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65-409: Its product line includes ballpoint and gel pens, mechanical pencils and wooden pencils , erasers , and correction fluids . Early in 1941, Patrick J. Frawley acquired his first company, a ballpoint pen parts manufacturer that had defaulted on its loan. In 1949, The Frawley Pen Company developed an ink that dried instantly. The pen that delivered this ink was called "The Paper Mate". In 1955,

130-589: A gel pen to prevent smearing when writing. These pens are better suited for left-handed persons. Examples are the Zebra Surari, Uni-ball Jetstream and Pilot Acroball ranges. These pens are also labelled "extra smooth", as they offer a smoother writing experience compared to normal ballpoint pens. Ballpoint pens with erasable ink were pioneered by the Paper Mate pen company. The ink formulas of erasable ballpoints have properties similar to rubber cement , allowing

195-671: A British patent on 15 June 1938. In 1941, the Bíró brothers and a friend, Juan Jorge Meyne, fled Germany and moved to Argentina, where they formed "Bíró Pens of Argentina" and filed a new patent in 1943. Their pen was sold in Argentina as the "Birome", from the names Bíró and Meyne, which is how ballpoint pens are still known in that country. This new design was licensed by the British engineer Frederick George Miles and manufactured by his company Miles Aircraft , to be used by Royal Air Force aircrew as

260-453: A ballpoint tip include the freely rotating "ball" itself (distributing the ink on the writing surface), a "socket" holding the ball in place, small "ink channels" that provide ink to the ball through the socket, and a self-contained "ink reservoir" supplying ink to the ball. In modern disposable pens, narrow plastic tubes contain the ink, which is compelled downward to the ball by gravity. Brass, steel, or tungsten carbide are used to manufacture

325-488: A brush. Finely applied, the resulting imagery has been mistaken for airbrushed artwork and photography, causing reactions of disbelief which ballpoint artist Lennie Mace refers to as the "Wow Factor". Famous 20th-century artists including Andy Warhol , have utilized the ballpoint pen during their careers. Ballpoint pen artwork continues to attract interest in the 21st century, with many contemporary artists gaining recognition for their specific use of ballpoint pens as

390-445: A cap to cover the tip when the pen is not in use, or a mechanism for retracting the tip, which varies between manufacturers but is usually a spring- or screw-mechanism. Rollerball pens employ the same ballpoint mechanics, but with the use of water-based inks instead of oil-based inks. Compared to oil-based ballpoints, rollerball pens are said to provide more fluid ink-flow, but the water-based inks will blot if held stationary against

455-483: A capillary. The first recorded observation of capillary action was by Leonardo da Vinci . A former student of Galileo , Niccolò Aggiunti , was said to have investigated capillary action. In 1660, capillary action was still a novelty to the Irish chemist Robert Boyle , when he reported that "some inquisitive French Men" had observed that when a capillary tube was dipped into water, the water would ascend to "some height in

520-410: A common apparatus used to demonstrate the phenomenon is the capillary tube . When the lower end of a glass tube is placed in a liquid, such as water, a concave meniscus forms. Adhesion occurs between the fluid and the solid inner wall pulling the liquid column along until there is a sufficient mass of liquid for gravitational forces to overcome these intermolecular forces. The contact length (around

585-524: A convenient art supply. Some artists use them within mixed-media works, while others use them solely as their medium-of-choice. Effects not generally associated with ballpoint pens can be achieved. Traditional pen-and-ink techniques such as stippling and cross-hatching can be used to create half-tones or the illusion of form and volume. For artists whose interests necessitate precision line-work, ballpoints are an obvious attraction; ballpoint pens allow for sharp lines not as effectively executed using

650-405: A fibrous material (cotton cord or string works well). After saturating the cord with water, one (weighted) end is placed in a reservoir full of water, and the other end placed in a receiving vessel. The reservoir must be higher than the receiving vessel. A related but simplified capillary siphon only consists of two hook-shaped stainless-steel rods, whose surface is hydrophilic, allowing water to wet

715-453: A large amount of fluid. Some textile fabrics are said to use capillary action to "wick" sweat away from the skin. These are often referred to as wicking fabrics , after the capillary properties of candle and lamp wicks . Capillary action is observed in thin layer chromatography , in which a solvent moves vertically up a plate via capillary action. In this case the pores are gaps between very small particles. Capillary action draws ink to

