--- title: "Copic Ciao: 180 Colors, Round Body & Refills Explained" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/copic-ciao/" description: "Copic Ciao alcohol marker explained: the Sketch's two nibs in a round 12 × 12 × 150 mm body, 180 colors, 1.4 ml refills, Japanese price and US price band." category: "Pens" type: "Marker" published: 2026-10-23 updated: 2026-10-23 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 8 products: - name: "Copic Ciao marker" brand: "Copic" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Round plastic barrel with child-safe caps, Super Brush and Medium Broad nibs, alcohol-based dye ink (Copic)" released: "1998" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Too Marker Products Inc. (Tokyo); sold in the US by Too Corporation Americas" model: "Copic Ciao" url: "https://copic.jp/product/ciao/" --- # Copic Ciao: 180 Colors, Round Body & Refills Explained > The Copic Ciao is Copic's entry-level alcohol marker: a round 12 × 12 × 150 mm body with the same Super Brush and Medium Broad nibs as the Copic Sketch. Copic Japan sells it in 180 of its 358 colors at ¥330 (about US$2.10), and each refill takes about 1.4 ml of Copic Ink. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/copic-ciao/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-23 - Updated: 2026-10-23 ![Capped Copic Ciao marker drawn to scale at 150 mm, with a close-up of its Super Brush and Medium Broad nibs](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/copic-ciao-16x9.png) *The Copic Ciao, 150 mm capped (drawn at 1 mm = 5 px); the red is a representative ink tint.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Copic Ciao marker | Copic (by Too Marker Products Inc. (Tokyo); sold in the US by Too Corporation Americas) | Japan | Japan | Round plastic barrel with child-safe caps, Super Brush and Medium Broad nibs, alcohol-based dye ink (Copic) | 1998 | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Copic Ciao marker): Japan. Copic's Japanese and English Ciao pages don't state a country of manufacture. The Amazon US listings for the 6-color and 72-color Ciao sets (read October 23, 2026) say the markers are made in Japan; check the pack. Source: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BHLRLTE ## Key takeaways - Copic Japan lists the Ciao body at 12 × 12 × 150 mm (5.9 in long), round, with child-safe caps. - It comes in 180 colors, about half of the 358 Copic colors; it launched in 1998 with 72. - A refill takes about 1.4 ml of Copic Ink, and one bottle refills a Ciao about 9 times, per Copic Japan. - Copic Japan prices it at ¥330 (about US$2.10) against ¥495 (about US$3.10) for the Sketch; in the US a single Ciao sits in our $ band (under $5). - Copic changed the Ciao's barrel, cap design and body color in 2023 but says the ink, nibs and color codes did not change. ## What is the Copic Ciao? **It's Copic's entry-level alcohol marker: a round, double-ended marker with the same two nibs as the Copic Sketch, sold in fewer colors with less ink.** Copic Japan says it cut the ink volume and narrowed the range to 180 colors to make the Ciao easier to buy. Copic is a brand of Too Marker Products in Tokyo. Its history page says the Ciao went on sale in 1998 as the entry model of the [Copic Sketch](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/copic-sketch/), at first in 72 colors picked for beginners. On Amazon US, the 6-color Ciao sets share 6,390 ratings, which makes the Ciao one of the most reviewed Copic products we checked on October 23, 2026. ## Copic Ciao specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Too Marker Products Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) | | Nibs | Super Brush + Medium Broad (chisel), as on the Sketch | | Ink | Alcohol-based dye ink | | Colors | 180 (of 358 Copic colors) | | Body | 12 × 12 × 150 mm (0.5 × 0.5 × 5.9 in), round | | Caps | Safety caps against swallowing (Copic) | | Refill | About 1.4 ml of Copic Ink; about 9 refills per bottle | | Price in Japan | ¥330 (about US$2.10) with tax | | Launched | 1998, with 72 colors | | Price band (US) | $ (under $5 per marker) | | Made in | Japan (Amazon listings) | Every figure except the origin comes from Copic Japan's product and history pages. Copic doesn't publish a weight for the Ciao. ![Copic Ciao and Copic Sketch cross-sections and lengths to scale: Ciao round 12 × 12 mm, Sketch oval 11 × 16 mm, both 150 mm long, with 1.4 and 1.8 ml of ink per refill](https://stationerytimes.com/images/copic-ciao-vs-sketch.svg) *The Ciao's round 12 mm barrel against the Sketch's 11 × 16 mm oval, both 150 mm long, from Copic Japan's specs.* ## How is the Ciao different from the Copic Sketch? **It has the same nibs and ink but a round body, 180 instead of 358 colors and less ink per fill.** | | Copic Ciao | Copic Sketch | |---|---|---| | Body | Round, 12 × 12 × 150 mm | Oval, 11 × 16 × 150 mm | | Colors | 180 | 358 | | Ink per refill | About 1.4 ml | About 1.8 ml | | Refills per bottle | About 9 | About 7 | | Price in Japan | ¥330 (about US$2.10) | ¥495 (about US$3.10) | | Launched | 1998 | 1993 | Copic's FAQ says all its alcohol markers use ink of the same quality, so a Ciao and a Sketch of the same code should match. The round body rolls more easily than the Sketch's oval one, so keep it on a tray. ## How do the Ciao's two nibs work? **The Super Brush bends like a paintbrush for tapered strokes and blending, and the Medium Broad is a firm chisel for flat fills.