Etching Resist Pen

After a lot of searching and some trial and error, I finally found a good resist pen for electrolytic copper etching. I had been using a sharpie paint pen for etching when I was using ferric chloride, but for some reason it doesn't stand up to the electrolytic etching process long enough to get a good etch. So today I was in the craft store and I saw they had fine point DecoColor paint markers. I picked one up to give it a try and it worked great! It draws easily, dries fast and stands up well to the etching process. When you are done etching you can just scrub it off with a scrub pad, so you don't even have to use a solvent. One caveat is that it is the "stinky" kind of paint marker. The label says it contains xylene, so don't sniff it and keep it away from the kids. Some good ventilation couldn't hurt either. I should add that good old fashioned stop-out varnish applied with a nib pen is still the best etching resist I've found, but for some things you just need a marker. Happy etching!