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780-408: A liquid column is given by Jurin's law where γ {\displaystyle \scriptstyle \gamma } is the liquid-air surface tension (force/unit length), θ is the contact angle , ρ is the density of liquid (mass/volume), g is the local acceleration due to gravity (length/square of time ), and r is the radius of tube. As r is in the denominator, the thinner

845-516: A liquid's vapor pressure —a relation known as the Kelvin equation . German physicist Franz Ernst Neumann (1798–1895) subsequently determined the interaction between two immiscible liquids. Albert Einstein 's first paper, which was submitted to Annalen der Physik in 1900, was on capillarity. Capillary penetration in porous media shares its dynamic mechanism with flow in hollow tubes, as both processes are resisted by viscous forces. Consequently,

910-714: A medium. Korean-American artist Il Lee has been creating large-scale, abstract artwork since the late 1970s solely with ballpoint pens. Since the 1980s, Lennie Mace creates imaginative, ballpoint-only artwork of varying content and complexity, applied to unconventional surfaces including wood and denim. The artist coined terms such as "PENtings" and "Media Graffiti" to describe his varied output. British artist James Mylne has been creating photo-realistic artwork using mostly black ballpoints, sometimes with minimal mixed-media color. The ballpoint pen has several limitations as an art medium. Color availability and sensitivity of ink to light are among concerns of ballpoint pen artists. As

975-488: A regular ballpoint pen in space was confirmed by ESA astronaut Pedro Duque in 2003. Technology developed by Fisher pens in the United States resulted in the production of what came to be known as the "Fisher Space Pen ". Space Pens combine a more viscous ink with a pressurized ink reservoir that forces the ink toward the point. Unlike a standard ballpoint's ink container, the rear end of a Space Pen's pressurized reservoir

1040-431: A sealed streamlined cap, the modern pen cap has a small hole at the top to meet safety standards, helping to prevent suffocation if children suck it into the throat. Multi-pens are pens that feature multiple varying colored pen refills. Sometimes ballpoint refills are combined with another non-ballpoint refill, usually a mechanical pencil. Sometimes ballpoint pens combine a ballpoint tip on one end and touchscreen stylus on

1105-403: A small rotating steel ball held in place by a socket. Although it could be used to mark rough surfaces such as leather, as Loud intended, it proved too coarse for letter-writing. With no commercial viability, its potential went unexploited, and the patent eventually lapsed. The manufacture of economical, reliable ballpoint pens as are known today arose from experimentation, modern chemistry, and

1170-460: A tool that uses ink, marks made with a ballpoint pen can generally not be erased. Additionally, "blobbing" ink on the drawing surface and "skipping" ink-flow require consideration when drawing with a ballpoint pen. Although the mechanics of ballpoint pens remain relatively unchanged, ink composition has evolved to solve certain problems over the years, resulting in unpredictable sensitivity to light and some extent of fading. The common ballpoint pen

1235-625: A two-year shelf life, on average. A ballpoint tip that can write comfortably for a long period of time is not easy to produce, as it requires high-precision machinery and thin high-grade steel alloy plates. China, which as of 2017 produces about 80 percent of the world's ballpoint pens, relied on imported ballpoint tips and metal alloys before 2017. The International Organization for Standardization has published standards for ball point and roller ball pens: Capillary action Capillary action (sometimes called capillarity , capillary motion , capillary rise , capillary effect , or wicking )

1300-556: A year, Parker sold several million pens at prices between three and nine dollars. In the 1960s, the failing Eversharp Co. sold its pen division to Parker and ultimately folded. Marcel Bich also introduced a ballpoint pen to the American marketplace in the 1950s, licensed from Bíró and based on the Argentine designs. Bich shortened his name to Bic in 1953, forming the ballpoint brand Bic now recognized globally. Bic pens struggled until

1365-477: Is a product of mass production , with components produced separately on assembly lines. Basic steps in the manufacturing process include the production of ink formulas, molding of metal and plastic components, and assembly. Marcel Bich (leading to Société Bic ) was involved in developing the production of inexpensive ballpoint pens. Although designs and construction vary between brands, basic components of all ballpoint pens are universal. Standard components of

