How to Revive a Dried-Out Pen or Marker: What Makers Say

A Copic Sketch marker, a Zebra Hi-Mackee marker, a Pilot G2 gel pen and a Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen lying side by side — Four pens that can dry out: two markers, a gel pen and a fountain pen. Drawn in proportion. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Copic Sketch markerCopic	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$5–20 per item
Zebra Hi-Mackee oil-based marker (MC12C), refillable Hi-Mackee Care (YYT5-12C)Zebra	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $under $5 per item
Pilot G2 Premium Retractable Gel Pen (0.38 / 0.5 / 0.7 / 1.0 mm)Pilot	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $under $5 per item
Pilot Metropolitan Fountain PenPilot	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per item

Notes on these facts

Copic Sketch marker: Made by Too Marker Products Inc. (Tokyo); sold in the US by Too Corporation Americas. Country of manufacture not stated: Copic's own pages don't state a country for the Sketch. Search snippets of Muziker and Faire listings for single Sketch markers say made in Japan, while Digitec lists Japan and Vietnam for a 6-marker set; we couldn't open the Muziker or Faire pages, so check the pack. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Copic Japan's history page: the Sketch went on sale in 1993 with 144 colors; the original Copic (now Copic Classic) launched in 1987.
Zebra Hi-Mackee oil-based marker (MC12C), refillable Hi-Mackee Care (YYT5-12C): Made by Zebra Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Country of manufacture not stated: Zebra's Japanese product page lists line width, ink, size, weight, part number and price but no country of manufacture, so check the label on your copy. Price: example listing.
Pilot G2 Premium Retractable Gel Pen (0.38 / 0.5 / 0.7 / 1.0 mm): Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: per US retailer spec sheets (Stop & Shop, OnTimeSupplies for item 31171). Some grocery listings for a 4-pack say "Japan, USA", so origin may vary by pack. Pilot's US site doesn't state it in the sources we found. Source. Price: example listing.
Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: per Milligram's listing (made in Japan). Pilot's Japanese catalog page for the Cocoon (read in full on October 20, 2026) doesn't state a country. eBay and Rokomari listings cited earlier blocked our access on that date, so we dropped them. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Pilot's Japanese site says the Cocoon, the Metropolitan's Japanese sibling, went on sale in 2012; Wikipedia gives 2012 for the Metropolitan. We found no Pilot page dating the Metropolitan itself.
How we test and disclose samples: How we test stationery.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.

Key takeaways

Mitsubishi Uni and Pilot both say there is no way to restore a ballpoint that has stopped writing; Uni adds that heating the tip with a flame or hot water rarely works on current pens.
Copic says its Sketch, Ciao and Classic markers can be refilled repeatedly with Copic Ink, about 1 ml at a time, and that their nibs are replaceable.
Pilot refills its twin markers with MN-35RF ink, about three dropper squeezes, then rests them flat for about 10 minutes.
Uni, Pilot and Copic all store markers horizontally; Uni says a pigment marker stored tip up can write lighter and tip down can clog.
Pilot says ballpoint ink goes off: use oil-based ink within about 3 years of manufacture and water-based gel ink within about 2.

Can you revive a dried-out pen or marker?

Sometimes, and it depends on the pen. Refillable markers and fountain pens can often be brought back; ballpoint and gel pens usually cannot.

Pen type	What the makers say	What to do
Refillable alcohol marker (Copic)	Refill with Copic Ink and replace worn nibs	Refill, then swap the nib if needed
Valve-type paint marker (Uni)	Ink only flows once the nib is pumped	Shake, then pump on scrap paper
Twin marker or highlighter (Pilot)	Takes Pilot’s own refill ink by dropper	Refill, then lay it flat for about 10 minutes
Ballpoint or gel pen (Uni, Pilot)	Both say a pen that has stopped writing cannot be restored	Fit a new refill
Fountain pen (Pilot)	Dried ink in the nib and feed is the usual cause	Wash with lukewarm water

How do you revive a dried-out marker?

Pump it, refill it or change the nib, then cap it and store it flat. Use the step your maker supports; none of the maker pages we read advises dipping a marker nib in water or a solvent.

Shake and pump a valve-type paint marker. Uni says to shake it with the cap on until you hear it rattle, then about 20 more times, then press the nib again and again on scrap paper, about twice a second, until ink appears. Holding the nib down does nothing.

Press and release, not hold. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Refill a refillable marker with its maker’s own ink. Copic says to match the exact ink color, remove the broad nib with tweezers, put the nozzle straight into the core and add about 1 ml at a time. Pilot’s Twin Marker takes MN-35RF ink, about three dropper squeezes, and Pilot warns that overfilling can splash ink when the cap comes off.

