Prismacolor
Prismacolor designs and manufactures artist-quality colored pencils, markers, graphite pencils, and pastels under the Premier and Scholar lines, serving professional artists, students, and adult hobbyists through its own website and major retailers including Michaels, Dick Blick, Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1938
- HeadquartersOak Brook, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Prismacolor does
Prismacolor designs, manufactures, and supplies artist-quality colored pencils, markers, graphite pencils, and pastels under the Premier and Scholar sub-brands, with a portfolio that includes Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils, Premier Verithin, Water-Soluble and Col-Erase colored pencils, Premier Dual-Ended Art Markers (alcohol-based, up to 156 colors), Premier Illustration Markers, Turquoise and Ebony graphite pencils, and NuPastel hard pastels, complemented by accessories such as Magic Rub erasers, kneaded erasers, colorless blender pencils, and dedicated sharpeners. The core technical differentiators are materials-science-based rather than software-based: proprietary soft wax cores for blending and layering, ultra-hardened thin cores for precision work, water-soluble cores that activate with a brush for watercolor effects, alcohol-based dye ink for markers, and lightfast pigments across lines. The brand, a registered trademark of Berol Corporation owned by Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL), has been in operation since 1938 and is operated under Newell Office Brands.
Prismacolor serves four primary customer segments: professional artists requiring premium blending and pigmentation, beginning artists and students using the Scholar line with harder leads for breakage resistance, adult coloring enthusiasts, and mixed media artists. The company makes money through one-time unit-pricing physical product sales at price points ranging from approximately $12.80 for a 24-count colored pencil set to $159.99 for a 36-count premium set, with additional revenue from bundled art sets and the Technique platform that pairs digital lessons with physical kits.
Go-to-market is a hybrid direct-to-consumer and multi-channel retail strategy: the brand sells via its own e-commerce site (prismacolor.com) and distributes through nine major North American retailers — Michaels, Dick Blick Art Materials, Amazon, Walmart (with exclusive Technique kit assortments), Target, Hobby Lobby, Office Depot, and Staples — reaching professional, educational, hobby, and mass-market consumer segments. Marketing emphasizes content (the 'Get Inspired' blog, Technique digital lessons) and user-generated content on Instagram under #Prismacolor and #PrismacolorTechnique hashtags. Operational footprint is supported through localized customer service across nine countries including the US, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and New Zealand.
Prismacolor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Prismacolor
- Legal name
- Prismacolor (brand of Berol Corporation)
- Website
- https://prismacolor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1938
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Prismacolor designs and manufactures artist-quality colored pencils, markers, graphite pencils, and pastels under the Premier and Scholar lines, serving professional artists, students, and adult hobbyists through its own website and major retailers including Michaels, Dick Blick, Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Prismacolor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oak Brook
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Prismacolor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel
Revenue model
- Art Supplies Product Sales: Prismacolor generates revenue through the sale of physical art supplies including colored pencils, markers, graphite pencils, pastels, art sets, and accessories. Products are sold as one-time purchases across various price points ranging from individual pencils to comprehensive art sets. The company sells directly through its website and through third-party retail partners including Michaels, Dick Blick, Amazon, Walmart, Target, Hobby Lobby, Office Depot, and Staples.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premier Colored Pencils 12-count set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premier Colored Pencils 24-count set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premier Colored Pencils 36-count set |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels5 records
Prismacolor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Prismacolor designs, manufactures, and supplies artist-quality colored pencils, art markers, graphite pencils, and pastels under the Premier® and Scholar™ sub-brands. The Premier® line targets professional and serious hobbyist artists with wax-based soft core colored pencils, water-soluble pencils, dual-ended alcohol markers, and archival illustration markers, while the Scholar™ line provides entry-level alternatives for students and beginning artists. The brand also offers themed art sets, including the Technique™ kits that pair physical supplies with digital lessons accessible via QR codes.
Product overview
Prismacolor is a professional art supplies brand offering a comprehensive portfolio of artist-quality colored pencils, markers, graphite pencils, and pastels under the Premier® and Scholar™ sub-brands. The Premier® line targets professional and serious hobbyist artists with premium products like Soft Core Colored Pencils (wax-based for blending), Verithin® Colored Pencils (thin-cored for precision), Water-Soluble Colored Pencils (watercolor effect), and Col-Erase® Erasable Colored Pencils. The Scholar™ line provides entry-level alternatives for beginning artists. Marker offerings include Premier® Dual-Ended Art Markers (alcohol-based, up to 156 colors) and Premier® Illustration Markers (archival quality). The product range extends to graphite pencils (Turquoise® and Ebony), NuPastel® hard pastels, and comprehensive art sets. The Technique™ product line uniquely combines physical art supplies with digital lessons accessible via QR codes across three skill levels. The company, a trademark of Berol Corporation owned by Newell Brands, has been manufacturing pencils since 1938 and positions its products as artist-quality for both professionals and hobbyists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Premier®: Professional-grade art supplies including Soft Core Colored Pencils, Col-Erase® Colored Pencils, Verithin® Colored Pencils, Water-Soluble Colored Pencils, Art Markers, Graphite Pencils, NuPastel® Hard Pastels, and accessories.
