“Why is it impossible to find some Copic Marker colors?”
A student asked me this recently. She’s been waiting for years on some colors.
Years?
It’s an odd question because while Copic stock varies from store to store, in general, shelves are pretty flush right now. And if you shop online, you can easily buy them all. So what colors can’t she find?
Then it hit me— her Copic chart doesn’t match her Ciao style markers.
She’s been looking for markers Copic doesn’t make.
So let’s clear this up, before you get confused too.
How many colors does Copic make?
In the Classic, Ciao, or Wide style? It may be less than you think.
Copic Makes 358 colors
Copic Inks come in 358 different colors BUT not every color is available in every style of Copic Marker. Copic offers a limited color range in their less popular marker types:
Refills: 358 colors (available in every color)
Sketch: 358 colors (available in every color)
Classic: only 214 colors
Ciao: only 180 colors
Wide: zero colors
“Rubber Duckie” an original illustration by the author, Amy Shulke. Copic Marker + Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. 8x8” on Cryogen Curious Metallic White Cardstock.
Let’s look at the specifics of each Copic Marker style to help you find the colors you want.
Copic Refills
If Copic makes the color, then it’s available as a refill.
Copic makes refill inks for all 358 colors.
You will never get stuck with a marker that can not be refilled.
See the entire 358 color palette chart for Copic Refills at Copic’s official website here.
While we’re on the subject of refills, I want to warn you about one thing…
Copic used to make a square-ish bottle which they called “Various Ink”. These bottles held 25ml of ink. In late 2019, Copic switched their refills to a 12ml bottle…
Yes, the new bottles are half the size.
(Updated bottles are cylinders with a long needle nose dispenser.)
On some websites and auction sites, you can still find the older 25ml bottles.
BEWARE: Copic Various Ink 25ml bottles contain EXPIRED INK!
Square bottle ink has not been produced since early 2019. Copic ink has a shelf life of 3 years. Therefore all square bottles are long past the expiration date!
Now to be honest, I’m writing this in 2024 and I’m still using the last of my square bottle refills. I can tell you that Copic ink does not go rancid, it does not separate, and even though my Various Inks are 3+ years beyond the expiration date, they work just fine.
But Copic Ink is not lightfast and I keep my inks in a dark storage box inside a dark cupboard. I can guarantee this because they’re my inks.
If you’re purchasing someone else’s old stash of ink, you don’t know if they’ve taken similar care.
I’ve seen bottles of pale yellowish refill ink that were once hot pink, so this is a real concern. Even if the inks are not noticeably pale in the seller’s photographs, they could be only slightly faded— for instance, a B99 ink might look closer to B95. And once the fading process starts, it degrades quickly.
Buyer beware!
What about Colorless Blender?
Colorless Blender solution is available in 2 different sized refill bottles. The economy sized 200ml/6/7oz bottle has not changed but the 25ml Various Ink refill size is now a smaller 12ml bottle.
I recommend owning both the large bottle and a small bottle. The larger bottle is more cost effective BUT it’s very awkward to pour from.
To limit how often I open the large bottle, I use my small bottle to refill my #0 markers. Then when necessary, I refill the small bottle with the large bottle.
Colorless Blender does not go bad and the bottles are fairly airtight. I know the large bottle seems overkill to a hobby level colorer but I think the cost savings is worth it. I go through one large bottler per year. Even if it takes you 2-3 years to use your bottle, do not worry. Copic Colorless Blender will not expire or lose it’s effectiveness.
Copic Sketch Markers come in 358 colors
It seems like everyone owns at least a couple of Sketch markers. It’s hard to avoid them.
Copic Sketch are the top-selling style. They come in all 358 colors.
That’s 358 including the colorless blender.
The last new colors were introduced in 2012.
If you’re listening Copic, it’s been over a decade since you’ve introduced new colors. I’d kill for a B61 and more complete range of yellows.
See the full Sketch color palette at Copic’s official website here.
Sketch markers with their distinct oval shaped barrel were developed for professional artists. Many hobbyists also choose Sketches, knowing that they can continue to build an entire collection without mixing marker styles.
Read more about Copic Sketch markers in our article here:
(Link leads to the recommended supply page on our main site, VanillaArts.com. We keep one list for both sites to insure the links and buying tips are current.)
Copic Classic Markers come in 214 colors
Do you have the original square barrel Copics with a fine nib (bullet) and a broad chisel nib? If so, you’re working with a smaller color palette.
Classic Copics come in the original range of 214 colors.
This includes the Colorless Blender.
See the full Classic color palette at Copic’s official website here.
I started with Classics in the 1990s and honestly, I never felt at a loss for colors. Overall, 214 is a very workable collection. There’s a good selection from every color family plus all the grays from all four groups.
But remember, Classic Copics were not designed for blending.
I know this sounds strange to beginners who think Copic was, is, and always will be a blending marker; but Classics were developed long before blending became popular. Back in the dinosaur days, we did not blend. The paper we used at the time would never tolerate modern blending.
Copic Classic Markers are for drawing, not coloring.
This is why you’ll find some Classic markers with no easy blending partners.
Copic Classic have a good selection of colors but if you like blending, avoid Classic markers.
Read more about the Copic Classic Marker in our article here:
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Copic Ciao Markers
Most Copic beginners have Ciao Markers.
Ciao Copics are value priced, so you get more Ciao markers for your money. But economy has a hidden inconvenience.
Ciao Copics come in a very limited range of 180 colors.
That’s 180 including the Colorless Blender.
See the entire Ciao color palette at Copic’s official website here.
I could never work with Ciao markers alone. There are too many gaps in the color palette.