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1430-504: Is commonly used for red ink. The inks are resistant to water after drying but can be defaced by certain solvents which include acetone and various alcohols. Ballpoint pens are produced in both disposable and refillable models. Refills allow for the entire internal ink reservoir, including a ballpoint and socket, to be replaced. Such characteristics are usually associated with designer-type pens or those constructed of finer materials. The simplest types of ballpoint pens are disposable and have

1495-430: Is constant ( d · h  = constant), the two quantities are inversely proportional . The surface of the liquid between the planes is hyperbola . When a dry porous medium is brought into contact with a liquid, it will absorb the liquid at a rate which decreases over time. When considering evaporation, liquid penetration will reach a limit dependent on parameters of temperature, humidity and permeability. This process

1560-503: Is generally believed that gravity is needed to coat the ball with ink. In fact most ballpoint pens on the Earth do not work when writing upside-down because the Earth's gravity pulls the ink inside the pen away from the tip of the pen. However, in the microgravity environment of space a regular ballpoint pen can still work, pointed in any direction, because the capillary forces in the ink are stronger than gravitational forces. The functionality of

1625-447: Is known as evaporation limited capillary penetration and is widely observed in common situations including fluid absorption into paper and rising damp in concrete or masonry walls. For a bar shaped section of material with cross-sectional area A that is wetted on one end, the cumulative volume V of absorbed liquid after a time t is where S is the sorptivity of the medium, in units of m·s or mm·min . This time dependence relation

1690-562: Is reportedly the most widely sold pen in the world. It was the Bic company's first product and is still synonymous with the company name. The Bic Cristal is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City , acknowledged for its industrial design . Its hexagonal barrel mimics that of a wooden pencil and is transparent, showing the ink level in the reservoir. Originally

1755-405: Is responsible for moving groundwater from wet areas of the soil to dry areas. Differences in soil potential ( Ψ m {\displaystyle \Psi _{m}} ) drive capillary action in soil. A practical application of capillary action is the capillary action siphon. Instead of utilizing a hollow tube (as in most siphons), this device consists of a length of cord made of

1820-424: Is responsible for the phenomenon of rising damp in concrete and masonry , while in industry and diagnostic medicine this phenomenon is increasingly being harnessed in the field of paper-based microfluidics . In physiology, capillary action is essential for the drainage of continuously produced tear fluid from the eye. Two canaliculi of tiny diameter are present in the inner corner of the eyelid , also called

1885-438: Is sealed, eliminating evaporation and leakage, thus allowing the pen to write upside-down, in zero-gravity environments, and allegedly underwater. Astronauts have made use of these pens in outer space. The ballpoint pen has proven to be a versatile art medium for both professional artists and amateur doodlers . Low cost, availability, and portability are cited by practitioners as qualities which make this common writing tool

1950-472: Is seen in many plants, and plays a part in transpiration . Water is brought high up in trees by branching; evaporation at the leaves creating depressurization; probably by osmotic pressure added at the roots; and possibly at other locations inside the plant, especially when gathering humidity with air roots . Capillary action for uptake of water has been described in some small animals, such as Ligia exotica and Moloch horridus . The height h of

2015-402: Is similar to Washburn's equation for the wicking in capillaries and porous media. The quantity is called the cumulative liquid intake, with the dimension of length. The wetted length of the bar, that is the distance between the wetted end of the bar and the so-called wet front , is dependent on the fraction f of the volume occupied by voids. This number f is the porosity of the medium;

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2080-437: Is the process of a liquid flowing in a narrow space without the assistance of external forces like gravity . The effect can be seen in the drawing up of liquids between the hairs of a paint-brush, in a thin tube such as a straw , in porous materials such as paper and plaster, in some non-porous materials such as clay and liquefied carbon fiber , or in a biological cell . It occurs because of intermolecular forces between

2145-408: The lacrimal ducts ; their openings can be seen with the naked eye within the lacrymal sacs when the eyelids are everted. Wicking is the absorption of a liquid by a material in the manner of a candle wick. Paper towels absorb liquid through capillary action, allowing a fluid to be transferred from a surface to the towel. The small pores of a sponge act as small capillaries, causing it to absorb

