Frixion Pens Evaluated

Frixion pens by Pilot have been showing up in quilt stores, usually priced well higher than the 6$ per three-pack you can get them for at Staples or Office Depot.  The way they work, they flow on like any ink ball pen, but when heat is applied (like from the friction of the eraser or from an iron) the ink magically disappears.  Sounds too good to be true.

It might be.

When you read the fine print, the manufacturer states that the ink will go transparent when the pen gets too hot, but temperatures below 14° F will revive the ink.  Aha!  So sticking whatever you wrote on in the freezer will revive the ink.  Yes, it does.

BUT, if the ink is ultimately washable there’s hope.  Well, it is and it isn’t washable.  I conducted a series of tests with a test quilt sandwich.  Here are the results.

The sandwich had plain white fabric on one side, a god-awful print on the other and some scrap cotton batting in the middle.  I sewed around the edges and then across two times to form three equal sized rectangles.  All the rectangles were marked with several colors of Frixion pens.  The left most square had nothing more done to it.  The middle was starched prior to marking it and the right most square had starch applied after marking.  Each rectangle was labeled with a Frixion pen as such.  I did the same on the print side, but used a Frixion highlighter so it would stand out more.  (Photo 1)

Photo 1: Prepared sandwich

I then ironed both sides of the quilt and the ink disappeared.  I then placed the swatch in the refrigerator along with a thermometer.  After a few hours at 38°F, the ink returned on both sides (Photo 2).  Thus, the temperature does not really have to be very cold for the ink to show up again.

Photo 2: After being in the fridge at 38 degrees F

Sticking it in the freezer at 8°F (Photo 3) makes the ink come back faster and darker.

Photo 3: after being in the freezer at 8 degrees F

I put the swatch in the dryer on high by itself for a long time.  The ink was gone from untreated rectangle, but still very visible on the other rectangles.  Dryer heat is not enough. (Photo 4)

Photo 4: after being in the dryer.

I washed it along with a load of regular wash.  When I pulled out the swatch, the ink appeared gone from the untreated and prestarched rectangles but was still very visible in the rectangle that had starch applied afterwards on the white side.  On the print side, all the markings were gone. I sent the swatch through the dryer with the rest of the clothes.  When I pulled out the swatch, all the marking was gone.

Then I stuck it in the freezer again.  The markings that had showed when I first pulled it out of the wash were back. (Photo 5) 

Photo 5: After washing, drying and recooled.

Conclusions: it’s a great pen that makes a fine line and flows nicely onto all but the darkest of fabrics.  Unfortunately it becomes visible in what I would call normal winter weather and needs to be ironed to make it disappear again.  It does wash out if you don’t apply starch after marking, but if you are creating an art quilt not intended to be washed you need to be certain it will never get cold. I would be really hesitant to use it on a quilt I was considering for a show. I have no idea if different fabrics and dyes might also interfere with its ability to be washed out. I also noticed that the orange color was more persistent than the black.  The other colors may also have different characteristics, as do the highlighters.

It’s a good idea that needs more work.  I think I will stick to using chalk.