I Wish I Knew This Before Buying Staedtler Colored Pencils (My $450 Mistake)

If you're debating between the Staedtler 24 and 48 colored pencil sets, grab the 48. Seriously.

I made the wrong call my first time, and it cost us about $450 in reprints. Let me explain before you make the same mistake.

I handle print procurement for a small design studio. In my first year (2017), I ordered 15 sets of the Staedtler 24 colored pencils for a client's promotional art kits. The client wanted consistent color across all kits—matching PMS 286 C (that corporate blue). The 24 set looked fine on the shelf, but when we ran a color chart test (using the official Staedtler 24 color chart), I found we were missing four critical hues that the 48 set includes. The result: we had to supplement with single pencils from another brand, which didn't match. Total redo cost: $450 plus a 1-week delay. I learned the hard way that the 48 set isn't just "more colors"—it's a coverage system that eliminates interpolation errors.

Here's the bottom line: The Staedtler 48 colored pencil set includes a full color chart (the official 'staedtler colored pencils 48 color chart') that shows every single hue with its paper-weight equivalent. The 24 set only covers about 60% of the CMYK gamut, per Pantone's color matching guidelines. If you're doing any kind of professional artwork or design work where color accuracy matters, the 48 set is a no-brainer.

Why the color chart matters more than you think

Industry standard color tolerance is Delta E < 2 for brand-critical colors. When you're mixing colors from a limited palette, the chance of hitting that tolerance drops fast. The Staedtler 48 set gives you enough intermediate hues so you're rarely mixing more than two pencils to get a match. With the 24 set, I was often blending three or four—and guess what? The Pantone Color Bridge guide warns that CMYK conversions are approximate. My blends looked slightly different on different paper stocks.

I once ordered 50 kits with hand-labeled color swatches based on the 24 set. Checked them myself, approved them, processed them. We caught the error when the client compared two kits side by side—the "same" blue was visibly different. $450 wasted, credibility damaged, lesson learned: always start with the 48 set if you're producing anything you'll duplicate.

What I mean is: the 48 set's color chart (which you can download as a PDF from Staedtler's site) includes actual printed samples on different paper weights. That's way more useful than looking at a screen. The 24 set's chart only shows colors on white bond. On textured paper? Totally different story.

The surprise nobody tells you

Never expected the 48 set to be more cost-effective in the long run. Turns out the per-pencil price is about the same, but the 48 set includes rare earth pigments (like the Mars Violet and Cerulean Blue) that cost double if bought individually. And the 48 set comes with a plastic organizer tray that actually prevents breakage—the 24 set's cardboard box gets crushed in shipping. (Should mention: we lost three pencils to broken tips in the 24 set's box during transit.)

Also, the 48 set includes a color mixing guide printed on the back of the chart. The 24 set? You get a basic color wheel. That guide saved me about 2 hours of trial-and-error per project. So glad I eventually switched—almost stuck with the 24 set to save $20 upfront, which would have meant more color inconsistencies and more client complaints.

When the 24 set might be fine

That said, the 24 set works fine for general education settings—kids' coloring, basic classroom demonstrations, sketching where color exactness isn't critical. I've supplied them to a local elementary school art program, and the teachers were happy. The color range is decent for non-professional use. But if you're buying for a design firm, architecture office, or any application where color matching matters (like matching brand colors on a poster), go with the 48. Dodged a bullet when I finally upgraded—one click away from ordering another 15 sets of the 24 for a new client. That would have been embarrassing.

Bottom line: the Staedtler 48 colored pencil set with its full color chart is the professional standard for a reason. The 24 set is a gateway drug—you'll outgrow it fast. Save yourself the headache and the $450.