2210-464: The "Biro". Ballpoint pens were found to be more versatile than fountain pens, especially in airplanes, where fountain pens were prone to leak. Bíró's patent, and other early patents on ballpoint pens, often used the term "ball-point fountain pen". Following World War II, many companies vied to commercially produce their own ballpoint pen design. In pre-war Argentina, success of the Birome ballpoint

2275-560: The Flair pen was released. The marker is a felt-tipped pen with quick–drying water–based ink. In 1979, Paper Mate introduced the Eraser Mate or Erasermate brand. In the 1980s, Paper Mate invented the Replay 2000 pen, with erasable ink and a rubber at one end. In 2010, Paper Mate introduced "environmentally friendly" biodegradable pens, pencils and erasers. In 2012, Paper Mate introduced

2340-599: The Frawley Pen Company was acquired by The Gillette Company, Inc. for $ 15.5 million, and formed the basis for the Paper Mate Division of Gillette. Twenty-five years later, in 1980, Gillette acquired Liquid Paper and Waterman ; with these acquisitions, the Paper Mate Division was changed to the Stationery Products Group. In 1984, a Paper Mate Sharpwriter was featured in the music video for "Turn Up

2405-611: The Pipe". Boyle then reported an experiment in which he dipped a capillary tube into red wine and then subjected the tube to a partial vacuum. He found that the vacuum had no observable influence on the height of the liquid in the capillary, so the behavior of liquids in capillary tubes was due to some phenomenon different from that which governed mercury barometers. Others soon followed Boyle's lead. Some (e.g., Honoré Fabri , Jacob Bernoulli ) thought that liquids rose in capillaries because air could not enter capillaries as easily as liquids, so

2470-510: The Radio" by Autograph . In late 2000, Gillette's stationery products division was purchased by Newell Rubbermaid and merged with Newell Rubbermaid's Sanford Brands division. As an employee of Paper Mate, Norman Holtzman designed the double heart logo over 50 years ago, and it is still the Paper Mate identity in 2024. Paper Mate products are offered in a variety of colors and shapes. In 1966,

2535-577: The United Kingdom and Pierre-Simon Laplace of France. They derived the Young–Laplace equation of capillary action. By 1830, the German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss had determined the boundary conditions governing capillary action (i.e., the conditions at the liquid-solid interface). In 1871, the British physicist Sir William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin) determined the effect of the meniscus on

2600-459: The air pressure was lower inside capillaries. Others (e.g., Isaac Vossius , Giovanni Alfonso Borelli , Louis Carré , Francis Hauksbee , Josia Weitbrecht ) thought that the particles of liquid were attracted to each other and to the walls of the capillary. Although experimental studies continued during the 18th century, a successful quantitative treatment of capillary action was not attained until 1805 by two investigators: Thomas Young of

2665-421: The ball bearing-like points, then housed in a brass socket. The function of these components can be observed at a larger scale in the ball-applicator of roll-on antiperspirant. The ballpoint tip delivers the ink to the writing surface while acting as a "buffer" between the ink in the reservoir and the air outside, preventing the quick-drying ink from drying inside the reservoir. Modern ballpoints are said to have

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2730-458: The brand InkJoy . Ballpoint pen A ballpoint pen , also known as a biro ( British English ), ball pen ( Hong Kong , Indonesia , Pakistani , Indian and Philippine English ), or dot pen ( Nepali English and South Asian English ), is a pen that dispenses ink (usually in paste form) over a metal ball at its point, i.e., over a "ball point". The metals commonly used are steel , brass , or tungsten carbide . The design

2795-400: The company launched its "Writes First Time, Every Time!" advertising campaign in the 1960s. Competition during this era forced unit prices to drop considerably. Ballpoint pen ink is normally a paste containing around 25 to 40 percent dye. The dyes are suspended in a mixture of solvents and fatty acids. The most common of the solvents are benzyl alcohol or phenoxyethanol , which mix with

