Two Marker Products Co.

What Two Marker Products Co. does

Two Marker Products Co. (株式会社トゥーマーカープロダクツ) is a Japanese manufacturer and supplier of professional design and illustration markers, founded in its current corporate form in 1989 (with the originating Too Group tracing back to 1919 as Izumiya Art Materials Store in Shibuya, Tokyo). The company is a privately held subsidiary of Too Corporation, a diversified creative industries conglomerate, and operates with 101–250 employees from its headquarters in Meguro-ku, Tokyo. Its flagship offering is the Copic marker system — alcohol-based markers with replaceable ink reservoirs and nibs — including the Copic Sketch line (358+ colors, the current flagship launched in 1993), the entry-level Copic Ciao (1998), Copic Multiliners drawing pens (1994), the Copic Airbrush System (1995), and Copic Ink refill (reformulated 2020). In 2024 the company expanded into a new ink chemistry with Copic acrea, a water-based marker line, signaling product diversification beyond its alcohol-based heritage. The company also produces the Speedry Markers line under its own brand.

The business operates a vertically integrated go-to-market model. Domestically, it sells through nine directly managed Tools-branded retail stores across Tokyo (Ochanomizu, Shinjuku, Hachioji), Yokohama, Osaka, and Kyoto, and through wholesale arm G-Too Corporation. Internationally, distribution is handled via regional subsidiaries — Too Corporation Americas covering the United States and Canada, and Too (Shanghai) Corporation covering Asian markets — supplemented by a global sales network that places Copic products in over 70 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia. Marketing and customer engagement are supported by the Copic Collection smartphone app (released 2013) for digital color selection and management, and by the annual Copic Award illustration contest (launched 2017) which builds community around the brand. Customer segmentation is primarily horizontal: professional designers and illustrators form the core base (the original target since the 1987 Copic launch), while hobbyists, students, and educational users form a secondary segment reached via the lower-priced Copic Ciao line. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales and recurring consumable purchases (refill ink and replacement nibs); no public pricing is disclosed on company websites, and the company's paid-in capital is 16 million yen.

Name

Two Marker Products Co.

Legal name

株式会社トゥーマーカープロダクツ

Website

https://toomarker.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Two Marker Products Co. is a Japanese manufacturer of professional design markers, best known for the Copic alcohol-based marker system with 358+ colors, serving professional designers, illustrators, hobbyists, and students in over 70 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Markers & Drawing Supplies

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Art & Drafting Supplies Retail (CRALABAG)

Keywords

• Art markers
• Alcohol-based markers
• Drawing pens
• Marker refills
• Design supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Meguro

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Copic Markers and Art Supplies: Manufacturing and sale of Copic markers, refill inks, and art supply products through retail stores, wholesale distribution, and international sales networks. Products are sold in over 70 countries worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Too Marker Products Co. designs, manufactures, and distributes the Copic line of alcohol-based professional art markers, refill inks, drawing pens, and airbrush systems. The company's products are sold through directly managed Tools retail stores in Japan, wholesale distribution via G-Too Corp., and international subsidiaries across North America and Asia, reaching customers in over 70 countries worldwide.

Product overview

Too Marker Products Co. is a manufacturer and distributor of design/art marker products, operating as a group company of Too Corporation. The company's core product portfolio centers on the Copic marker line, including Copic (alcohol-based design markers sold in 70+ countries), Copic Sketch (flagship model with 358+ colors), Copic Ciao (entry model), Copic Multiliners (drawing pens), Copic Airbrush System, Copic Ink (refill ink), and Copic acrea (water-based markers launched 2024). The company also produces Speedry Markers and operates retail stores under the Tools brand. Supporting offerings include the Copic Collection smartphone app for color management. Products are manufactured in Japan and distributed globally through sales networks and directly managed stores.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Copic: Alcohol-based marker pens for professional designers and artists, with over 358 colors. Includes flagship Copic Sketch, entry-level Copic Ciao, Copic Multiliners drawing pens, and Copic Airbrushing System.
• Copic Collection

