If you are sketching, making wireframes or any hand drawn design you need good tools that yield consistent results. At UI Stencils we only use what we think are the best for the job. Check out our picks below!
Pencils for Sketching
The Staedtler Mars Lumograph (available in our drafting pack) and Zebra Pencil afford the user the ability to sketch quick and dirty. They have the primary advantage of being light, fast and cheap. Many artists swear by a simple wooden pencil like the Lumograph, however they have the disadvantage of constantly losing their fine point and always changing size and balance from sharpening. We like the Staedtler pencils because they feel great in the hand, wear evenly, erase easily and come from sustainably managed PEFC certified forests.
Pencils for Drafting
When committing to a fine drawing it's important to have the best tools possible. Mechanical pencils are appreciated for their innate qualities of consistent balance, form factor, and always holding a sharp point. These qualities aid the designer in creating detailed line drawings like wireframes and architectural drawings. Our personal favorite is the Rotring 600, with it's bombproof-like construction and German precision we were very impressed. Then we picked it up and wrote with it: #mindblown. It's balanced, fits well in the hand, and draws a very nice line indeed. Another more affordable option is the Wooden Mechanical Pencil - it feels great and draws just the same.
Pens for Sketching and Drafting
Pens are both good for starting and for finishing. A good felt tip pen can be great for starting a project because of it's permanence and imprecision - which aid the designer in sketching roughly. They are also great for boldly defining a call to action, annotating or outlining. We like the Pentel Sign Pens for their economy, durability, and the line quality. HiTec Pens go great with all our stencil product because the are so precise (0.4 mm).
Markers for Finishing and Shading
Nothing finishes a wireframe project like good shading. It makes your hierarchy pop - just like it should when your app is finished. It's a high value addition to your composition. Best of all it's quick and easy to do. The Copic Markers are especially nice because they are low odor, double sided, refillable, and reliable. For added value go with the Copic Sketch Series 6 pack.
Browse our Accessories