Ballpoint pens are pens that use a metal or ceramic ball to put a thick ink on paper.
What distinguishes ballpoint pens:
Ballpoint pens have a number of advantages: They have a very long writing length and can be stored for a long time, even unused, without drying out. The writing also dries quickly on the paper and does not smudge.
Technically, ballpoint pens are related to rollerball pens and gel rollers. The barrels of all three types of pens are similar in design. The main difference lies in the inks used. In ballpoint pens, a rather viscous ink is applied to the paper through a ball (hence the name), which is usually made of ceramic or metal. When moving over the paper, the ball rolls and transports fresh ink from the shaft to the front again and again.
Due to their rather viscous ink, ballpoint pens are not known for writing particularly softly. The advantages lie more in properties such as a long writing length and little smudging. However, there are specially developed ballpoint pen refills, such as those of the STABILO pointball, which - for a ballpoint pen - produce a surprisingly soft writing feel.
