Editing Ballpoint pen

{{Short description|Device dispensing ink over a metal ball at its point}}
{{Redirect|Ball pen|the 2012 Indian film|Ball Pen (film){{!}}''Ball Pen'' (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox product
| image        = Ballpoint-pen-parts.jpg
| caption      = A retractable ballpoint pen assemblage (Schneider K15)
| type         = [[Pen]]
| inventor     = [[John J. Loud]] (original)<br />[[László Bíró]] (modern)
| inception    = {{start date and age|1888}} (original)<br />{{start date and age|1938}} (modern)
| manufacturer = [[Bic (company)|Bic]] and others
}}
A '''ballpoint pen''', also known as a '''biro'''<ref name="About"/> ([[British English]]), '''ball pen''' ([[Hong Kong English|Hong Kong]], [[Indian English|Indian]], [[Indonesian English|Indonesian]], [[Pakistani English|Pakistani]],  and [[Philippine English]]), or '''dot pen'''<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Karn|first=Sajan Kumar|year=2012|title=On Nepalese English Discourse Granting Citizenship to English in Nepal via Corpus Building|url=https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/NELTA/article/view/6127|journal=Journal of NELTA|volume=16|issue=1–2|pages=30–41|doi=10.3126/nelta.v16i1-2.6127|issn=2091-0487|doi-access=free|access-date=2 August 2021|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802191255/https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/NELTA/article/view/6127|url-status=live}}</ref> ([[Nepali English]] and [[South Asian English]]), is a [[pen]] that dispenses [[ink]] (usually in paste form) over a [[Ball (bearing)|metal ball]] at its point, i.e., over a "ball point". The metals commonly used are [[steel]], [[brass]], or [[tungsten carbide]].<ref>{{cite web |title=How does a ballpoint pen work? |url=http://science.howstuffworks.com/question683.htm |work=Engineering |publisher=HowStuffWorks |year=1998–2007 |access-date=16 November 2007 |archive-date=25 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225032127/https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/question683.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The design was conceived and developed as a cleaner and more reliable alternative to [[dip pen]]s and [[fountain pen]]s, and it is now the world's most-used [[Writing implement|writing instrument]];<ref name="bpp encyc"/> millions are manufactured and sold daily.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> It has influenced art and [[graphic design]] and spawned [[ballpoint pen artwork|an artwork genre]].

==History==
[[File:Bic (28332699).jpeg|right|thumb|Magnified tip of a ballpoint pen]]
[[File:Close-up-of-the-tip-of-a-ballpoint-pen.gif|thumb|Movement of the ball in a ballpoint pen]]

===Origins===
{{multiple image
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| image1 = Bolígrafo birome II edit.jpg
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| image2 = Bolígrafo marca birome I.jpg
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| footer = At left, an authentic Birome made in Argentina by Bíró & Meyne. At right, Birome advertisement in Argentine magazine ''Leoplán'', 1945.
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The concept of using a "ball point" within a writing instrument to apply ink to paper has existed since the late 19th century. In these inventions, the ink was placed in a thin tube whose end was blocked by a tiny ball, held so that it could not slip into the tube or fall out of the pen.

The first [[patent]] for a ballpoint pen<ref>Collingridge, M. R. ''et al.'' (2007) "Ink Reservoir Writing Instruments 1905–20" ''Transactions of the Newcomen Society'' 77(1): pp.&nbsp;69–100, p. 69</ref><ref>[Japes P. Mannings, "Reservoir, Fountain, and Stylographic Pens"], ''Journal of the Society of Arts'', 27 October 1905, [https://books.google.com/books?id=_7pJAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1150 p. 1150]</ref> was issued on 30 October 1888 to [[John J. Loud]],<ref>Great Britain Patent No. 15630, 30 October 2008</ref> who was attempting to make a writing instrument that would be able to write "on rough surfaces—such as wood, coarse wrapping paper, and other articles"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US392046 |title=Patent US392046 – op weym – Google Patents |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=18 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518191334/http://www.google.com/patents/US392046 |url-status=live }}</ref> which [[fountain pen]]s could not. Loud's pen had a small rotating steel ball held in place by a socket. Although it could be used to mark rough surfaces such as leather, as Loud intended, it proved too coarse for letter-writing. With no commercial viability, its potential went unexploited,<ref name="About"/> and the patent eventually lapsed.<ref name="1940s"/>