Maker ink, a little at a time. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Swap a worn or clogged nib. Copic says its nibs can be replaced and suggests changing them when they look worn or stained or write differently; for its acrea pen it sells spare nibs for a clogged one.

Pull the old nib, fit a spare. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Cap it until it clicks and lay it flat. Uni says to close the cap firmly because the ink can dry out. Uni, Pilot and Copic all store markers horizontally; Uni says a pigment marker stored tip up can write lighter, and tip down can clog.

Capped and flat. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

How do you handle a ballpoint or gel pen that has stopped writing?

Rule out the paper, the angle and the tip, then fit a new refill. Uni and Pilot both say a pen that has really stopped cannot be revived, so do not spend long on it. If the pen still writes but skips, blobs or leaks, see how to fix a ballpoint or gel pen that skips, blobs or leaks.

Test it on plain paper with the tip pointing down. Pilot says writing with the tip above horizontal, such as on a wall calendar, lets air in, and advises writing at about 60 degrees or steeper. Uni says the ball can slide without turning on glossy or coated paper, film, toner or pencil lines.

Tip down, on plain paper. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Look for a damaged tip. Pilot names a damaged tip and paper fibers or coating clogging it among the main causes. If the ball has dropped out, Pilot says the spring’s end shows like a wire in the tip.

A dented or empty tip will not recover. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Leave the flame and hot water alone. Uni says the old advice to heat the tip came from oil-based pens, where warming dried ink could sometimes soften it, and that it rarely works on current products. We would not try it.

Do not heat the tip. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.
Fit a fresh refill. Pilot says ballpoint ink changes with age: use up oil-based ink within about 3 years of manufacture and water-based gel ink within about 2. Our Pilot G2 guide lists that pen’s refills.

Swap the refill, keep the barrel. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

What about a dried-out fountain pen?

Wash the inside with lukewarm water, as Pilot says. Pilot says a fountain pen left unused for a long time often clogs where dried ink and debris sit in the nib and feed, and that if washing does not help, it should go to repair. Our Pilot Metropolitan guide covers one such pen. For the full soak and flush steps, see how to fix a fountain pen that won’t write and how to clean a fountain pen.

Where do the makers differ?

On whether a pen can be revived at all, and on how to refill. The marker makers sell a way back; the ballpoint makers do not.

Question	Uni	Pilot	Copic
Can a dead ballpoint be restored?	No; heating rarely works	No	Not covered
How do you refill a marker?	Pump a valve marker; replacement cores sold separately	Dropper with MN-35RF (Twin Marker) or SGRF-12SL (Spotliter)	Copic Ink, about 1 ml at a time; nibs replaceable
How do you store markers?	Horizontal; avoid heat such as a dashboard	Whiteboard markers horizontal; some paint markers never tip down	Horizontal, cool, out of sunlight

Our Copic Sketch and Zebra Hi-Mackee guides cover two refillable markers in detail.

Frequently asked questions

Can heat or hot water bring a ballpoint back?

Rarely. Mitsubishi Uni says the advice to warm a dead tip over a flame or in hot water grew from older oil-based pens, where softening dried ink sometimes worked, and that current products seldom recover. Pilot says a stopped ballpoint cannot be revived. We do not recommend heat.

Why does a pen stop writing when it still has ink?

Pilot lists four main causes: air swallowed at the tip, a damaged tip, paper fibers or coating clogging it, and ink that has changed with age. Uni adds that the ball can slide without turning on glossy or coated paper.

How much ink does a Copic marker take when you refill it?

Copic recommends around 1 ml, one mark on the bottle, each time. Its ink FAQ says the listed refill amount assumes a fully dried-out marker and is well below a new marker's volume to avoid overfilling, so top up with less for a small refresh.

Can you refill a Pilot twin marker or highlighter?

Yes. Pilot's refill page names MN-35RF ink for the Twin Marker, about three dropper squeezes, and SGRF-12SL for the Spotliter. It warns that overfilling can make ink splash when you take the cap off.

Why does a new whiteboard-marker cartridge not write?

Pilot says that if a long time has passed since the old ink ran out, the dry nib may not soak up the new ink. It asks you to replace the cartridge soon after the ink disappears, checked with the nib pointing up, and to close the cap until it clicks.

How long does ballpoint ink last?

Pilot suggests using up oil-based ballpoint ink within about 3 years of manufacture and water-based gel ink within about 2, because the ink changes with age. Heat and swings in temperature, such as a car dashboard, speed this up.

Should you dip a dry marker nib in water or solvent?

None of the maker pages we read advises it. Copic only says to wipe excess ink off an acrea nib with a damp cloth after use so it does not harden. Copic and Uni both warn that their inks are flammable, so we do not suggest solvents.

Sources (13)

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