I found Staedtler’s Triplus Fineliners while I was browsing my local big-box office supply store. I was initially attracted by the well-designed packaging and selection of colors, but was intrigued by the claim of effortless writing. I brought the pack home with me for a test run in a Moleskine Sketchbook.
The Basics
After opening the package, I discovered 20 pens, triangular-shaped and very light in weight. The points measures a tiny 0.3 mm, great for fine detail. The silver-gray pens are attractive with a colored cap that snaps on to the back of the pen. According to the packaging, these pens can be left uncapped for hours without drying out. I didn’t get to test this theory, but I can confirm that the pens remained wet after I completed this illustration. The plastic case looks modern, is protective and can be tilted up, giving you easy access to the pens when working. So far, so good.
There are 20 Triplus Fineliners packaged in a case that doubles as a pen stand.
Inspired by the fine point of the pens, I decided to create an image of a rope. Thousands of tiny threads would be a good test for the fine point and would give me an idea of the durability of the tip. Since I tend to illustrate with a heavy hand, I smash tips pretty quickly and am always looking for pens that can handle pressure.
The fine point of the Triplus Fineliners were perfect for drawing thousands of lines in this illustration. The points remained firm even after hours of use.
The pens were good performers, producing crisp, bright lines and the tips were firm, but not hard. The ink dried quickly and there was no problem with bleed through in the heavy pages of my Moleskine Sketchbook. I did also test these in my Moleskine planner to see how they would perform with thinner paper. I am pleased to say that the pens did not bleed through, But because of the translucency of the paper, you could see a muted version of the line on the backside of the page which is pretty typical for a Moleskine. Blending was easy and the colors were compatible with each other. I was most impressed with the durability of the tip. After drawing thousands of lines, none of the tips were crushed and the pens still drew wet lines without drying out.
Each point measures 0.3 mm and is perfect for fine line sketching.
It was quite easy to sketch with these in the beginning, but as time wore on, the corner of the triangular shape started to dig into my finger. It may not be a problem for most of you, but this did bother me. This is a minor complaint when compared with the benefits.
The triangluar shape was comfortable for me at first, but after extended use, a corner started to dig into my finger. This may not be a problem for you, but it was for me.
The Pros:
- 20, 0.3 mm fine point tips for detailed sketches
- No bleed through, even on the thin paper in a Moleskine planner.
- Quick drying on the page
- Tips won’t dry out after leaving the caps off for hours
- Great color selection
- Case angles up for ease of use
- Durable tips won’t crush under pressure
- Triangular shape, ergonomic design
The Cons:
- Triangular shape may be uncomfortable for some
- Line can be seen through backside of thin paper, although there is no bleed through.
Overall, I was impressed with this set of pens and would use them for any detailed work I might have in the future. I would not recommend them for large areas of color, however because of the fine point.
Journaling Arts 
nice review.
LOVE these pens! I grab them for carrying about because of the color assortment and the beautiful writing line that I can get out of them. They are a great go-to for journaling in my sketchbook, but I agree they aren’t great on thin paper if you’re trying to write on the back of the page.
Apparently, my daughter likes them too because they are without a doubt “most like to borrowed by a 13yo”. 😉
You said: “I would not recommend them for large areas of color, however because of the fine point.”
Once again, I agree. I use them for small decorative sketches and edge embellishments, but mostly for writing. I often add flourishes to my larger text and the fine line and high control make these pens favorites.
Thanks for the great review. I had these in my hand yesterday and almost bought them, but was concerned about bleed through. Now my questions are answered and I’l go back and buy them!
Thank you, Jan!
I am glad the review answered some of your questions. Let me know how you like them.
These are the pens I use to make notes with in class. They are wonderful to write with as well as draw with.
The only thing they haven’t survived yet, is writing on top of correction fluid. It’s okay after about half an hour, but before that, you only risk the tip going dry forever.
Thank you for your comment about the correction fluid. I probably would have tried to write on it too quickly if I hadn’t read your comment.
Thanks for the review. They look great and lots of fun to use. I’ll have to add some to my next order.
I do think you will like them. Great colors, cool packaging and awesome design. What more could you ask for?
I love the page you did with the pens!!
Thanks, Trish!
Cynthia
We have just discovered your great review on STAEDTLER triplus fineliners and we’d love to meet you on our facebook fanpage http://www.facebook.com/STAEDTLER.headquarters – it would be great if you became a fan, too, and shared your experience.
NB: We’ve got some really cute STAEDTLER triplus fineliner new products & promotions in the pipeline for 2011. I do not want to give away too many details at the moment – but there will be new colours and sets – stay tuned!
Hope to meet you soon and best regards from STAEDTLER headquarters in Germany, Yvonne
does work when you wet them ? Like the berol black fine liner ? the smudged effey?
