side down on top of your surface and trace or draw your image with a firm-tipped stylus.
Art Crayons are not permanent, but are wipe-resistant after a few hours. Spray a light fixative over your artwork if needed.
Pigments used in each color:
- Raspberry 005: Red 122
- Lavender 007: Blue 15-3; Red 53; White 6
- Terracotta 008: Red 101; Yellow 42; Black 11
- Orange 013: Yellow 14; Red 53
- Rosé Beige 029: Yellow 14; Red 48-2; White 6
- Cherry Red 031: Red 53
- Rose Pink 033: Red 53; White 6
- Plum 037: Blue 15-3; Red 53
- Khaki 041: Yellow 14; Green 7; Black 11
- Gentian 057: Blue 15-3; White 6
- White 070: White 6
- Black 073: Black 11
- Silver 082: N/A
- Gold 084: N/A
- Turquoise 098: Green 7; Blue 15-3
- Chilli 123: Yellow 14; Red 53
- Pomegranate 124: Blue 15-3; Red 53
- Sky Blue 141: Blue 15-3; White 6
- Kiwi 155: Yellow 14; Green 7
- Apple 158: Green 7
- Sunshine Yellow 220: Yellow 14
- Light Grey 278: Black 11; White 6
- Caramel 294: Yellow 42
- Cocoa 295: Red 101; Black 11
- Aqua Green 297: Yellow 14; Green 7; Black 11
Tips for Success:
Shake the bottle for a full 60 seconds before the initial use. Always thoroughly shake the bottles if the color has been sitting, even for a few minutes, as some pigment can settle out of suspension. The mixing ball inside the bottle should be clearly audible, and no residual pigment should be visible at the bottom of the bottle.
Spray at a 45° angle. If the bottle is tilted to far one way or the other, too much paint will run into the nozzle and it will clog. Test on scratch paper first.
Experiment with the distance you hold the bottle from the surface to vary the look of the spray. Spritzing a little water on top while the paint is wet can help you achieve a variety of watercolor effects.
Art Spray is permanent when dry, so you can layer colors and work with other mediums on top without reactivating.
For use with masks and stencils, apply a light coat of repositionable adhesive spray to the back of the mask or stencil first to prevent paint from running underneath. Before removing from the surface, dab the stencil/mask with a cloth to avoid stray drips of paint on the design.
Try “stamping” with stencils or masks by spraying one side with color and pressing them down on your surface.
Art Sprays can also be poured into a small dish for blending colors and using with brushes or dip pens.
Art Sprays work well on paper, canvas, gessoed surfaces, wood and fabric.
Cleaning the pump and preventing clogs:
In between uses, turn the bottle upside down and pump the spray to empty and clear excess paint caught in the tube, pump or nozzle. Wipe the nozzle clean with a damp cloth.
After use, twist off the pump, place it with the tube attached in warm water and spray warm water through it until the water becomes clear. Always replace the cap on the bottle when storing.
If an irregular spray pattern develops, take off the nozzle and carefully remove any dried paint with a Q-tip, a piece of fine wire or a thin straight pin.
If it is totally blocked, dismantle it into its three components – the top/nozzle, the pump and the tube. Soak all three pieces in soapy warm water or 91% isopropyl alcohol to dislodge any dried acrylic paint.
If your spray bottles have been heavily used without being cleaned and maintained, you may need to transfer the paint into a new bottle.
Pigments used in each color:
- Raspberry 005: Red 122
- Lavender 007: Red 122; Violet 23
- Lemon 020: Yellow 74
- Red Orange 023: Yellow 83; Red 112
- Cherry Red 031: Red 146
- Bordeaux 034: Violet 19; Red 146
- Plum 037: Violet 23; Blue 15-3
- Aubergine 039: Violet 19; Violet 23
- Kacki 041: Green 7; Yellow 74; Red 112; Black 7
- Gentian 057: Blue 15-3
- Reseda 061: Yellow 74; Green 7
- Black 073: Black 7
- Grey 078: Black 7
- Silver 082: N/A
- Gold 084: N/A
- Caribbean 091: Green 7; Blue 15-1; Blue 15-3
- Petrol 092: Green 7; Blue 15-1; Blue 15-3
- Chilli 123: Red 112
- Sky Blue 141: Blue 15-3
- Mint 153: Green 7; Red 112; Yellow 74
- Apple 158: Yellow 74; Green 7
- Flamingo 212: Red 112; Red 122
- Sunshine Yellow 220: Yellow 83
- Tangerine 225: Yellow 83; Red 122
- Aquamarine 255: Green 7
- Cocoa 295: Yellow 74; Black 7; Red 146
Tips for Success:
Use room temperature water. If you have hard water, try using distilled instead of tap water.