- Scholar™
- Col-Erase®
- Verithin®
- NuPastel®
- Turquoise®
- Art Stix®
- Technique™
- Magic Rub®
- ArtGum®
Products and services
- Premier® Soft Core Colored Pencils Premium wax-based colored pencils with creamy, soft cores designed for blending, shading, and layering. Features richly saturated, lightfast pigments and robust leads that resist cracking. Available in sets up to 150+ colors. Targets professional and serious hobbyist artists.
- Premier® Verithin® Colored Pencils Thin-cored, ultra-hard colored pencils that sharpen to a precise point for razor-sharp details, intricate lines, refined edges, and lettering. Resists crumbling and cracking during use.
- Premier® Water-Soluble Colored Pencils Watercolor pencils with highly soluble cores that can be activated with a brush and water to create shimmering, translucent effects. Features lightfast pigments and can be used wet or dry.
- Premier® Col-Erase® Colored Pencils Erasable colored pencils with intensely rich pigments that lay down smoothly and erase easily. Features hardened, medium points that resist breakage. Designed for sketching and illustrating where corrections are needed.
- Scholar™ Colored Pencils Entry-level colored pencils designed for beginning artists and crafters. Features strong, smooth cores with vivid color laydown and reduced breakage, using a combination of soft and hard wax.
- Premier® Dual-Ended Art Markers Alcohol-based, non-toxic ink markers with dual-ended tips (fine and chisel) for precision details and full color coverage. Single ink source at both ends ensures color consistency. Available in sets up to 156 colors.
- Premier® Illustration Markers Archival quality, lightfast, non-toxic ink markers available in fine, chisel, and brush tips. Designed for detailing, lettering, borders, and texture creation in professional illustration work.
- Scholar™ Brush Markers Water-based brush markers for multimedia projects, designed for beginning artists and crafters.
- Premier® Turquoise® Graphite Pencils Professional graphite pencils featuring 20 distinct degrees of lead hardness from 9B (thickest black) to 9H (thinnest gray). Made with graphite, clay, and binders.
- Premier® Ebony Pencils Thick, dark graphite pencils designed for portrait work with easy blending capabilities.
- Premier® NuPastel® Color Sticks Semi-hard pastels with versatile rectangular shapes for creating lines. Can be sharpened for fine point details or dulled for fuller coverage. Soluble with water and solvents.
- Scholar™ Graphite Drawing Set Technical graphite pencil sets designed for developing artists to build artistry skills.
- Premier® Magic Rub® Eraser High-quality eraser for removing pencil marks cleanly.
- Premier® Kneaded Eraser Moldable eraser for lifting graphite and colored pencil, ideal for shading and highlighting techniques.
- Premier® Colorless Blender Pencil Colorless pencil for blending and smoothing colored pencil strokes without adding color.
- Premier® Pencil Sharpener Specially designed sharpener for Prismacolor Premier colored pencils including water-soluble sets.
- Technique™ Drawing Sets Art sets paired with digital lessons accessible via QR codes in three skill levels: Drawing & Shading (Level 1), Color & Style (Level 2), and Refinement & Mastery (Level 3). Includes themed kits for animals, nature, landscapes, and portraits.
- Premier® Mixed Media Set Comprehensive 79-piece art sets containing colored pencils, watercolor pencils, dual-ended markers, and a sharpener, combining Soft Core, Verithin, Watercolor, and Art Stix products.
- Premier® Hand Lettering Sets Marker sets designed for hand lettering projects, available in brush and beginner variants for creating personalized messages and designs.
- Scholar™ Manga Set Art set designed for manga-style illustration, combining soft core and verithin colored pencils suitable for anime-style artwork.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.9 out of 5 average rating on Premier Soft Core Colored Pencil Sets with over 1,600 reviews
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Prismacolor
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Prismacolor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Prismacolor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Prismacolor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Prismacolor social profiles
Digital presencePrismacolor compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Prismacolor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Prismacolor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Prismacolor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Prismacolor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Prismacolor
What does Prismacolor do?
Prismacolor designs, manufactures, and supplies artist-quality colored pencils, art markers, graphite pencils, and pastels under the Premier® and Scholar™ sub-brands. The Premier® line targets professional and serious hobbyist artists with wax-based soft core colored pencils, water-soluble pencils, dual-ended alcohol markers, and archival illustration markers, while the Scholar™ line provides entry-level alternatives for students and beginning artists. The brand also offers themed art sets, including the Technique™ kits that pair physical supplies with digital lessons accessible via QR codes.
Is Prismacolor a public or private company?
Prismacolor is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Prismacolor founded?
Prismacolor was founded in 1938. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Prismacolor based?
Prismacolor is headquartered in Oak Brook, United States, in the North America region.
How does Prismacolor make money?
One revenue line is on record: art Supplies Product Sales.
Does Prismacolor have an API?
No public API is recorded for Prismacolor.