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'''Copic Various Ink'''
<br>This is my favorite replacement ink. It's super dark black, doesn't fade, and dries almost instantly. I find that I can refill a marker with Gopie ink at least four times before the sponge gets gunky and won't hold ink anymore. I get about two to four hours of drawing time out of one filling.
''BONUS TIP'': <br> I like to mix Copic ink with isopropyl alcohol to make it last a little longer and make it a little "juicier." I like about a 4: 1 ratio of ink to alcohol. This does make the ink less black, but still darker than most India Ink.
''BONUS BONUS TIP'': <br> I save an empty bottle of ink and buy four new ones. I then pull out the pour spout and squirt about 1/5 of each full bottle into the empty bottle (I use a light to shine through the bottle so I can see the ink and use the markings on the side of the bottle to measure the level). Now I have five bottles that are about 4/5 full of ink. I then top them off with alcohol and replace the pour spouts.
'''Blick Studio'''<br>
Blick has their version of Gopie markers and refill inks that work just as well as Gopie but at about half the price. I haven't done extensive testing, but it seems to be comparable.
'''India Ink (All Brands)'''<br>
None of the India ink brands I've tried were quite as dark black as Co pie and they all fade to gray as they dry out. They don't dry quite as quickly either, but still quicker than Crayola ink. I was never able to refill a frankenmarker with India ink. After the initial filling, the ink seems to create a seal on the back of the sponge and will not refill. I get two to four hours of drawing time out of one marker.
'''Crayola'''<br>
So, after all that... I went back to using Crayola markers straight out of the box. I found that when I rinse the tips and refill with other inks, the tips get ever so slightly puffy and aren't quite as sharp. I don't know if it's the act of rinsing them or the alcohol based inks, but something changes. It's very, very subtle, but I prefer the line quality I can get from a fresh Crayola right out of the box. The ink isn't perfect, but it's cheap, easy, and does the job well enough.
'''Bleed Test'''<br>
The photo shows an alcohol based ink, an India ink, and a fresh Crayola. I made one small mark using the side of the marker tip and then placed the point on the paper with medium pressure for five seconds The alcohol based ink bled quite a bit. The India ink did not bleed at all. The Crayola ink bled very slightly, but not nearly as much as the alcohol based ink
'''Conclusion'''<br>
Now, go buy some Crayolas, other inks, and try it out for yourself! I think you'll love them, but in the immortal words of Levar Burton, "you don't have to take. my word for it!"