** Copic says the Ciao's nibs are the same in shape and quality as the Sketch's. Both nibs can be replaced when they fray. Copic's Fine nib, sold separately, fits the Sketch only, because the Ciao's nib socket is a slightly different size. ## Can you refill a Copic Ciao? **Yes: Copic Japan says each refill takes about 1.4 ml of Copic Ink, about 9 refills per bottle.** The ink comes in all 358 colors, so every Ciao color can be refilled. Because the Ciao holds less ink than the Sketch, it needs refilling sooner. That is the main hidden cost of the lower price; a refill still costs much less than a new marker. ## What changed in the 2023 Ciao? **Copic announced in January 2023 that the Ciao's barrel shape, cap design, body color and some labeling would change.** It says the ink, nibs, colors, codes and sets stay the same. Old stock was sold first, so a new set may mix both versions for a while. Copic's English page says the color code is printed on the barrel and the caps are child-safe. ## Which paper should you use with Copic Ciao? **Use bleedproof marker paper such as the [Canson XL Marker pad](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/canson-xl-marker-pad/), or put a scrap sheet behind your page.** Alcohol ink soaks through ordinary paper. For stamped outlines under Copic color, stampers use an alcohol-safe ink pad such as [Memento Tuxedo Black](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/memento-tuxedo-black-ink-pad/). For pen line work that Copic says won't bleed under its markers, see the [Copic Multiliner](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/copic-multiliner/). ## Ciao or a cheaper alcohol marker? **Pick the Ciao for Copic nibs and refills, or the [Ohuhu Honolulu](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ohuhu-honolulu/) for the lowest price per color.** Our [best alcohol markers](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-alcohol-markers/) roundup compares the Ciao with the Sketch, Ohuhu, Prismacolor and Arteza. ## Where is the Copic Ciao made? **Copic's own pages don't say, but Amazon US listings for Ciao sets say made in Japan.** Copic is a Japanese brand based in Tokyo, and its English history says the first Copic markers were made in Japan. Check the pack if origin matters to you. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Copic Ciao worth it for beginners? Copic calls the Ciao its entry model: it has the same nibs and ink as the Sketch for about two thirds of the Japanese price, and it refills with the same Copic Ink. The trade-offs are 180 colors instead of 358 and less ink per fill. ### Can you refill Copic Ciao markers? Yes. Copic Japan says each refill takes about 1.4 ml of Copic Ink, enough for about 9 refills from one bottle. Copic Ink comes in all 358 colors, and both nibs can be replaced. ### How many colors does Copic Ciao come in? 180, according to Copic Japan, chosen from the 358 Copic colors. The Ciao launched in 1998 with 72 colors. ### Do Copic Sketch nibs fit the Ciao? The Ciao comes with the same Super Brush and Medium Broad nibs as the Sketch. Copic's FAQ says its separate Fine nib fits the Sketch only, because the Ciao's nib socket is a slightly different size. ### Why does my new Copic Ciao look different? Copic announced in January 2023 that the Ciao's barrel shape, cap design, body color and some labeling would change. It says the ink, nibs, color codes and sets stay the same, and old and new versions can be mixed in sets during the changeover. ### How long is a Copic Ciao marker? 150 mm (5.9 in) with both caps on, the same length as a Copic Sketch. Copic Japan gives the body as 12 × 12 × 150 mm, so it is round where the Sketch is oval. ### Is the Copic Ciao made in Japan? Copic's own pages don't say, but Amazon US listings for Ciao sets say the markers are made in Japan. Copic is a Japanese brand of Too Marker Products in Tokyo. ## Sources - [コピックチャオ (Copic Japan: Ciao, ¥330 with tax, alcohol dye ink, 180 colors, about 1.4 ml per refill and about 9 refills per Copic Ink bottle, 12 × 12 × 150 mm, round body, safety caps, 2023 spec change; read October 23, 2026)](https://copic.jp/product/ciao/) - [Copic Ciao (Copic English site: entry-level model, same nibs as Sketch, child-safe caps, color code on the barrel, 12 × 12 × 150 mm)](https://copic.jp/en/product/ciao/) - [コピックの歴史 (Copic Japan history: Ciao launched in 1998 as the Sketch's entry model with 72 colors)](https://copic.jp/about/history/) - [History (Copic English site: Launch of Copic Ciao, 1998, 72 colors selected for beginners)](https://copic.jp/en/about/history/) - [よくある質問: アルコールマーカー (Copic Japan FAQ: Sketch, Ciao and Classic compared; Fine nib fits the Sketch only)](https://copic.jp/support/marker/) - [Amazon US: Copic Ciao, 6 colors, Portrait set (model 22075666, GTIN 04511338062951, 6,390 ratings, made in Japan per the listing; read October 23, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BHLRLTE) - [Amazon US: Copic Ciao, 72 colors, Set B (model I72B, 2,036 ratings, made in Japan per the listing)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MRWHBQ) - [Blick: Copic Ciao Markers and Sets (180 colors, Super Brush and Medium Broad tips, refillable)](https://www.dickblick.com/products/copic-ciao-markers/)