2860-403: The dyes and oils to create a smooth paste that dries quickly. This type of ink is also called "oil-based ink". The fatty acids help to lubricate the ball tip while writing. Hybrid inks also contain added lubricants in the ink to provide a smoother writing experience. The drying time of the ink varies depending upon the viscosity of the ink and the diameter of the ball. In general, the more viscous

2925-420: The edge) between the top of the liquid column and the tube is proportional to the radius of the tube, while the weight of the liquid column is proportional to the square of the tube's radius. So, a narrow tube will draw a liquid column along further than a wider tube will, given that the inner water molecules cohere sufficiently to the outer ones. In the built environment, evaporation limited capillary penetration

2990-514: The emerging ballpoint brands of the 1950s, bought the rights to distribute their own ballpoint pens in Canada. Facing concerns about ink-reliability, Paper Mate pioneered new ink formulas and advertised them as "banker-approved". In 1954, Parker Pens released " The Jotter "—the company's first ballpoint—boasting additional features and technological advances which also included the use of tungsten-carbide textured ball-bearings in their pens. In less than

3055-456: The height of the water column is Thus for a 2 m (6.6 ft) radius glass tube in lab conditions given above, the water would rise an unnoticeable 0.007 mm (0.00028 in). However, for a 2 cm (0.79 in) radius tube, the water would rise 0.7 mm (0.028 in), and for a 0.2 mm (0.0079 in) radius tube, the water would rise 70 mm (2.8 in). The product of layer thickness ( d ) and elevation height ( h )

3120-466: The ink to be literally rubbed clean from the writing surface before drying and eventually becoming permanent. Erasable ink is much thicker than standard ballpoint inks, requiring pressurized cartridges to facilitate inkflow—meaning they can also write upside-down. Though these pens are equipped with erasers, any eraser will suffice. Ballpoint tips are fitted with balls whose diameter can vary from 0.28 mm to 1.6 mm. The ball diameter does not correspond to

3185-434: The ink was placed in a thin tube whose end was blocked by a tiny ball, held so that it could not slip into the tube or fall out of the pen. The first patent for a ballpoint pen was issued on 30 October 1888 to John J. Loud , who was attempting to make a writing instrument that would be able to write "on rough surfaces—such as wood, coarse wrapping-paper, and other articles" which fountain pens could not. Loud's pen had

3250-582: The ink, the faster it will dry, but more writing pressure needs to be applied to dispense ink. But although they are less viscous, hybrid inks have a faster drying time compared to normal ballpoint inks. Also, a larger ball dispenses more ink and thus increases drying time. The dyes used in blue and black ballpoint pens are basic dyes based on triarylmethane and acid dyes derived from diazo compounds or phthalocyanine . Common dyes in blue (and black) ink are Prussian blue , Victoria blue, methyl violet , crystal violet , and phthalocyanine blue . The dye eosin

3315-456: The liquid and surrounding solid surfaces. If the diameter of the tube is sufficiently small, then the combination of surface tension (which is caused by cohesion within the liquid) and adhesive forces between the liquid and container wall act to propel the liquid. Capillary comes from the Latin word capillaris, meaning "of or resembling hair". The meaning stems from the tiny, hairlike diameter of

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3380-419: The narrow grooves between them. Due to capillary action and gravity, water will slowly transfer from the reservoir to the receiving vessel. This simple device can be used to water houseplants when nobody is home. This property is also made use of in the lubrication of steam locomotives : wicks of worsted wool are used to draw oil from reservoirs into delivery pipes leading to the bearings . Capillary action

3445-559: The other. Ballpoint pens are sometimes provided free by businesses, such as hotels and banks, printed with a company's name and logo. Ballpoints have also been produced to commemorate events, such as a pen commemorating the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy . These pens, known as "advertising pens," are the same as standard ballpoint pen models, but have become valued among collectors. Sometimes ballpoint pens are also produced as design objects. With cases made of metal or wood, they become individually styled utility objects. It

3510-425: The paper dry and smudge-free. He decided to create a pen using the same type of ink. Bíró enlisted the help of his brother György, a dentist with useful knowledge of chemistry, to develop viscous ink formulae for new ballpoint designs. Bíró's innovation successfully coupled viscous ink with a ball-and-socket mechanism that allowed controlled flow while preventing ink from drying inside the reservoir. Bíró filed for

