We received these paint markers over the weekend and could not wait to use them. I opened each one, which are individually plastic wrapped, and got them ready by pushing the pen down on a hard surface. The paint flowed to the tips with ease and quickly, which is a HUGE plus. they painted extra fine and described and made for beautiful art on the rocks we painted. Another plus was that you could see inside so no guessing how much paint is left in the marker! Thank you for making a superior product!