How to choose pencils, pens, and markers? Buyer's guide
The ballpoint pen is an indispensable office tool. Luckily, there is a large assortment for all uses and hands! Fountain pens, ballpoint pens, roller pens, felt-tip pens, but also markers, highlighters, propelling pencils, standard pencils... You need to be able to write comfortably with the selected pen. It needs to be adapted to your handwriting, to tilting, to the intensity of the pressure on it and to the quality of the used paper. Here, you will find some tips to pick out the most efficient pens.
Index
1 The fountain pens
2 The roller pens
3 The ballpoint pens
4 The erasable pens
5 The felt-tip pens
6 The highlighters
7 The markers
8 The standard and propelling pencils
1 - The fountain pens
Elegant and personal, the fountain pen assures a particularly accurate line with a variable thickness, depending on the pressure on the pen. As it is perfectly adapted to correspondence, the fountain pen is the obvious choice for manual editing.
Thanks to a fountain pen, you can write with erasable ink. There is a large choice of ink colors: blue, red, green, etc. The lifespan of a fountain pen is in general quite long, as it is equipped with an ink tank or with cartridges, so you can refill it when necessary. The point can be furthermore in iridium, a type of metal that resists against deterioration, caused by friction with the paper.
There exist different kinds of fountain pens:
straight fountain pens: easy to use, they are recommended for sporadic use and for left-handed people.
slanted fountain pens: in order to adapt the thickness of your lines. It is perfect for a more expressive writing style.
The roller pen assures a writing quality that is similar to the writing quality of a fountain pen, but it is a lot easier to use it thanks to the point with a rolling ball, that doesn’t get stuck to the paper. This pen delivers a perfect and fluent line, it offers a large writing comfort and it is, for this reason, perfect for people, who need to write often and fast.
The roller pen uses ink with gel or water-based ink. These ink types are less viscous than the ink of a classic ballpoint pen, and they assure a better saturation on the paper, and ultimately a better writing quality.
There exist three types of roller pens:
Roller pen with liquid ink
particularly suited for users, that write with a lot of pressure on the paper. It is also compatible with self-copy paper, for example carbon paper. Consult the roller pens with liquid ink
Gel roller pens
it is extremely practical that you can write with this pen in vivid colors on colored or dark paper. You can even use ink with a metallic effect or with glitters. These pens are especially recommended for the decoration of your greeting cards or invitations. Consult the gel roller pens
Roller pen with pigment ink
the pens with pigment ink guarantee colorproof and unalterable writing, which is waterproof and is especially recommended for official documents and cheques. Consult the roller pens with pigment ink
GOOD TO KNOW
If you prefer a large writing line, you should opt for a conical point.
For a fine writing line, we advise a needle point.
that will guarantee a higher accuracy.
3 - The ballpoint pens
The ballpoint pen is a true classic, this is a generally known fact. The ballpoint pen has an attractive price, a significant lifespan and a wide range of applications. Similar to the roller pens, the ballpoint pens have a point with a hard ball. Their ink is, however, more viscous and oily. The ink doesn’t leak and it dries very fast. It is hard to erase it and it stands the test of time. Ballpoint pens are advised for writing on official or self-copy documents and for signing contracts.
Ballpoint pens are also suited for daily use, as they are very practical and they resist against shocks and deterioration. They are available in a large assortment, with several options and advantages: a hexagonal body, in order to avoid cramps, a grip for more comfort, a model in four colors, in order to save space, a slim body, adapted to small children’s hands, a retractable model, so you will not lose the cap, …
Are you hesitating between a ballpoint pen and a roller pen? Make your choice with the aid of this diagram…
Zoom on prestige pens
Waterman, Parker, Pilot, Cross… “Prestige” pens are made from high-quality materials. They reunite shape, functionality and design. They can be refilled and they exist in all the different categories (fountain pens, roller pens or ballpoint pens). Consult all the prestige pens
4 - The erasable pens
Whether it is a ballpoint pen or a roller pen, the erasable pens are appreciated for their utility. Thanks to the integrated end, you can write and correct as much as you want, without using an eraser or a correction roller.
The ink flows by capillarity and it impregnates the porous point. This point used to be in felt, which explains the name. Today, this point is often made from nylon or from synthetic fibers.
You can write in different ways with a felt-tip pen, and on a wide range of different surfaces. These pens are available in countless colors. As it is a good tool for making fast notes, this pen is used a lot by artists, drawers and architects.
A highlighter is a special kind of felt-tip pen with a wide point: the fluorescent ink will not hide the text on the paper. It is a perfect tool to put a word or a sentence in a text in the spotlight.
There exist two types of highlighters:
- with classic ink: they offer a steady line and a constant flow. The felt-tip is soaked in ink.
- with liquid ink: thanks to the ink regulator, the line is fluent, for an extra soft writing. The ink level is also visible, and they can be used until the last drop.
A marker is a felt-tip pen with wide lines. This pen is usually used for marking or identifying.
There are three types:
The erasable markers: ideal for writing on a whiteboard during a meeting, a presentation or a training. You can erase easily the ink by moving a dry or a moist cloth over it, or by using an eraser for whiteboards
The permanent markers (standard): they are used most often in the office for meetings with a paperboard. The water-based ink is odorless and doesn't penetrate the paper.
SLANTED POINT: for a more or less wide line, depending on the position of the point.
CONICAL POINT: for a fine line with a constant thickness.
GOOD TO KNOW!
Store your markers in a flat position (except for markers with liquid ink and paint markers), for a good spread of the ink.
8 - The standard and propelling pencils
Standard pencils and propelling pencils have a filling in graphite. In the case of classic pencils, this filling is fixed in a wooden body, while the propelling pencils have a plastic or metallic body for this filling.
Pencils are pleasant to use thanks to their hexagonal body. For even more comfort, one of the ends can be equipped with an eraser.
The choice of the pencil depends on the hardness of the filling:
H and 2H: hard filling, for strong writing and a light line.
HB: universal filling, adapted to every use
B and 2B: soft fillings, for soft writing and an ultra black line
The propelling pencils are divided into two types:
The disposable propelling pencils: they have an attractive price, but a shorter lifespan, as they can’t be refilled.
Tthe refillable propelling pencils: these are more economical and ecological in the long term, as they can be refilled. They are very practical: you can put several refills in them and they are equipped with an eraser
A large part of the writing products available at Bruneau are designed to have an as low as possible impact on the environment.
We offer several refillable options, in order to reduce the production of waste, but also in recycleable material, in order to save resources and without solvents, in order to reduce pollution.