I actually tried this a few years back— I taught at a store which only carried Ciao. It was incredibly frustrating; The store finally started carrying Sketch markers because it was too hard to run classes with only Ciao colors.
Favorite colors which are not available in Ciao style: R24, R89, YR24, YR27, Y13, YG01, G24, G40, G43, BG11, BG53, BG57, B21, B34, BV01, BV20… and that’s just off the top of my head.
Even worse, there are no neutral gray Ciaos (ack!). Of the grays they do have? I don’t understand why there are no 4s, 6s, or double-zeros which I use regularly. And they don’t go darker than a 7 which is problematic for me since I don’t use black in my artwork.
As an entry-point for beginners, I recommend Ciao Copics.
BUT I always warn students that you will not be able to stay inside the Ciao ecosystem very long.
Ciao limits you to half a collection. The 180 colors are all useful colors. I don’t see any dead weight in the Ciao palette, but I also can’t un-see the big gaping holes.
Read more about Copic Ciao Markers in our article here:
Copic Wide Markers
Copic Wide was once 35 colors plus a Colorless Blender.
Not anymore.
Copic Wide comes in ZERO colors! Today’s Wides are do-it-yourself markers.
If you spot colored wides in a store, it’s been sitting around on the shelf for a long time. It may be expired.
If you want a Copic Wide now, you must buy the empty marker (called a “blank”) and fill it yourself with a Copic Ink Refill bottle.
Do-it-yourself isn’t a bad thing! I never liked the available color selection for Wides, so I’ve been buying blanks for years, creating the colors I need instead of settling for the colors they made.
The downside to DIYing a Wide is that you’ll never have a color coordinated cap. I’ve had to label the side of the marker with a nasty piece of tape which feels terrible as I use the marker.
Grrrr. I really wish they would come up with a better way to indicate DIY colors. They’re not cheap but the tape-on-the-side method sure makes them look cheap!
Black Edition?
Ever seen a black body Copic? They’re rare but they do exist.
Black 25th Anniversary Sets were a limited edition release 2017.
Limited Edition Copics came in 36 total colors released as one box or in smaller sets of 12.
The Black Anniversary series looks like a Sketch marker but the nibs are different. Normal Sketches carry a Super Brush nib on one end and the Broad chisel nib on the other. The Black Anniversary style is a Super Brush plus a Fine Nib bullet.
The Black Anniversary did not contain any new colors.
You can see a photo of the Anniversary 36 on Debbie Olson’s site here.
I sold my Classic style markers to get away from the bullet nib so I never bought the Black Anniversary.
Wait, what’s a C30?
Don’t be silly! There’s no such thing as a Cool Gray 30!
Ahhh, grasshopper. Yes, there is.
30th Anniversary Classic Sets were a PRIVATE gift release in 2017. Most people don’t realize they exist!
Here’s a photo at Copic in the Craftroom on Facebook. Michelle Houghton who runs the Copic in the Craftroom channel at YouTube (and blogs at Scrapweaver.com) was one of the lucky ducks to receive a 30th set when she attended the anniversary event in Japan.
As you can see in the photo, most of these colors are just figments of your imagination. There are no refills for them, so they’re the exception to the every-marker-has-a-refill rule. The 30s are beautiful little one-offs.
And that Y30? Oh Copic, pretty, pretty please!!!
Discontinued Colors?
Nope.
Copic has never discontinued an ink color.
Have they discontinued products? Yes.
But not inks.
You can see the full discontinued product list on their official website here. It’s mostly paper and marker storage but please pause for a solemn moment of silence when you get to my beloved SP Color Multiliners.
Oh dear, (sigh). They were truly beautiful.
Many Stores do not stock all 358 colors
Yes, Copic makes 358 colors but I’ve personally never seen all 358 colors on the shelf in a local store.
First off, to carry the entire Copic line is expensive for stores. Most small shops prefer to special-order a rare color for you instead of buying 6 and letting them rot on the shelf.
But also, there’s always something on backorder from the factory. Always.
Even if your shop is great at stocking shelves with just the right products, sometimes they can’t get the colors they want because the supplier doesn’t have any.
Here’s the other issue you may not realize when you begin buying Copics:
Many chain stores will NEVER carry all 358 Copic colors.
Big-box retailers (Jo-Michael’s Lobby Mart) create their own “exclusive” palette based on tiny shelf displays. Several chains do not carry the extra colors on their website either. If you’re using the 50% off coupon method to collect markers, you’ll run out of markers to buy long before you have a medium sized collection.
How many colors does Copic make?
It depends upon what you’re buying.
Copic Ink comes in 358 different colors BUT not every color is available in every style.
And that’s the catch!
Before you beat your head against the wall looking for a BG11 Ciao or a Classic V01, do some checking. The color may be listed on your handy-dandy color chart but it might not be available in your preferred style or at your favorite retailer.
Happy hunting!
Amy Shulke is a professional illustrator who has used Copic Markers since 1990. She teaches artistic coloring classes online at VanillaArts.com and locally in south-eastern Michigan.
Marker Novice is Amy’s completely free resource devoted to beginner marker education. For intermediate/advanced artistic coloring articles, see her Studio Journal here.
Quack, quack!
This little duck is bubbly fun.
Beginners can color this duckie small scale and simple. Or you can step it up a notch using the photo reference and the methods I offered in this challenge article.
Amy Shulke’s "Rubber Duck"
Sample shown uses Copic Markers and Prismacolor colored pencils.
Package includes PNG digital stamp with easy print PDF option plus recipe, full color sample, photo reference, and grayscale guide.
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