Hi,
Thank you for your question. The Triplus Fineliners do not blend well with water. The inks are supposed to be water-based, but the blending leaves a lot to be desired.
If you are looking for a great water-based marker that you can easily blend with water, I would highly recommend Tombow’s line of Dual Brush Pens. You can blend with water and even dip the brush tip in water to achieve light washes. It makes working with markers very much like painting with watercolor paint. The color is not permanent, but it is acid-free and will not yellow your paper. They ahve a great selection of colors and set which make it easy to get started.
If you are looking for a great, permanent alcohol-based marker, check out Copic’s line of markers. The colors are very permanent, but they blend beautifully with alcohol or a Copic blender pen. The colors of the Copic markers are intense and are used by many who create cards.
Both of these markers can be found at JournalingArts.com and in our eBay store, JournalingArts.
Cynthia
Hello! I found your site after snuffing about to see how well these pens worked. I’m thinking about purchasing them mostly for the reason that I want a fine liner in brown ink, and Staedtler’s fine liners seems to be getting a lot of positive reviews.
Would it be okay to use these for line arts for a watercolor painting? Or will my watercolors eventually wash the ink and make them runny? Even in the slightest?
Hi Hima,
Thank you for your question. The Fineliners are water-based, so they will spread if exposed to water-based paints. While the bleeding is not extreme, the color does wash out a bit, some of the colors more than others. You could use the markers on top of your painting if you want to keep the lines sharp, but I would not recommend using water-based paints on top of the marker.
If you are looking for a marker that won’t bleed with water-based paints, check out Copic’s Multiliner pens. They are pigment based, waterproof and acid-free and can accept water-based paints on top without any bleeding or color washing. Five colors are available in four nib sizes and the blakc is available in 9 nib sizes. You can take a look at them here: http://www.copicmarker.com/products/pens/multiliner
Ohh… so that’s what water-based means, apparently. Haha.. I guess I should have researched on that instead. I suppose I could put those fine liners on a lower priority for now, but I do want to try them out after having finished my watercolor painting. Thanks~!
The Copic Multiliner pens were actually a.. back up to my back up. Copic is quite hard to find here in the Philippines. Very few stores sell them, and I’m not really the type to order online (more because of the lack of means than personal preference). My alternative was Faber-Castell Pitt Artists’ Drawing Pens, because they might be easier to find here. They have a set of 4 with varying nibs in Sepia, although it’s really the Super Fine nib I’m after. Have you had any experience with these before..? Just thought I could get another opinion before charging into bookstores.
Hi Hima,
I haven’t used the Pitt pens personally. They use waterproof India ink, so they should work fine with watercolor paint once the ink has dried. There is a review on Squidoo that might interest you. Check it out and let me know what you think: http://www.squidoo.com/faber-castell-pitt-artist-pen-brush-review.
Thanks for the link! I don’t think I can go wrong using Pitt pens if I go by those reviews… it would just have to take a lot of practice.
The brush pens are a lot thinner than my Copic Markers actually (had to have those bought for me in the US by my cousins). And those reversible nibs would be such the help… I believe I’ve seen a pack of it here before, somewhere. Here’s hoping they haven’t ran out of stock yet ^^;
Good luck, I hope you are able to find some.
Cynthia
The pens are great, but as you said, its not for large area of work. The nib doesn’t survives. It flats out completely within 2 weeks of usage…
I just got a set of 20 Staedtler Triplus Fineliners as a gift & I am so excited, except that there appears to be no ink whatsoever in the brown marker of the set. The tip is completely white, not brown. It won’t write at all. That is disappointing… Has this happened to anyone else? The other colors seem to be OK. .
Hi,
Thank you for your comment. I have not experienced this with my Fineliners, but I did have one that sprang a leak. I would recommend contacting Staedtler to let them know and to see if they will replace the pen. They guarantee their pens and was able to get the pen replaced that had sprung a leak. You can read my post about this in my blog here: https://journalingarts.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/staedtler-replaced-my-defective-triplus-fineliner/. The Staedtler website is here: http://www.staedtler.com/en/
Let us know how it goes if you contact Staedtler!
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Hi, love your review. I, too, love using Triplus Fineliners for anatomy sketches, but I find that these pens often bleed through my notebook pages. Do you have any recommendations for notebooks that are compatible with these pens and have pages thick enough to prevent bleed-through?
Hi,
I used the Triplus Fineliners with a Moleskine Sketchbook with good results. There was no bleedthrough or showthrough primarily due to the paper being very heavy and coated. You will also get good results with a Moleskine Watercolor Notebook which also has a very heavy stock.
Leuchtturm and Rhodia Web notebooks can be used with minimal showthrough and no bleedthrough under normal writing/drawing conditions, however if you overwork an area with too much ink and pressure, the ink will eventually bleed through.
Thanks so much for your recommendations! I will give Moleskine and Leuchtturm a try!
You are quite welcome!
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