If you've watched many of my card making videos over the past couple of years, you've probably noticed something.
Almost every image I color reaches for the same markers…
OLO Markers!
No one asked me to switch. There wasn't a contract. There wasn't a sponsorship. I simply tried them…and never really looked back.
After using OLO alcohol markers exclusively for more than two years, I can honestly say they've changed the way I color stamped images. They're easier to organize, wonderfully smooth to blend, and designed in a way that simply makes sense.
If you're wondering whether OLO Markers are worth trying, let me show you why they've earned a permanent spot on my craft desk.
What Makes OLO Markers Different?
At first glance, OLO Markers may look like other alcohol markers. But let's science geek for a bit here…
Once you pick one up, though, you'll notice they're built differently.
Instead of a traditional marker, OLO uses an innovative free-flow ink system that keeps the ink moving consistently from end to end. The result is a wonderfully fluid feel with consistent ink flow while coloring.
Each OLO half-marker contains one color and about 2ml of usable ink, which means a complete double-ended marker holds nearly 4ml of ink total. That's roughly double what many traditional alcohol markers provide.
One of my favorite features is the unique OLO Connector Ring, you take two half-markers and join them with their connector rings. Whenever you add two markers into your cart, they automatically give you a connector ring, and so on, and so on…
Even better?
You can combine half-markers however you'd like.
Love a particular dark gray? Pair it with your favorite light gray.
Want your most-used colors together? Go for it.
It's a flexible system that lets you build markers around the way you create.
💡 Craft Table Takeaway: More ink, smarter design, and markers that work with you instead of against you.
The Little Connector Ring That Changes Everything
At first glance, it's just a tiny plastic ring.
In reality, it's one of the smartest ideas behind the entire OLO system.
The OLO Connector Ring allows you to join two half-markers together to create your own double-ended marker. Instead of being locked into color combinations someone else chose, you get to build combinations that make sense for the way you create.
Love one particular red and reach for it all the time? Pair it with another favorite.
Use certain greens together on nearly every floral card? Snap them together.
As your collection grows, you can rearrange your markers whenever you'd like. The Connector Ring makes the system incredibly flexible without making it complicated.
If you have both the brush and the chisel, you can choose to store those together on the same marker.
It may be a tiny piece of plastic, but it's one of those features that makes you wonder why every alcohol marker isn't designed this way.
🪄 Craft Table Takeaway: The Connector Ring lets you build markers around your favorite color combinations instead of settling for someone else's.
Customize Your Marker Collection
Most alcohol markers lock you into whatever colors the manufacturer decided belonged together.
OLO does the opposite.
Since you can combine half-markers using the connector rings, you can create your own color combinations based on your favorite color families.
As your collection grows, your markers can evolve with it.
Need different color ink cartridges later? Easy.
Want different colors together for a project? No problem.
That level of customization is something I didn't realize I'd appreciate until I started using it every day.
💡 Craft Table Takeaway: More ink, smarter design, and markers that work with you instead of against you.
The Color System Makes Sense
One thing I love is the thoughtfully organized OLO color system.
Whether you're shopping for reds, red greys, warm neutrals, or rich hues for flowers, it's easy to see where colors fit within the expanded OLO palette.
Because the colors are designed to work together, creating smoother transitions and better blending becomes much easier, even if you're newer to alcohol marker coloring.
Instead of fighting your markers, you're simply choosing colors from the same family and letting them do the work.
💡 Craft Table Takeaway: Choosing colors becomes less guesswork and more “Yep…those belong together.”
Brush Nibs, Chisel Nibs, and Greater Color Control
Most paper crafters tend to love brush markers, and I'm no exception.
The soft OLO brush nib gives me excellent control around tiny stamped images while still making it easy to color larger areas.
If you prefer a chisel nib, OLO offers those too, along with replacement nibs if yours eventually wears down.
One little detail I appreciate is the quick nib identification.
The marker bodies are designed to make life easier.
- Black marker bodies always hold brush nibs.
- Dark gray marker bodies always hold chisel nibs.
Whether you're grabbing brush nibs or chisel nibs, it's easy to know which end you're picking up without interrupting your coloring rhythm.
💡 Craft Table Takeaway: Whether you love tiny details or broad strokes, there's a nib ready for the job.
Better Blending with Less Effort
When people ask why I keep reaching for OLO Markers, this is usually my first answer.
The blending.
The alcohol marker technology, combined with the free-flow ink technology, creates incredibly easy blending.
Colors feather into each other naturally, making smoother transitions without having to work quite so hard.
That means less time trying to fix harsh lines and more time enjoying the creative process.
For card makers who color stamped images every week, that adds up quickly.
💡 Craft Table Takeaway: Less wrestling with your markers. More enjoying the magic of coloring.
Refill Only What Needs Replacing
One of the smartest things about OLO isn't simply that the markers are refillable. It's how they're refillable.
Most traditional alcohol markers treat the entire marker as one unit. When the ink runs out, you're often replacing more than you actually need.
OLO took a different approach.
When it's time for more ink, you simply swap out the cartridge and keep using the same cap and nib.
Because the replacement cartridge doesn't include another nib, you're not paying for a part you already own. It's an innovative design that helps keep refill costs lower while creating less waste.
That means when you purchase a replacement ink cartridge, you simply pull the cap off the replacement ink, pull out the nib from your empty marker with tweezers, no special tool needed, put the nib into the replacement ink, add your original cap back on top.
