Best Gel Pens

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With gel pens, you can take your artistry level up a notch. Not only can you use different shades and hues to color in a detailed coloring book, but you also can draw fantastic illustrations on dark paper as well as make cards and crafts with phenomenal lettering. Gel pens glide smoothly across your page, leaving behind a beautiful inky trail. With gel pens, the creative possibilities are endless. When it comes to choosing the best type for various projects, here are our top picks. 

Staff pick

(Image credit: Tanmit Gel Pens)

Tanmit Gel Pens

36 mixed-media gel pens

This 36-pack of gel pens is great for anyone who is looking for various types of ink as well as an array of colors to choose from. These gel pens are vibrant, with multiple tones and shades. You can choose from metallic, glitter, neon, or pastel ink, depending on your project. With a large amount of ink to doodle, draw, create, and color, these gel pens are great.

Value pack

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Daskid 96 Color Artist Gel Pen Set

48 gel pens and a carrying case

This gel pen set has 48 different colors with varying types of ink: 24 glitter, 12 metallic, 6 neon, and 6 pastel. There are also 48 refills, one for each pen. These gel pens are great for scrapbooking, creating cards, journaling, doodling, and more. When you're finished, simply zip them up in their convenient and portable case for safekeeping.

Glitter pens

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Aen Art Glitter Gel Pens

Glitter without the mess

This gel pen set includes 12 neon glitter and 12 standard glitter colors, making them great for adding fine details to a project or creating a shimmery masterpiece. Made from non-toxic and acid-free ink, these pens glide across your paper. The ink releases smoothly and evenly as you move your pen across the page. Store these glitter pens inside of the included carrying case when you're not using them.

Milky pastel pens

(Image credit: Pentel)

Pentel Arts Milky Pop Pastel Gel Pens

Pastel gel pens for light and dark paper

Great for use on both dark and light-colored paper, the Pentel Arts milky pastel pens are ideal for creating delicate designs. With these pens, you can add a pop of light-toned color to your scrapbook, journal, or drawings. Use these pens when creating personalized cards for parties or weddings. They are also compatible with photopaper. These pens feature a latex-free grip.

Metallic pens

(Image credit: Arteza)

Arteza Metallic Gel Pens

The heavy metal of gel pens

Available in a colorful 14-pack, the Arteza pens are the heavy metal of gel pens. These gel pens feature a triangular design to make holding and controlling the barrel as easy as possible. This is great for designing as well as coloring and creating extremely detailed illustrations. Glide these acid-free and non-toxic pens across your page for a smooth stream of metallic-colored ink.

The bottom line

Incorporating gel pens into your art designs can elevate the look of your finished project. The Tanmit Gel Pens set includes an assortment of colors, including metallic, glitter, pastel, neon, and regular ink, to add fine details and slight pops of color to amplify your projects.

If you're looking for a mess-free way to use glitter and need a wide range of shades and tones, then the Aen Art Glitter Gel Pens is a great choice. This gel pen set features 12 neon glitter colored pens as well as 12 standard glitter colored pens that are great for doodling, coloring, and creating.

The Pentel Arts Milky Pop Pastel Gel Pens feature light, pastel pens that are perfect for use on dark, light, and photo paper. These gel pens are a great choice for anyone who is looking to create personalized greeting cards or for scrapbooking.