Definitely test them. I don't which one it is, but one of the silver pens does not work well on photos. It doesn't smear. It just flakes away when it rubs against envelopes. I've gotten 2 like from different people. :/

Thats all I are able to say. You most absolutely have built this blog website into something special. You clearly know what you are working on, youve insured so many corners. thanks

Sending the pens that have paint you have to shake may be a little messy and sometimes considered a hazard to ship. I send silver Sharpie's with mine(a lot of darker photos that need a light color) and lately I've been printing on "satin" paper as it doesn't smear as easy as gloss. Learned the hard way. Good luck.

I should clarify one thing. The thicker paint pen that I have is a "Testors" brand pen. It is designated as a "Silver Enamel Paint Marker".

Traditionally, I've tried to obtain autographs through the mail on photos by requesting a sig in a blue or black sharpie. Now, I'm getting ready to take it up a notch and request a signature in silver and either supply a silver sharpie or a silver paint pen. My concern is that using a silver paint pen like a Deco will require the signer to put the item aside for a few minutes to allow the signature to dry as opposed to the silver sharpie which most likely will not require the same drying time. I want to try and minimize the smearing factor as much as possible and obviously do not have control over how the signer handles the picture.

I've heard that paint pens are better than silver sharpies. I just took my paint pen and drew a line on an index card. I then took my silver sharpie and drew the same line right next to it. To me, they look identical and so i'm inclined to send the sharpie for use on the photo.

Can anyone advise what my risks are on sending the sharpie and not the deco pen?

Thanks.