Chalkboards are a classic form of changeable signage, and the simple black and white look of chalkboard calligraphy is quite in fashion at the moment. But the drawback to chalkboards is frankly the fact that they use chalk, which smudges easily and can be accidentally or intentionally erased.

We recently discovered that smart retailers are using chalk ink pens to create more permanent lettering and designs on their signage. These pens (also called liquid chalk) are described as wet-wipe, which means that instead of using a dry eraser you must moisten the art with Windex to remove it.

As a side note, isn’t it clever that pen manufacturer Chalk Ink links directly to its Pinterest board from the ‘Photos’ heading on its web site? If you are looking for design ideas and clever use of chalk art, take a look at these.  There is also a short video on their web site that explains the many uses of these pens.

The advantage to using a chalk ink pen goes beyond its semi-permanence. The pens come in different tip widths and colors, and can write on any surface that is not porous — including store windows.  And as an added plus, one of our fellow shopkeepers recently mentioned that her store stocks pens as an add-on sale to the many “chalkboard” mugs, frames, signs and other gift items on the market today.

If you want to create a chalkboard look in your printed materials, you can download a number of chalk-like fonts for free, or at a low cost.  We recently superimposed white text in a chalkboard font over an image of a slate cheeseboard shaped like the state of Wisconsin, and the final result looked much better than if someone had tried to write the words in regular chalk.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder