THE MARKER THAT
MADE IT’S MARK
Sharpie was introduced in 1964 by the Sanford Ink Company. The original Sharpie is much like the one we use today; the permanent pen-style marker was unlike other industrial markers at the time, making it an instant hit. Sharpie used a quick-drying, waterproof ink that could write on almost any surface, like paper, plastic, glass, and many other surfaces. The original Sharpie had a black fine-point tip and was marketed primarily to businesses, laboratories, and industrial users who needed a permanent, reliable marker that would not smear or wash away.
THE EVOLUTION OF SHARPIE
In 1979 Sharpie expanded their line to produce blue, green, and brown permanent markers and throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Sharpie released new tip styles and marker sizes to meet growing demand. Sharpies became especially popular with autograph seekers looking for something permanent. Their marker line continued to grow to include pens, retractable markers, paint markers, metallic markers, and by 2002, 200 million markers had been produced and sold. The brand continues to evolve and expand its line and today, Sharpie markers are used in classrooms, work spaces offices, warehouses, workshops, labs, and artists' studios around the world.
