How to make the most of your whiteboard markers

Sometimes being confident in front of the class or a peer group is about more than simply knowing your stuff. Being well-prepared covers a much broader field. So, when the spotlight is on you, and you need to be at your best, make sure you’ve got all angles covered.

Don’t allow inferior equipment to let you down

If you’ve never given a second thought to how your words, symbols and charts look on a whiteboard maybe that’s because you’re lucky enough to be using a high-quality whiteboard marker.

But if you recognise any of these problems, you’re definitely not:
• A tip that’s dried out after someone forgot to recap it
• Feeble colours that don’t show up at the back of the class
• Ink that runs dry not long after you’ve started using your whiteboard marker
• Being unable to find all your markers because you don’t have an easy way to keep them all together

Sorting out the ‘supporting characters’ will allow you to focus 100 per cent on your presentation which is, after all, the main event.  

Can buying better really save money?

Without a doubt, the answer is ‘yes!’ Budgets have always been under pressure and while it is tempting to choose the cheapest, as with everything in life it’s a false economy. Do your research before you request that next box of whiteboard markers and compare not only price but key features such as:
• Write-out length
• Tip size
• Colour range
• Ink flow reviver
• Board eraser sets

Spending a little more initially to save far more in the long run is always a savvy decision. A cheap whiteboard marker might sound like a better option for hard-pressed budgets but ask yourself, ‘did I actually save anything?’ after you’ve thrown away several newish markers that have given up the ghost after one presentation too many.

I left the cap off – now it’ll be useless!

Not necessarily. If you’re using a Pentel Maxiflo whiteboard marker and you remember after several hours that you forgot to recap it, you can get the ink flowing again with Maxiflo’s unique ink rejuvenation system. Simply press the end button to send a fresh supply of vivid liquid ink from the reservoir to the tip, without the ink flooding or leaking.

The colours never stand out – why is this?

You could be forgiven for thinking that all ink is equal, but let’s get something straight: it’s not.  Compare the ink in a conventional whiteboard marker with a free-flowing liquid ink marker such as Maxiflo and you’ll notice the difference. That’s because Maxiflo liquid ink is held in a reservoir rather than a cotton wad inside the barrel, and when you activate it by pumping the end button, a valve opens and sends a fresh supply of vividly colourful liquid ink through a regulator (to control the flow), to the tip. In a conventional whiteboard marker, as the marker is used, the amount of ink that is delivered depreciates and the colour quality deteriorates. There might be more ink left in the barrel, but it can’t be drawn to the tip consistently and the colour appears lacklustre. With Maxiflo, the ink is available to use to the very last drop, with the same vibrant colour from start to finish.

I need to take my markers into different classrooms – but keep losing them!

If this sounds all too familiar, there is a simple solution to keep all your markers together without requiring another pencil case. Using whiteboard markers that come in a handy case makes it easier to keep them in one place and allows for ease of transport into different classroom environments. Maxiflo whiteboard markers are available in a set of four – one each of black, red, blue and green ink – packed into a handy magnetic board eraser.  This holds each marker firmly in place, so it’s ready and available when you need it. If your board isn’t metal backed, don’t worry, the Maxiflo eraser set has a handy clip so you can attach it to the edge of your whiteboard if that’s the best option for you.

To ensure all eyes are on your brilliant presentation and not the whiteboard marker that won’t work, make sure you have equipment to hand that won’t let you down. Explore YPO’s full range of Pentel products, including our Maxiflo markers.