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Which are the most lightfast color pencils? [1]

['Rob Beschizza']

Date: 2025-07-07

How lightfast art markers and pigments are is often discussed: everyone "knows" fading is the tradeoff for rich, subtle colors such as those offered by Copics and Dr. Ph Martins. But I never thought twice about the lightfastness of colored pencils. Sarah Renae Clark did, though, and put 50 brands to the test.

There are three main ways to measure how much a colour fades over time:

Blue Wool Scale – An industry standard using blue-dyed wool strips that fade at different intervals. My testing is based on this method.

ASTM D6901 – A lab-based test for coloured pencils only, using controlled light exposure. Not suitable for markers.

Manufacturer Ratings – Internal tests done by brands, which can vary in accuracy.

She summarizes her findings in a half-hour video, and the test results are quite exhaustive. My Derwents did OK. I'm tempted to buy the lightfast set next time around, but suddenly, perversely, I wonder if a little fading is desirable.

Previously: Fantastic collection of pixel fonts inspired by classic games

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