Pebeo Vitrea 160 Glass Paint Marker Review

I have done several personal and DIY crafts on ceramic and glass using sharpies. Recently, someone asked if they could buy one from me.

I didn't feel comfortable selling the items I made because, Sharpies, while awesome for DIY crafts, do wear off and fade. If I was going to sell my professional art/crafts, I would have to find a professional grade glass paint.

After some extensive research, I was convinced that the Pebeo Vitrea 160 line was the way to go. This is my review.

Personally, I found these paints to be extremely pricey. But, I ponied-up and bought a box of 9 Pebeo Vitrea 160 assorted glossy glass paint markers. (About $45 from Amazon including the cheapest shipping option.) It took less than a week to get delivery.

According to all their marketing, Pebeo Vitrea 160 is part of a new generation of thermo-hardening, transparent, non-toxic, water-based paints specifically designed for use on glass. It can be applied to glassware, vases, lamps, and even an entire window surface.

The entire line of paints includes both glossy and frosted colors as well as paint mediums (sold separately) for different effects such as crackled paint iridescent glass. (Pebeo also sells a line of Porcelaine 150 paint are not intermixable.)

The Vitrea 160 paint comes in 1.5 oz bottles, or a limited palette in marker style. I chose the markers since I wanted to use it the same way I did my Sharpies.

I did a test batch. Reading the instructions I shook the markers well, and pressed the tip until it filled with paint. Then a painted some designs on my glass disks using all of the colors in my box.

I waited the recommended 24 hours, and then placing them in a cold oven, baked them at 160 °C (325 °F) for 40 minutes, and left them there until cooled.

Since I would be using them to create glass runes which are meant to be handled and cast like dice, I needed to be sure that the paint would not chip off. This first batch was a disaster. The paint scratched of a the slightest touch of a fingernail.

I searched the internet for help, and came across a video promoting using the Pebeo Vitrea paints on glass where it was suggested to test my oven temperature accuracy with an oven thermometer.

I purchased one and tested my oven. Sure enough, even though my oven was set at 325 °F the actual temperature of my oven was 315 °F.

I painted another test batch, and waited the 24 hours. Then I adjusted the oven dial, increasing it 10° and backed a second test batch. Still the same ISSUE!

I did notice, though, that the thicker area's of paint were less likely to chip and scratch off. The problem is that the marker tip does not paint on very thick. It was only at the end of lines or in the middle of dots where some paint pooled.

So, my overall thoughts on these paints... The Pebeo Vitrea 160 Glass Paint markers are not worth the money I dished out. I won't buy them again. I may eventually purchase a 1.5 oz bottle or two and test out a batch painted using a brush. but until I can find a better alternative, I will stick with the oil-based Sharpies.