Write Off

Smooth writing without the skips, scrapes and smears, that's what you want when you write with a pen. Sounds easy but it's actually pretty hard to pull off. Of all the office supplies, pens are the most personal. Most people have a favorite brand be it Pentel or Sanford. Although,today's office supply buyers are more likely to go with the generic cheaply made Chinese product than a higher quality pen. Basically, you can pick an old standby, the ballpoint pen or go with the gel ink as found in a rollerball pen. Here's what you can expect: gel ink does not dissolve as does the oil based paste ink of a ballpoint. Therefore for archival purposes, old school ink might not be your best choice. Gel ink is composed of a pigment suspended in water-based gel. Gel ink allows for more vibrant color choices and will produce the brightest write out on dark surfaces other than a paint pen. Rollerballs require less pressure to write, but the likely hood for smudging increases as does the possibility of a leak. Ballpoints are cheaper and will write longer. Gel inks create a shine that can make a document look more professional. So what's the your best option? Who knows? Why not go with a hybrid ink? It dries fast (great for left handers) and produces the smoothest write out. Here's a popular product SAN33922. A great source for discount office supplies.