What is best pen for touch up pcb board?

[caspercody]

What is the best pen you have found to touch up your pcb boards after etching?

[Ripthorn]

A few coats with an ultra fine tip sharpie isn't bad, but if you want absolute best, get a silver trace pen.  Not cheap at about $20, though.

[gutsofgold]

industrial sharpies work alright. I have noticed however that if I do get any pitting or over-etching on my boards it is where I applied the marker. and believe me I usually apply a few dozen coats to intended areas and sometimes still get undesirable results.

[Cliff Schecht]

The best touch-up work can be done with an ultra-fine brush (or a single brush hair) and some fingernail polish. Sharpies do work but they allow the copper to get etched a bit. The fingernail polish doesn't let anything through. For example, I needed a groundplane on a board the other day and so I coated one entire side of a double-layer board in nail polish and did my touchups on the trace-side of the board. Worked without a hitch and it's easy to remove with any nail polish remover.

[Ripthorn]

The best touch-up work can be done with an ultra-fine brush (or a single brush hair) and some fingernail polish. Sharpies do work but they allow the copper to get etched a bit. The fingernail polish doesn't let anything through. For example, I needed a groundplane on a board the other day and so I coated one entire side of a double-layer board in nail polish and did my touchups on the trace-side of the board. Worked without a hitch and it's easy to remove with any nail polish remover.

That is genius.

[Mark Hammer]

What is the best pen you have found to touch up your pcb boards after etching?

Ladies and gents, please note the specific wording of the original post.  I think caspercody is asking about conductive pens and not simply things that will resist etchant.

There are probably many things available.  One suggestion is to use the leads you clip off passive components as a substitute/supplement for traces that may have gaps in them.  I can also suggest use of the conductive paint you can find in auto-parts shops for repairing window defrosters/defoggers.  Like nail polish, it comes with a little applicator brush.

[caspercody]

Thanks everyone! Guess I should have asked before and after etching. It is nice to hear everyones ideas about how they get their boards looking good from etching. I do have to try the fingernail polish, since it is free (that is as long as the wife doesn't find out), now which color would complement the pedal I am making???