A multi-faceted product is bound to attract many FAQs. AusPen has many functions and benefits, some that you might not even know about yet. So we thought it would be nice to run through some of our most asked questions about the functions of AusPen - how exciting for you!
Obviously the main feature of AusPen is that it is refillable. The sturdy aluminium barrel is home to an inner ink sponge, which can be refilled indefinitely or until it starts to wear down, in which case you can replace it. There are also other features, like the reversible and replaceable nibs and the mysterious workings of the Carry Case… just kidding, there’s no mystery, but we have managed to cram several more markers in there than you think. Read on to find out where they’re hiding...
- Are you ever going to make a permanent marker?
This is our number one most asked question. And the answer is that there is no reason why we wouldn’t want to make one in the future! We have spent many years perfecting the art of the dry erase marker and the ink that goes into them, which is much more of a tricky recipe to finesse than you may think.
We have tested many formulas, surfaces, pre-made inks and inks we made ourselves, and pretty much combed the earth to find the perfect one - going to every dry erase markers expo along the way.
We finally found one that is perfect for all the things that make a good whiteboard marker: that is vibrant, low odour, low toxicity and of course easily erased. So to cut a long story short a permanent marker will be in the works soon - but have a few other tricks up until then. Could we become the makers of the best whiteboard markers ever, and the best permanent marker ever? Only time will tell!
- How long does it take for my ink/ nibs/ reservoir to dry out?
Well, how long is a piece of string? The length of time your nib or refill will last depends solely on how much you use it. Also how much pressure you like to write with, how well you look after the pens (keep the cap on when not in use, don’t place them in your back pocket), and maybe depending on who else has access to your Carry Case set - we’re looking at you, teacher friend who borrows markers and brings them back with furry tips.
I can tell you one thing though, they will definitely last a lot longer than the dry erase markers at Officeworks - and when they do run out of ink or need a new nib, you know we have you covered there…
- How many markers does a Carry Case represent?
Ah our famous dry erase markers holder - The Carry Case. This teacher’s favourite has gone through many iterations, and is about to go through another one very soon (link to Carry Case blog post). Each time we have made it better and better - that is why we like to refer to this as the ‘ultimate classroom tool’, to keep you organised and prepared for class on the go.
Better still, it looks great tucked under your arm or in your laptop case (sigh). But the golden question is: how many markers does this stationery gem really contain? Well the full Carry Case set is actually equivalent to 400+ full markers. Unbelievable, we know, but based on the calculation that it takes about 10 drops for a full refill, and 3-5 for recharges as needed in between, that works out to be about 65 markers per ink bottle (there are six in the Carry Case to match the 6 markers) - yay! This means you save yourself BUCKETS of money not having to replace your whiteboard markers.
- How do you refill and recharge an AusPen?
The wonderful Nadia demonstrates this one so excellently in our online tutorial videos, but let me also wordsmith you up a detailed step-by-step of how to refill and recharge your markers here. Just promise me you won’t ask me ‘How to get dry erase markers out of clothes, that's the only question I don’t have an answer to or rather. Here’s hoping you have read this before the fact and now know that it is utterly CRUCIAL to not get any ink on your clothes or any kind of fabric - because honestly, it does not come out. What can I say, ink is ink.
So when you have your cloth, or a few sheets of paper towel in front of you on a clean surface (away from anything that might get stained and including yourself) we can do a refill. To refill you simply remove the marker cap, unscrew the barrel of the marker and place the nib and nib holder down on your paper towel or cloth. Then squeeze 5-10 drops of ink into the ink sponge, inside of the aluminium barrel, plus one drop on the bottom and top of your nib and screw back on the nib holder before replacing the cap - done!
A recharge is a bit different and even simpler - this will be your best friend when you’re teaching on the go and your lines have started fading. So instead of unscrewing the barrel this time you can just remove the cap of the marker and attach the tip of your ink dropper into your nib, and put one drop onto the top. Once this soaks in you can repeat the process one or two more times and then wait for it to soak in for a minute or so and then you’re good to go. Get back to the board!
- How do you replace a nib or reservoir?
Last but not least. Replacing the nib and reservoirs is our favourite AusPen function. There is nothing worse, and I mean nothing, than constantly having to throw markers into landfill - just think of our poor planet. So in my personal opinion and I know many of our customers will agree, the best function of an AusPen is that you can replace the nib and replace the reservoir. One way to sleep at night is to know how to revive dry erase markers, it really is groundbreaking.
But, I digress. How to replace a nib or reservoir: first follow the process you did before, by unscrewing the nib holder from the barrel and removing it. Place it onto your cloth.Then you can gently slip out the old nib and discard. Then you can take your nifty new nib, and pop that into the position that your old nib was in and it should click into place when it hits the middle of the nib holder. Place a few fresh drops of ink on there to saturate the nib. Then to replace the reservoir - simply slide out the ink sponge, get an old stick or cotton tip and remove the cotton innards of the plastic part (you can recycle the plastic) and throw away the cotton part.
Pop in a fresh reservoir to the barrel and fill it up with ink. Followed that with the nib holder. Tip: if it looks like it isn’t sitting correctly that might be because it's around the wrong way so try the other side. Now you're done! Screw the holder back onto the barrel, replace the cap and you’re good to go!