Have all the Easy Marble® bottles shaken with caps on (or stirred with a skewer after temporarily removing the dropper plug ) to ensure all the pigment particles are mixed well. Having the bottles uncapped and ready before you begin allows you to get all of your colors onto the water as quickly as possible.
The paints’ “open” time is about a minute, depending on the air temperature and how much paint you have on the water. The more paint you use and the cooler your room temperature is – the longer the open time.
16 of the 41 colors are more opaque and indicated with an asterisk on the color chart.
Your dipping container should be 2-3x the width of the item to ensure there’s room for enough ink on the surface for full coverage – out to the edges and/or to wrap around the entire object.
Use generous amounts of your colors (especially the first one) and do not over-stir the colors. Stirring too much tends to create little bubbles and air pockets in the water, plus it can add bits of sticky film to the skewer that can transfer to the design.
Submerge the item vertically into the container of water to marble on both/all sides, even if it’s a sheet of paper. This dipping method is much easier and often yields a more interesting pattern than marbling on just one side (by resting it flat against the water’s surface and then lifting off).
Surface marbling takes some practice to remove any air pockets that occur in the paints beneath. When marbling paper with this method, thinner sheets (such as deli paper) works the best because it’s more flexible on the surface of the water.
Be sure to remove any excess color from the surface of the water while the item is submerged – either blow it away with your mouth or wipe it away with a small piece of cardstock – before pulling it up. This prevents a second filmier pattern from layering on top of the original pattern.
Consider choosing one of the Easy Marble colors to match the color of your surface, which helps any voids in your pattern blend in nicely.
Experiment with lots of different surfaces – paper, cardboard, wood panels, canvas, fabric, glass, metal, plastic, plaster, ceramic, paper maché and more!
Easy Marble is not food-safe or washable. However, it can be coated with your choice of paint sealer.
Only a brushable, water-based varnish is suitable to use as a direct coating on Easy Marble. Apply after the Easy Marble color is fully cured (24 hours). Some coatings or varnishes may interact with the Easy Marble and prevent it from fully curing. Do a test first if possible, or remove any coating on the object by sanding before marbling.
Clean spills with isopropyl alcohol when wet. Use xylene or similar solvent to clean up when dry.
These paints are water-based and classified as non-hazardous, however they contain trace amounts of chemical preservatives that are critical for water-based formulas. No cases of allergic reactions to our paints on wearable fabrics have been reported, but we cannot guarantee it for those with extra-sensitive skin.
Our textile paints perform the best on 100% natural fibers or a blend with no more than 20% synthetic. For clothing intended to be worn by infants, children or others with extra-sensitive skin, we recommend heatsetting in the oven (rather than with an iron) per the package directions, so the heat will evenly reach and cure every part of the painted design. Wash the garment as directed after heatsetting so any remaining paint that has not been thoroughly set is safely washed out.
Tips for Success:
Wash your fabric first to remove any sizing or softeners and iron smooth. For permance and washability, heat-fix your sprayed image with an iron or in the oven per package directions.
Shake Fashion-Spray well before use and spray on a test surface first. See the Art Spray FAQ for nozzle cleaning/unclogging instructions.
Do not apply Fashion Liner directly to areas painted with Fashion Shimmer Spray, as adhesion to the fabric will be reduced.
These paints are water-based and classified as non-hazardous, however they contain trace amounts of chemical preservatives that are critical for water-based formulas. No cases of allergic reactions to our paints on wearable fabrics have been reported, but we cannot guarantee it for those with extra-sensitive skin.
Our textile paints perform the best on 100% natural fibers or a blend with no more than 20% synthetic. For clothing intended to be worn by infants, children or others with extra-sensitive skin, we recommend heatsetting in the oven (rather than with an iron) per the package directions, so the heat will evenly reach and cure every part of the painted design. Wash the garment as directed after heatsetting so any remaining paint that has not been thoroughly set is safely washed out.
Pigments used in each color:
- Raspberry 005: Red 122
- Lemon 020: Yellow 17
- Red Orange 023: Red 112; Yellow 83
- Pink 033: Red 122
- Bordeaux 034: Violet 19; Violet 23
- Plum 037: Violet 23
- Aubergine 039: Violet 19
- Reseda 061: Yellow 17; Green 7
- Black 073: Blue 15-1; Black 7
- Grey 078: Black 7
- Caribbean 091: Red 122
- Petrol 092: Blue 15-1; Green 7
- Sky Blue 141: Blue 15
- Mint 153: Yellow 17; Green 7
- Apple 158: Yellow 17; Green 7
- Flamingo 212: Yellow 83; Red 112; Red 122
- Sunshine Yellow 220: Yellow 83; Yellow 17
- Red 232: Red 170
- Tangerine 225: Yellow 83; Red 112
- Marine Blue 258: Blue 15-1; Blue 15-3
- Night Blue 293: Blue 15-1; Violet 23; Black 7
- Cocoa 295: Yellow 83; Red 112; Black 7
