Guide to Professional Colored Pencils and Lightfastness Ratings
An article provides detailed information about professional colored pencils, focusing on lightfastness ratings across major brands. Lightfastness refers to a pigment's resistance to fading under UV light over time, with top-rated colors lasting over 100 years. The author explains that rating systems vary by manufacturer, requiring careful consultation of brand-specific charts. Several premium pencil lines are highlighted, including Caran d'Ache Luminance from Switzerland, Holbein Artists' Colored Pencils, Derwent Lightfast from England, and Faber-Castell Polychromos from Germany. The piece also notes that some popular brands like Prismacolor Premier contain colors with poor lightfastness that can fade within years. The author has compiled visual charts from manufacturers to help artists make informed purchasing decisions, particularly when buying individual pencils rather than sets.
Key facts
- Lightfastness measures color resistance to UV-induced fading over time, with excellent ratings indicating 100+ year durability.
- Rating systems differ between brands; a one-star rating can indicate either top or bottom performance depending on the manufacturer.
- Caran d'Ache Luminance pencils from Switzerland are noted for superior lightfastness and soft lead, costing over $4 per pencil.
- Prismacolor Premier pencils include many colors with poor lightfastness that may fade within two years.
- The author has created simplified visual charts from manufacturer data to assist with selecting individual pencils based on lightfastness.
Entities
Locations
- Switzerland
- England
- Germany
- United States
- Japan
- UK