A gel ink refill is between ballpoint ink and rollerball ink in terms of its properties. Wish I could show u how pathetic it is. Hi Juan, it's purely down to personal preferance. They come in white or black with chrome accents. Whether you’re looking for a pen for yourself or as a giveaway for customers, wondering what the difference is between ballpoint and rollerball is a common conundrum. Is this true for roller point pens too? In regards to a finding a broad nib that isn't too broad, you might want to try a Parker Sonnet fountain pen with a broad nib. Low viscosity or high? I am not aware of any rollerball pens which have a broad tip. It appears I may need to buy a ballpoint. Comes out slower so the ink cartridge lasts longer, Less pressure needed means less hand fatigue and quicker writing, Wider range of colors with water-soluble dyes. I want to write bolder and faster since my habdwriting is small and I don't write the complete alphabets which makes it difficult to understand. The medium nib is still pretty thick when compared to something like a 1.0 M PaperMate ballpoint. Rollerball inks can vary, but the core … I am left handed and tend to smudge ink. I'm vision impaired, and currently use a gel ink pen with 1.0 mm point. Ballpoint pens uses a thick oil-based ink, whilst rollerball pens use a water-based ink, more similar to the ink used in fountain pens. Karleen A. Now that the rollerball vs ballpoint pen question has been asked and answered, we wish you a day filled with smooth ink and a comfortable grip. The Alpha Soft Touch Pen with Stylus is one of our best-selling ballpoint pens, with hundreds of rave reviews from happy customers. I would avoid the 0.3 Needle and 0.5 Micro. In most cases they want it in blue. Roller ball or Ball point pen? The cheap Japanese fountain pens are very neat and tidy but, I find the feeds on the double broads to be a bit stingy unless your write slowly. I believe that gel pens are airplane safe. Hi, evry time i used to check weblog posts herre in thee, early hours in the morning, for the reason that. The one that makes your handwriting look so good that you admire it for an extra second or two, that glides across the page and makes note-taking or card or letter-writing a breeze. The Pilot Acroball ballpoint pens feature a hybrid ink that combines the best qualities of fast-drying liquid ink with a quick-drying ballpoint pen, giving you smudge and water-resistant, archive quality writing in the ease of a ballpoint pen well suited for left-handed writers. If you'd like to write faster we'd recommend either a rollerball pen, a gel ink ballpoint refill or a fountain pen, as these would have the smoothest ink flow. I live in Colorado at 4,560 feet but I have visit job sites sometimes 10,000 feet and higher. If not, then is a high quality ballpoint at 0.5 available. Overall, buying a pen is a personal choice based on smoothness, writing control, the feel of the pen, and other factors. The rollerball pen is a versatile writing instrument that combines the best attributes of both the fountain pen and the ballpoint pen. Final Thoughts on Rollerball vs Ballpoint Pens. It's very important to remember to cap your rollerball pen when not in use to avoid the refill from drying out. Retractable or twist? Thanks for your comment. It has an internal ink reservoir just like a fountain pen which helps regulate changes in pressure. There's very little difference in the feel though and the two systems are mechanically identical, so practically speaking they're more or less the same. Now that the rollerball vs ballpoint pen question has been asked and answered, we wish you a day filled with smooth ink and a comfortable grip. Hopefully, you now have a better idea of whether you’d prefer rollerball vs ballpoint pens, and which one to buy. Browse more promotional rollerball pens, hand-selected by us and suitable for your custom message! Are there any broad and bold rollerball pens? Therefore, it's not the type of ink pen you use, but rather the color of ink. Thank you for the comment. Water-based inks are thinner, or lower viscosity. The fluidity of ink translates to a rollerball pen generally having a finer writing line, which is good for people with smaller handwriting or for detailed drawings. Hi Kevin - they're very similar. Custom wine gifts…, newest promotional pens and National Pen coupons, Aurora Diamante Fountain Pen: World’s Most Expensive Pen, How to Choose the Custom Pen That’s Best for Your Business, Inexpensive Office Gift Ideas for the