Why are Copic markers gray?
The Copic marker was developed in the eighties to provide designers a marker whose ink would not damage or dissolve the toner of printed copies. Inspired by this the underlying rationale, the color picked for the design was intended to resemble the color of copy machines at the time. In addition, the more practical reason was that the rather light gray shade makes it easy to detect any stains which could potentially smudge or harm the artwork. This light gray which is now a signature color for Copic also acts as a 'neutral' canvas which allows the colored end caps to pop.