The new issue of corporate logo magazine arrived. There is a great article in it about pens. Here is a sampling from the article:
What is the difference between roller ball and ball point pens?
The modern marvel ball point pen only became common in the early 20th century. Still, traditionalists liked the look of water-based inks, so along came the rollerball pen. Here are some easy ways to note the difference:
• Rollerball and ball point pens use the same rolling ball mechanism, but ball point pens use viscous, oil-based ink, while rollerball pens are filled with water-based ink.
• Ink from a rollerball pen is thinner, slow to dry and more likely to bleed through the page and smear. Rollerball pens use more ink than ball point pens and therefore may run out of ink more quickly.
• The nib of a ball point pen is generally exposed with either a click top or twist barrel to draw it inside. Rollerball pens generally have a cap to prevent the water-based ink from drying out.
• Rollerball pens require less pressure to make their mark.
Now, I know why I always prefer a rollerball pen over a ball point pen. Rollerball pens have water based ink. No more oil.
