Six pens, three different inks, one colour family. If you have only ever used the standard Gelly Roll, this set is a fast way to find out which of Sakura's speciality lines you actually like, without buying three full sets to find out.

Perfect for

Dark paperJournalingCard makingGel pensLayering over colourGifts

The six colours

Approximate colour reference only. Screen calibration and paper colour both change how these read, and metallic and glitter inks in particular cannot be shown properly as a flat chip.

The thing worth understanding before you open it is that this is not six versions of the same pen. Sakura have put two pens from each of three different speciality lines in the box. Moonlight is the opaque line, built to cover. Metallic carries reflective particles. Stardust suspends fine glitter in a translucent colour. They behave differently on the page and that is the reason to buy a sampler rather than six of one.

All six are 10 Bold, so the ball is 1.0 mm across. That matters more than it sounds. A narrow ball cannot carry enough of a heavily loaded ink to cover in one pass, which is why thin metallic and opaque pens always look patchy. The bold point is what makes these lay down solid.

What you are actually getting

How to get the most out of a sampler

Work out which two you reach for first and buy those singly. That is what a sampler is for. Beyond that, the Moonlight and Metallic pairs are your dark paper pens, so save them for black, navy and kraft. The Stardust pair are happiest on light or matte stock where the glitter has something to catch against, and Sakura note the sparkle can lift over time, so keep them for decorative work rather than anything you want to last a lifetime.

Questions about the Gelly Roll Pink & Purple set