Products and services

• Copic Alcohol-based design markers originally developed for professional designers, sold in over 70 countries with 358+ colors available. For professional designers, illustrators, and creative professionals.
• Copic Sketch Flagship Copic marker model featuring 358+ colors. High-quality alcohol-based markers with replaceable ink and nibs, used by top creators globally. For professional designers, illustrators, and serious hobbyists.
• Copic Ciao Entry-level Copic marker model designed for beginners, students, and casual creative users. Provides access to the Copic color system at a more accessible price point.
• Copic Multiliners Drawing pens in the Copic product line for precise line work and technical illustration, designed to coordinate with Copic marker colors.
• Copic Airbrush System Airbrushing system compatible with Copic markers, used for achieving gradient effects and spray painting techniques in illustration and design work.
• Copic Ink Refill ink for Copic markers, reformulated in 2020 from the previous Copic Varios Ink. Enables users to refill used Copic markers to extend the product life and lower total cost of ownership.
• Copic acrea Water-based marker launched in 2024, offering an alternative to the alcohol-based Copic line with easier cleanup and different handling characteristics, expanding the Copic family to users who prefer water-based media.
• Speedry Markers Markers developed and produced by Too Marker Products for design and creative applications. Originated from the company's joint venture with U.S. Magic Marker Corporation established in 1968.
• Copic Collection Smartphone application released in 2013 for digital color selection and management, enabling users to browse and select Copic colors on mobile devices to plan their illustration work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Copic products sold in over 70 countries worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Faber-Castell: Global broad-line art-supply and writing-instrument incumbent (Pitt Artist Pens, Albrecht Dürer markers). Overlaps with Copic in professional pens, alcohol-based art markers, and the same design/illustration customer base, while also serving a much wider stationery, school, and coloring market.
• Crayola: Mass-market art-supply brand (owned by Hallmark) selling markers, colored pencils, and art kits globally. Comparable as the dominant consumer/hobbyist art-marker brand — analogous to the Copic Ciao entry-level segment in target buyer (children, students, hobbyists) and retail channel (mass-market and online).
• Winsor & Newton: Premium art-supply manufacturer (now owned by Colart) with markers such as the Winsor & Newton ProMarker range — direct alcohol-based marker competition with Copic in the illustration/design channel. Comparable on professional artist customer and premium pricing tier.
• Staedtler: German writing and art-instrument manufacturer (Lumocolor, Pigment Liner, triplus fineliners). Competes across professional drawing pens and marker-adjacent instruments, with global distribution into the same art-supply retail and education channels that carry Copic.
• Pilot Pen: Japanese writing-instrument incumbent with parallel Japanese heritage to Too Marker, marketing fineliners, brush pens, and markers worldwide. Adjacent category overlap with Copic Multiliners and brush pens, though Pilot is broader (gel pens, ballpoints) and less concentrated in alcohol-based illustration markers.

Direct peers

• Sakura Color Products: Japanese manufacturer of Pigma Micron fineliners and Koi Brush markers. Closely comparable to Copic across professional fineliner pens and refillable art markers — similar product mix of alcohol/water-based markers and professional-grade pens sold globally through art-supply channels.
• Prismacolor: U.S. brand (owned by Newell Brands) famous for Premier markers and colored pencils. Directly competes with Copic Sketch/Ciao in alcohol-based professional markers across the North American art-supply channel — overlapping customer base of illustrators and design professionals.
• Tombow: Japanese writing-instrument and art-marker maker (Mono, ABT Dual Brush Pens). Competes head-to-head with Copic in alcohol-based brush markers and is the most direct comparable — same geography, same channel overlap (art-supply retail, global distribution), same target users (illustrators, manga artists, hobbyists).
• Marvy Uchida: Japanese marker specialist (Marvy and Uchida lines) producing alcohol-based art markers, fabric markers, and paint pens. A direct niche competitor in the same alcohol-marker category, often co-listed on art-supply retailer shelves next to Copic.

Regional players

• Royal Talens: Dutch art-paint and marker manufacturer (Talens, Amsterdam, Ecoline). Sells professional liquid art products and markers primarily across Europe, comparable to Copic in alcohol/water-based art mediums for designers and illustrators, though with a regional distribution bias versus Copic's 70+ country footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/toomarker

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Two Marker Products Co.