Sharpie vs Ballpoint Pen, Which is better?
 

I always thought a ball point pen fades and bleeds less (slower) than a Sharpie. I am in an internet argument on this topic.

What do you think?

I guess it depends on what a person likes. I would never get a ball signed in sharpie. However, many people like ball point sigs on cards believe it or not. I know of a person who only buys ball point signatures because he thinks they seem more vintage. I personally like the way a sharpie sig looks on a card.

I am not talking preference, I am talking longer lasting, less fading, etc.

I get most of my stuff in silver sharpie now, because I like it.

Silver Sharpie is a real nice look on big photos.

I think the answer to which would last longer sharpie vs. ballpoint pen depends on the storage after it has been signed. They should both last equally as long. I have both types in my collection and they both look great. Bottom line keep it out of sunlight.

It really depends on what you are getting signed.

Photos, cards, any paper item, bats, hats, etc. = Sharpie

Baseballs = Ballpoint Pen. I prefer the Bic, blue ink ballpoint that has the clear pen shaft.

Neither is lightfast. "Permanent" means not soluble in water. What you want is "archival" which means it can resist light fading for 100 years or more. If you are really interested in the long-term viability of an autograph and you can control the pen that the signer uses, the Sakura Pigma Micron line is archival.

http://www.sakuraofamerica.com/Pen-Archival

If you can get something signed in pencil, an art pencil conforming to ASTM lightfastness standards is best. The American Society for Testing and Material has developed standard ASTM D-6901 to determine the lightfast level of a color pencil. Luminance 6901 by Caran d’Ache offers a set of 76 colors with 61 colors classified in the best category (Lightfastness I) under standard ASTM D-6901.

A black ballpoint will fade to yellow very quickly, especially if the item is displayed under fluorescent lighting. I have a Nolan Ryan signed baseball in my office that was on display for a few years and that faded to yellow very fast. I can no longer display it. My uncle has a photo autographed by Groucho Marx in ballpoint where the ink is completely gone leaving only the impression of the writing.

I think it depends on a few variables.

First is the nature of the item. Balls almost always look better and cleaner with ball point pen. Rarely have I not seen a Sharpie bleed, at least a little, on a ball. Pictures and magazines can go either way. A uniform would most likely be better in sharpie, etc.

Second, is the background that the signature is going on. A ball point signature will be less bold on an item with a very dark background. Sharpie will stand out, and you have the flexibility of using a silver or gold sharpie to make it stand out even more.

Third is viewing issues. If your object is behind glass in a frame, ballpoint may be less viewable, because of the way the glass affects the light. If something is in a binder, viewed up close, that would matter less.

Fourth is the backside of the object. What I mean is that Sharpie will bleed through most more porous paper products. So, if you getting the inner page of a book signed, you have to be aware that the sig might bleed through a little. If there is another pic on the back you want signed, ball point might be better.

Fifth is storage. As noted by Anthony, sunlight will fade most anything. Otherwise, I think it's a toss up.

Lastly is the question of "longer lasting" There is no answer to this question. Ballpoints have been around since the late 1940's. Sharpie's came out in 1964. I think there are sigs of both types that have been around a long time. We certainly know fountain pen can last 100 yrs, when well take care of. I think the factors I listed above probably impact the answers to this question more so than the intrinsic nature of the technology.

I think best option is to collect what you like, not what will last longest.

Best,
Mark

As usual, Mark is spot-on...

I have seen signature balls from LSU's 2003 NC team that were signed in Sharpie, and the names are barely legible due to bleeding and fading.

Ballpoint Pen is much more desirable.