No second-guessing which version you need. No accidentally ordering the wrong marker. Just refill, reconnect, and get right back to coloring.
The empty barrel can be discarded or returned through OLO's recycling program, making the system both practical and environmentally thoughtful.
After more than two years of using OLO Markers almost daily, I appreciate knowing I can refresh my most-used colors without replacing markers that are still in great shape!
🪄 Craft Table Takeaway: You're replacing the ink, not rebuying the marker. It's a smarter system that saves money, reduces waste, and keeps your favorite nib exactly where you want it. Your wallet will thank you.
Your Marker Collection Grows With You
One of my favorite things about OLO is that it feels less like buying markers and more like building a coloring system that's designed to grow alongside you.
Need a fresh brush nib after years of coloring? You can replace just the nib.
Want to add one new color instead of purchasing an entire set? You can buy individual colors.
Need more of a favorite shade? Grab a replacement ink cartridge and keep creating.
As OLO continues introducing new colors and expanding the color palette, it's easy to add only the shades you need without replacing markers you already love.
The same flexibility extends to accessories like connector rings, brush handles, chisel nibs, replacement nibs, and the Colorless Solution (aka “the blending marker” – white marker body), allowing you to customize your collection over time.
Instead of starting over every time your needs change, your OLO collection simply evolves with you.
🪄 Craft Table Takeaway: OLO isn't just a set of markers. It's a thoughtfully designed coloring system that grows with your creativity, one color at a time.
Plenty of Colors…and They're Still Growing
The OLO color palette continues to grow with newest additions and new colors being released regularly.
Whether you're looking for complete key ranges, dark gray color options, skin tones, florals, or vibrant tropical shades, the choice of colors continues to expand.
It's exciting to watch because it means your collection can grow naturally over time instead of feeling like you have to buy everything all at once.
There are 256 colors at the time of this post, plus the colorless solution (Zero Marker).
💡 Craft Table Takeaway: Start with a few favorites today and build your dream collection over time.
Compact Storage is a Nice Bonus
Let's be honest.
Craft rooms don't magically get bigger.
Since OLO half-markers are more compact than many traditional markers, they take up way less storage space while still giving you all that usable ink.
That's a little win every paper crafter can appreciate.
💡 Craft Table Takeaway: Big color possibilities without taking over your entire craft room.
How I'd Build My First OLO Collection
One of the questions I hear most often is:
“Where do I even start?”
The good news is you don't need hundreds of markers to create beautiful cards.
If I were starting from scratch today, I'd build my collection around the colors I know I'll reach for all year long.
I'd begin with reds, choosing two to four shades that blend well together. Whether you prefer traditional reds or slightly pinker red-violets, you'll use them constantly for Christmas cards, Valentine's Day, florals, and cheerful accents.
Next, I'd add greens. Again, two to four shades is plenty to get started. Greens work beautifully for leaves, Christmas trees, spring flowers, wreaths, and so many everyday images.
After that, I'd pick up a few yellows. Sunshine, flowers, bees, stars, lemons…you'll be surprised how often yellow finds its way onto a card.
From there, let your crafting style guide you.
Love the beach? Build a collection of blues and aquas.
Crazy about florals? Add pinks, corals, and purples.
Can't resist coloring adorable critters? Grow your collection with warm browns and soft neutrals.
Be sure to add a Zero Marker and a K marker – you will want to make sure you have the colorless marker and a true black!
Before long, you'll have a collection that's perfectly tailored to the kinds of cards you love to make instead of a drawer full of colors you rarely use.
If you'd like a little head start, I partnered with OLO to create Meg's Summer Collection, a cheerful mix of bright, happy colors that I reach for again and again. I designed it to be a fun introduction to the OLO system while giving you colors you'll actually use on real projects.
🪄 Craft Table Takeaway: Start with the colors you'll use the most, then let your collection grow alongside your creativity. There's no rush to own every marker before you start making beautiful cards.
Where to Buy OLO Markers
Whenever you're ready to add OLO Markers to your craft room, I'd truly appreciate it if you'd shop through my affiliate link.
Sometimes OLO offers specials that are even better than my coupon code. If that's the case, absolutely take advantage of the better deal! Just be sure to start your shopping through my link. It doesn't cost you anything extra, and it helps support the tutorials, videos, and free inspiration I love creating for this community.
Ordering Tips
Because you can buy the brush marker and the chisel marker, and because you can also get replacement inks for each, ordering will look a bit different. And I want to help make sure you are ordering the right item.
The most common mistake is that people order the ink option (the refill) instead of the marker option. The best way to ensure you are ordering what you want, is going to be the price. The marker will have a higher price point than the ink option.
Let me show you how it looks if you are doing a search for a color. This is what it looks like from the drop down menu as you search:
So when buying the marker, you will choose either Brush for brush marker or Chisel for the chisel marker. When purchasing refills, you would chose the Brush Ink or the Brush Chisel. The difference for the replacement ink (refill) is only the barrel color, helping you know which nib you have in that marker.
You can also make it easy if you know you want only brush markers and shop those directly from here.
Thank you for supporting what I do. It truly means the world to me.
Have questions? Let me know! Simply leave a comment below.
XOXO,
Meg
P.S. We aren't going into the Fine Nib with OLO just yet. They are in pre-production at this time. So you can only pre-order in sets, you can't purchase individual colors at this time.
