What Are The Best Pens To Use For Autographs?

The age old question – and one we get asked a lot. It is not something you think of until it comes time to get your item signed. It is always best to do some research and get some opinions, as with anything! 
In this post, I am going to list some of the most common pen options used for autographs as well as some of the most common items that are signed and a couple pen options for each one. 

Most common pen types used for autographs: 

Sharpies: For most everyone and most every item, when it comes to an autograph, a sharpie is the first thought. For decades, sharpies have been the go-to for signatures, and for good reason! 
Pros: They are cheap and they give a good, consistent signature most of the time. Sharpies come in every color you can think of and they dry instantly and aren’t messy. For the most part, you can’t go too wrong with a sharpie, especially in a pinch. 

Cons: Sharpies can fade quickly – especially when exposed to some natural sunlight. I can’t tell you how often I see faded sharpie signatures. Sharpies are also are not great for some items, and I will get to that later.

Paint Pens: Our personal favorite – most of the autographs in our personal collections are paint pen signatures. I will always choose a good paint pen over a sharpie for several reasons: 
Pros: Paint pens provide a much bolder signature and stand out on almost every surface. Paint pens also come in every color and you can use them in situations that you can’t use a sharpie. Need a navy blue helmet signed? Sure, you could try a silver sharpie, but you can use ANY color paint pen on that thing. 
Paint pens also don’t fade nearly as much as sharpies do, even when exposed to some natural light. They will almost always stay looking really thick and obvious. 

Cons: Paint pens can be messy and annoying to use. Paint pens can get runny or watery, which can ruin an item instantly. Paint pens also have to be prepped before a signing, so make sure yours is! Lastly, paint pens are more expensive than sharpies, but if you are wanting a great signature on something, I think they are worth it. 

Classic Ink / Ballpoint Pen: Ink pens have been around forever and there are tons of items on the market signed in ballpoint pen. Everyone has them, everyone uses them, and you know what you get with them. 
Pros: Ballpoint pens are super cheap and available everywhere. They do also come in every color, but black and blue are by far the most common obviously. 

Cons: Ballpoint pens can fade very easily, especially on an item displayed that gets some light on it. Ballpoint pens are not the best pen for almost every kind of item, except for one (which I am about to get to) 

Now to some of the most common items that are signed and what, in my opinion, are the best options to use for these items. 

Photos: Photos are probably the most common items that are signed.  They don’t take up a ton of space and are inexpensive. 

Best pen for photos: This may be a controversial take here, but I would get all of my photos signed in paint pen if I could help it. They will really pop on the item and will last way longer than a sharpie signature would. 

Secondary option: Sharpies are more commonly used on photos. You can’t go wrong and I would never blame anyone for getting a photo signed with a sharpie. 

Jerseys: In the sports world, of course jerseys are incredibly common to get signed. There are many variations of jerseys, and different materials of jerseys numbers, etc. So the recommended pen can and will vary. 

Best pen for jerseys: Paint pens 90% of the time are going to be the best pen for jerseys if the athlete has enough time to sit down and take their time on the item. Paint pens will provide a bigger and bolder signature no matter where the item is signed. The only time I would not recommend a paint pen to be used on a jersey is if the signature is going on a screen-printed type of material or number on the jersey. In that case, probably best to use a sharpie as the paint pen may not stick or dry very well. 

Secondary option: Sharpies are used on jerseys all the time and are really good if you are getting a quick signature on the jersey. They dry instantly and will hold well pretty much anywhere on that jersey. 

Footballs & Basketballs:  I am combining footballs and basketballs into the same category because the answer is pretty much the same for both. These can be some of the best items to get signed if you get the pen right. 

Best pen: Paint pens (especially silver paint pens) are the way to go on the more traditional basketballs and footballs. They will look very bold and will pop better than any sharpie. You can also use a black paint pen for the same effect, just won’t pop as much.

Secondary option: Sharpies will stick on a football or basketball, they just wont look quite as good. Note: If you are getting a white panel football or basketball signed, sharpies will be the best option by far! The material on those white panel balls is very slick and paint pens will not dry on these! 

Helmets: A nice signed helmet is just awesome. My personal favorite item to get signed is a helmet as they look cool and typically provide a good space and surface for an autograph. 

Best pen: You are probably seeing a trend here, but paint pens are by far the best option for a helmet, especially a full sized helmet. Most helmets nowadays are signed in a paint pen for good reason. The signature pops very well and will basically last forever. Most helmets have a couple good options for the color of the signature, allowing you to really make it yours. 

Secondary option: Again, there is a trend here, but sharpies are the secondary option for me on helmet. Most of the time, they really will turn out fine, but just don’t provide as much of a pop as paint pens. Most importantly, they are far more prone to fading. With mini helmets, there is a debate to be had that sharpies are better because they take up less space on the helmet and an athlete may need more finesse on his signature to fit it on a mini helmet. If that is the case, again, sharpies are a viable option for sure. 

Baseballs: Everyone has seen signed baseballs and most everyone has had one or knows someone who has had them. Baseballs are even popular signatures for non-baseball players to sign and baseballs have been getting signed since before anyone who is reading this was born. 

Best pen: There is a reason 99% of baseballs are signed in a ballpoint pen. They are by far the best pen to get a baseball signed with. Use a blue ballpoint pen. 

Secondary Option: There is none. Don’t use a sharpie. They don’t look good and will often discolor the ball and signature. Again, use a blue ballpoint pen. 

Cards: The last main item I am going to go in-depth on are cards. Like baseballs, sports cards have been getting signed since before anyone reading this was born. 

Best option: In this case, I have to say sharpies are the best item to sign a card in. They are just so versatile and work well with the small surface area and all the different kinds of crazy surfaces cards are printed with these days. 

Secondary option: I have seen my fair share of cards signed in paint pen and if you can use a thinner paint pen and make sure it dries, they can be great options. I could talk myself into suggesting paint pens as the better option here, but I will give it to sharpies this time. 

Baseball Bats: Baseball bats are underrated items to sign, I think. If you can get you a cool display or some basic wall mounts, a few signed bats in a collection can look awesome! 

Best option: There is no reason to not go with a paint pen on bats. Black bats, blonde bats, or wood colored bats, there is a paint pen color out there that would give you an excellent signature. 

Second option: Sharpies would only really work on blonde bats (or lighter wood colored bats) I would not recommend, but they can work. 

Other items I commonly see in the industry that I won’t go as in-depth on are: 

Funko Pops:

Best option: Paint pen, not even close. They look excellent. 

Secondary option: Sharpies technically can be used, but don’t if you can help it. 

Magazines:

Best option: Sharpies are just going to be the most consistent on a magazine due to the material. 

Secondary option: Paint pens could be used I guess, but I would just use a sharpie most of the time. 

Hockey Pucks:

Best option: Paint pens are great on pucks. Go with either silver or even a team color would look sick. 

Secondary option: Sharpies would work on pucks but only gold or silver. 

We hope this helps with finding the best pens for your items! Feel free to shoot us an email, give us a call, or send us a message on our website if you have any questions. We are always willing to help and all of our staff are fans and collectors as well!