The Secret Code: Copic Numbering system

 

The markers blend beautifully, but you need to be able to pick colors that work well together to get them to blend easily. That’s where the secret code comes in. the numbers and letters on the marker represent the tree classifications within the Copic color System.

It can be overwhelming when you first look at all the Copic colors and see the strange letter/number values. However, once you understand the system you will quickly be able to decipher what the color qualities of a marker are simply by reading the cap number. Please refer to the color wheel.

 

Color Letter

The  first thing you need to know about with this secret code is the letter.  What is the letter? It stands for the color family in which it belongs.  The following are the different letters and their family names.

• E = Earth
• C = Cool Gray
• B = Blue
• BG = Blue Green
• BV = Blue Violet
• R = Red
• RV = Red-Violet
• YR = Yellow-Red
• Y = Yellow
• YG = Yellow Green
• G = Green
• V = Violet
• W = Warm Gray
• N = Neural Gray
• T = Toner Gray

 

 Color Saturation or Intensity Number

The first number is the intermediate classification number. It is also the color saturation or how much grey is in the color.

• Lower numbers indicate colors that are more pure and vibrant, with no grey.
• Saturated  colors are on the outside of the wheel, for example, the color B05, the  0 shows that it is the purest and most vibrant color. These tend to be  colors in 0’s, 10’s, or 20’s.
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• Higher numbers indicate colors that are less saturated and toned-down with more grey added to them.
• As you move closer to the middle of the wheel the colors become de-saturated and closer to grey or dull in color if you will.

You can think of it how white moves to black.  The number 0 would represent white and 9 would represent black.

 

 Color Brightness Number

Specific Classification, the second number, this is the color shade.

The lower numbers indicate lighter shades, and higher numbers indicate darker shades.

For example, if you use B02 but want a darker blue you would use a B05 or higher.

This  also goes if you want to use different color saturation numbers such as  B05 and B14. While the B14 will have a bit more of a grey or dull tone  to it because of the first number (the saturation number) the B05 is  still going to be the darker shade. The second number will always  indicate which marker is going to be darker. Just as R29 is going to be  darker than R46.

If  you are using different families together this second number like BG13  and B05 the B05 is still going to be darker, because of that second  number.

 

Colors that don't follow the rules

Not all color groups follow the rules, so it is a good idea to test colors and look carefully at a color chart to identify any colors that you don’t feel follow the rules. While I am coloring I will normally have a scrap piece of my favorite paper that I color with in case I need to test colors next to each other.

Some of the colors you will see that do not follow the rules are for instance R00’s are more orangey-red and you get true real bright reds in the R20’s.

Y20’s turn brown and Y30’s turn orange because you add other tones to yellow it quickly turns brown or orange.

The E’s have a very mixed spectrum since you can get brown from so many different combinations. Yet, in each of these exceptions, there is still order if we look at the color families, row by row.

 

 Applying the number system to your work

Think about the images you will be coloring before you pick your colors.

If you will be coloring more earthy or muted images, like forests or antique pictures, you may want to choose colors that are less saturated. This would include colors in the 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s, like BG93 or G99.

If you are coloring bright things like children’s toys or spring flowers, you might want to pick colors that are in the 0’s, 10’s or 20’s, like Y08, RV04, or G14.