edding

edding Weatherproof Markers

Testing the weather-resistance of markers

Whether decorating a flowerpot or marking steel ingots stored outside a warehouse, it’s important that markings on surfaces exposed to the elements are able to last. Markings made one day will often need to be seen in weeks to come. Therefore it's vital – for both personal and professional applications – that weatherproof pens and markers should have waterproof ink and be lightfast.

edding’s weatherproof markers go through a rigorous test to verify their weatherproof properties. Weather conditions are simulated inside a special accelerated weathering machine according to DIN specifications. The water used for this test is ultrapure water, which is purer than distilled water. The test can be repeated under laboratory conditions and the machine’s sensors stay intact throughout the check. The samples are tested for 1,000 hours, the machine’s equivalent of one year, and are checked every 250 hours to see if there are changes to the sample. Weatherproof tests are conducted on products that customers are expected to use outdoors.

More about tests for weatherproof markers

What’s the difference between a lightfast and weatherproof test?

Lightfastness is tested using a radiation filter equivalent to the level of exposure behind a window. Weather resistance, on the other hand, is tested using a radiation filter for a higher UV-intensity, and includes spraying as well, making it a more rigorous assessment.

Marked surfaces used for weatherproof testing

Markers are tested for weatherproof properties on multiple surfaces that represent where they will be used outdoors, such as stainless steel, acrylic plastic, and glass. The glass test is especially difficult because glass is a closed surface, which prevents the absorption of ink. Only permanent markers or paint markers undergo this type of testing because they are the only markers which can write on all these different surfaces.

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How is it determined if a marker is weatherproof?

Accelerated weathering machines allow for weatherproof testing via the use of several pre-programmed norms, with the machine providing all necessary parameters for the test, including:

  • Irradiance
  • Temperature
  • Relative humidity
  • Spraying

The test of weatherproof markers adheres to the testing guidelines of DIN EN ISO 16474. Reliably complying with these testing guidelines is made easy by using the accelerated weathering machine, since it adjusts its parameters to the relevant settings.

For craftspeople working outdoors or anyone who has to mark a shipping counter or crate outside, for example, it's imperative to know that markings made on metal, wood, or glass, will be highly durable and long-lasting. Such rigorous testing means that edding weatherproof markers and pens can be used with confidence that the mark will last through many types of weather as well as most surfaces.

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