Holidays, Virtual Holiday Team Building Activities & Games, Employee Holiday Gift Ideas That Are On Their List. Considering we’re pen experts at National Pen Company and you’re busy, we’re at the ready with everything you need to know. That is the type of information that are supposed, to be shared around the internet. Ballpoint pens are very similar to rollerballs but there are several key differences. Look how nice that rollerball ink looks compared to the ballpoint! When it’s all about the ink and explanations are clear as mud, what’s a well-intentioned pen shopper to do? You can get gel refills for certain brands in either ballpoint or rollerball, so it's really going to be about what writing type your husband prefers and if you can get a gel refill to fit the pen. There are benefits to each and reasons why a rollerball or ballpoint pen may be preferable in certain situations. Ballpoint pens uses a thick oil-based ink, whilst rollerball pens use a water-based ink, more similar to the ink used in fountain pens. Agreed, I have 3 LAMY pens... 2 Safari's, and the most recent purchase, a Lamy Al-Star with a broad nib. From marketing tips to product recommendations, I’m here to help small businesses be their best. I also understand that with some pens the ball is not centered well, and they therefore scratch more and are less reliable. Rollerball ink has its own unique advantages: And there you have it! Picture 2: Note that the roller pen causes negligible bleed onto the back of the paper while the ballpoint pen causes no bleed. Possibly - however some left-handers have trained themselves to avoid smudging by writing above or below the line, so it really depends on the user. For a very heavy line with a fountain pen, the European nibs lay a fatter line that a similar Japanese pen too. Thank you =). If not is their line just like the thinnest of the ballpoint refills? I recently got a lamy broad min also but I find it too broad. A rollerball can write as smoothly as a fountain pen with all the conveniences of a ballpoint pen. ? This is a very interesting blog. Less pressure needs to be applied when writing. I've been looking at fountain pens online, but am concerned about leaks. As a ballpoint pen's oil-based ink is less prone to drying, it does not require a cap, so these generally use a twist mechanism or a click mechanism to expose the writing tip. We have quick and easy answers! If you want to get into the weeds with us, here’s the “why” behind the difference between rollerball and ballpoint ink. The paper which we’ve used is standard 80GSM computer printer paper. If this short and sweet summary has left you wanting more-more-more, well, you just may be a pen geek like us and you’ve come to the right place! See, despite all the convenience ballpoint pen offered, many loyal fountain pen users said that they missed the smooth flow of ink that was a feature of a fountain pen and the way this ink could be felt on a paper. Cross rollerball pens come with a gel ink refill and Parker also make a gel ink ballpoint refill. Is there a higher quality brand that is more reliably centered? Given our 50 years of business in the promotional industry, we’d be remiss (and daffy) if we didn’t segue into recommending some awesome logo pens in the ballpoint and rollerball realms. A rollerball pen may cause slight bleeding onto the back of the paper depending on the quality of the paper and the pressure at which one writes. is a ballpoint pen the same thing as a 'Biro' as called in Nigeria? Brand name or generic? Ballpoint Pens Vs Rollerball Pens. (But, you know, as an aside, and because we are in fact pen geeks and on the off chance you’re into that type of thing, here’s a way cool blog post about the inventor of the ballpoint pen.). We’re celebrating with the continued…, The holidays are magical, wonderful, and, let’s face it, expensive! they produce thicker or thinner lines. So now you know. We know that Lamy and Parker do them. Also don't try and compare line widths between writing types. Occasionally you can find a capless rollerball pen, like the Cross Edge or Lamy Tipo, where you have the best of both worlds. I don't think the problem is with ballpoint pens vs roller ball pens...it's the color. Terrific work! A rollerball pen is filled with liquid ink whereas gel ink is more viscous. This helps to reduce hand strain and keeps you comfortable for long missives or note-taking sessions. These two styles of ink act very differently to one another. We've highlighted the key difference below: 1.