Zig Posterman markers are great for designing signs to advertise your company and services, use in the classroom, or just decorate and show your artistic side on various surfaces. Good for indoor and out, they don’t wash off with just water, but easily come off non-porous surfaces with cleaner and can be used on wood, plastic, glass, metal and more. Furthermore before you start, preparing paint marker surfaces is very important. Here are some things you should know!

Always clean the surface you’re going to use the markers on

Zigs don’t work well on surfaces that may be covered with dirt, dust, other marker marks, or fingerprints. Wash the surface with an ammonia-based cleaner, such as Windex, to ensure the markers will take.  We have seen failures where the marker rubs off or washes off with water.  This is most often caused by the lack of adhesion to the base material. The dirt is washing off, not the marker.

Allow surfaces to dry before creating designs

Once you have cleaned the surface, allow it to dry completely before creating a design. Residue left over from the cleaner, or a wet surface, will prevent the marker from sticking and will cause the paint to “pool” or puddle.

Make sure the surfaces remain dry. Markers, chalkboard, whiteboard or your projects surface should be at room temperature and not different.  When an item is moved from cold to warm, moisture will form.  Even if it is not visible this thin film of moisture will keep the markers from being semi-permanent.  They may come off with rubbing or with water before you plan.

Fill and prime the markers you will be using

This is a simple technique, involving shaking the marker to stir the paint and putting pressure on the tip to draw the paint into it. To learn more about this step, click here.

Test a small area of the working surface

Be sure to test a small area of the surface to ensure the marker will work properly and can be removed. Zig markers are permanent on certain surfaces, and cannot be removed, even with cleaner. To test, make a small mark with a marker in an inconspicuous area of the surface. Allow about five minutes to dry, then attempt to clean using a cleaner.

Plan your artwork

Once you’ve primed your markers preparing paint marker surfaces and tested your media, it is recommended that the artwork, lettering or design be planned carefully. Know what you’re going to make, say, or include in your artwork. On surfaces like chalkboards, light penciling can be added to give yourself lines and a general feel of how the designs will fit. On surfaces like whiteboards, dry erase markers would be useful and can later be easily erased, without removing the Zig marker design.

This application note originally published on December 30th 2011 on Zig Posterman.com

After correctly preparing paint marker surfaces

This is the best part time to create chalk art!  The image above was done as a prototype of our Easy to Change Tabletop signs tested in December of 2016.  The image on the Cohas Chalkflex Eco Blackboard was inspired by the label for a new line from a local brewery.  Like that label and the double IPA hand crafted by 603 Brewery a lot of planning goes into a design.

A decade of planning also went into the easy to change stands.  Cohas engineers were looking to create a changeable sign that looked like a standard high quality wood framed chalkboard.  Using 100% items sourced and manufacturing the products right here in America, we have a very high quality stand for your artwork.

If you need a commercial grade display for your chalkboard art investigate Easy to Change Signs, in our DIY section.  The story includes infographics on how the unique stand and change feature actually function.