I used a black sharpie fine point for the easy to reach spots and a ultra fine point one for tight spots. Don't let the permanent marker bit fool you. A bit of alcohol on a soft towel removed the sharpie from the vfd with no problem. I initially colored in the right side of the vfd too, but decided that may cut off part of the screen for passengers, so I took it off. The only other thing I used was a lens blank box for a straightedge.