3575-505: The paper. If the socket were too loose or the ink too thin, the pen would leak, or the ink would smear. Ink reservoirs pressurized by a piston, spring, capillary action , and gravity would all serve as solutions to ink-delivery and flow problems. László Bíró , a Hungarian newspaper editor (later a naturalized Argentine) frustrated by the amount of time that he wasted filling up fountain pens and cleaning up smudged pages, noticed that inks used in newspaper printing dried quickly, leaving

3640-577: The pen to the US market. Debuting at Gimbels department store in New York City on 29 October 1945, for US$ 12.50 each (1945 US dollar value, about $ 212 in 2023 dollars), "Reynolds Rocket" became the first commercially successful ballpoint pen. Reynolds went to great extremes to market the pen, with great success; Gimbel's sold many thousands of pens within one week. In Britain, the Miles - (Harry) Martin pen company

3705-412: The precision manufacturing capabilities of the early 20th century. Patents filed worldwide during early development are testaments to failed attempts at making the pens commercially viable and widely available. Early ballpoints did not deliver the ink evenly; overflow and clogging were among the obstacles faced by early inventors . If the ball socket were too tight or the ink too thick, it would not reach

3770-535: The same period, American entrepreneur Milton Reynolds came across a Birome ballpoint pen during a business trip to Buenos Aires , Argentina. Recognizing commercial potential, he purchased several ballpoint samples, returned to the United States, and founded the Reynolds International Pen Company . Reynolds bypassed the Birome patent with sufficient design alterations to obtain an American patent, beating Eversharp and other competitors to introduce

3835-424: The space in which the liquid can travel, the further up it goes. Likewise, lighter liquid and lower gravity increase the height of the column. For a water-filled glass tube in air at standard laboratory conditions, γ = 0.0728 N/m at 20   °C, ρ = 1000 kg/m , and g = 9.81 m/s . Because water spreads on clean glass, the effective equilibrium contact angle is approximately zero. For these values,

3900-416: The tips of fountain pen nibs from a reservoir or cartridge inside the pen. With some pairs of materials, such as mercury and glass, the intermolecular forces within the liquid exceed those between the solid and the liquid, so a convex meniscus forms and capillary action works in reverse. In hydrology , capillary action describes the attraction of water molecules to soil particles. Capillary action

3965-498: The width of the line produced by the pen. The line width depends on various factors like the type of ink and pressure applied. Some standard ball diameters are: 0.3 mm, 0.38 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm (fine), 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm (medium), 1.2 mm and 1.4 mm (broad). Pens with ball diameters as small as 0.18 mm have been made by Japanese companies, but are extremely rare. The inexpensive, disposable Bic Cristal (also simply "Bic pen" or "Biro")

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4030-435: The writing surface. Water-based inks also remain wet longer when freshly applied and are thus prone to "smearing"—posing problems to left-handed people (or right handed people writing right-to-left script)—and "running", should the writing surface become wet. Some ballpoint pens use a hybrid ink formulation whose viscosity is lower than that of standard ballpoint ink, but greater than rollerball ink. The ink dries faster than

4095-432: Was conceived and developed as a cleaner and more reliable alternative to dip pens and fountain pens , and it is now the world's most-used writing instrument ; millions are manufactured and sold daily. It has influenced art and graphic design and spawned an artwork genre . The concept of using a "ball point" within a writing instrument to apply ink to paper has existed since the late 19th century. In these inventions,

4160-504: Was limited, but in mid-1945, the Eversharp Co., a maker of mechanical pencils , teamed up with Eberhard Faber Co. to license the rights from Birome for sales in the United States. In 1946, a Spanish firm, Vila Sivill Hermanos, began to make a ballpoint, Regia Continua, and from 1953 to 1957 their factory also made Bic ballpoints, on contract with the French firm Société Bic . During

4225-503: Was producing the first commercially successful ballpoint pens there by the end of 1945. Neither Reynolds' nor Eversharp's ballpoint lived up to consumer expectations in America. Ballpoint pen sales peaked in 1946, and consumer interest subsequently plunged due to market saturation , going from luxury good to fungible consumable . By the early 1950s the ballpoint boom had subsided and Reynolds' company folded. Paper Mate pens, among

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