The manufacture of economical, reliable ballpoint pens as are known today arose from experimentation, modern chemistry, and the precision manufacturing capabilities of the early 20th century.<ref name="bpp encyc"/> Patents filed worldwide during early development are testaments to failed attempts at making the pens commercially viable and widely available.<ref name="web"/> Early ballpoints did not deliver the ink evenly; overflow and clogging were among the obstacles faced by early inventors{{Who|date=February 2023}}<!-- Who? -->.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> If the ball socket were too tight or the ink too thick, it would not reach the paper. If the socket were too loose or the ink too thin, the pen would leak, or the ink would smear.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Ink reservoirs pressurized by a piston, spring, [[capillary action]], and gravity would all serve as solutions to ink-delivery and flow problems.<ref>Collingridge, M. R. et al. (2007). "Ink Reservoir Writing Instruments 1905–2005". ''Transactions of the Newcomen Society'' 77(1): pp.&nbsp;69–100, p. 80</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Webshark Ltd. – www.webshark.hu |url=http://www.herend.com/herald/012/eng/eletmod.htm |title=A porcelán-arany csoda |publisher=Herend |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012134119/http://herend.com/herald/012/eng/eletmod.htm |archive-date=12 October 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

[[László Bíró]], a [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] [[newspaper]] editor (later a naturalized Argentine) frustrated by the amount of time that he wasted filling up fountain pens and cleaning up smudged pages, noticed that inks used in newspaper printing dried quickly, leaving the paper dry and smudge-free. He decided to create a pen using the same type of ink.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Bíró enlisted the help of his brother György, a dentist with useful knowledge of chemistry,<ref>Collingridge, M. R. et al. (2007) "Ink Reservoir Writing Instruments 1905–2005". ''Transactions of the Newcomen Society'' 77(1): pp.&nbsp;69–100, p. 81</ref> to develop viscous ink formulae for new ballpoint designs.<ref name="bpp encyc"/>

Bíró's innovation successfully coupled viscous ink with a ball-and-socket mechanism that allowed controlled flow while preventing ink from drying inside the reservoir.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Bíró filed for a British patent on 15 June 1938.<ref name="About"/><ref>"The first complete specifications appear to be UK 498997, June 1938 and UK 512218, December 1938; his rather basic Hungarian patent 120037 was dated April 1938." Collingridge, M. R. et al. (2007). "Ink Reservoir Writing Instruments 1905–2005". ''Transactions of the Newcomen Society'' 77(1): pp.&nbsp;69–100, p. 80</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://bhl.org.uy/index.php/La_Birome |title=La Birome |access-date=10 February 2023 |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210121720/https://bhl.org.uy/index.php/La_Birome |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1941, the Bíró brothers and a friend, Juan Jorge Meyne, fled Germany and moved to Argentina, where they formed "Bíró Pens of Argentina" and filed a new patent in 1943.<ref name="About"/> Their pen was sold in Argentina as the "Birome", from the names Bíró and Meyne, which is how ballpoint pens are still known in that country.<ref name="About"/> This new design was licensed by the British engineer [[Frederick George Miles]] and manufactured by his company [[Miles Aircraft]], to be used by [[Royal Air Force]] aircrew as the "Biro".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maksel |first=Rebecca |title=If You Like Ballpoint Pens, Thank the R.A.F. |url=https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/ballpoint-pens-RAF-180955537/ |access-date=2020-12-30 |website=Air & Space Magazine |language=en |archive-date=28 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228135430/https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/ballpoint-pens-RAF-180955537/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Ballpoint pens were found to be more versatile than fountain pens, especially in airplanes, where fountain pens were prone to leak.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/>

Bíró's patent, and other early patents on ballpoint pens, often used the term "ball-point fountain pen".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vYr8AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA570 |title=Patent Log: Innovative Patents that Advanced the United States Navy |first1=Douglas E. |last1=Campbell |first2=Stephen J. |last2=Chant |year=2017 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-105-62562-6 |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Books]] }}{{self-published source|date=February 2020}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US2474300 |title=Ball point fountain pen |publisher=[[United States Patent Office]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Patents]] |archive-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331121151/http://www.google.com/patents/US2474300 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US2966417 |title=Red ball point fountain pen inks and colorants therefor |publisher=[[United States Patent Office]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Patents]] |archive-date=6 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506122136/http://www.google.com/patents/US2966417 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.google.com.ar/patents/US2592406 |title=Fountain pen of the ball point type |publisher=[[United States Patent Office]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Patents]] |archive-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331122307/http://www.google.com.ar/patents/US2592406 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US2486869 |title=Ball-point fountain pen |publisher=[[United States Patent Office]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Patents]] |archive-date=12 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512005833/http://www.google.com/patents/US2486869 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US2390636 |title=Writing instrument |publisher=[[United States Patent Office]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Patents]] |archive-date=30 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430035748/http://www.google.com/patents/US2390636 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Postwar proliferation===
[[File:The New Redesigned Jotter.jpg|thumb|2018 Parker Jotters are similar to the version that first came out in 1954]]

Following World War II, many companies vied to commercially produce their own ballpoint pen design. In pre-war Argentina, success of the Birome ballpoint was limited, but in mid-1945, the [[Eversharp]] Co., a maker of [[mechanical pencil]]s, teamed up with [[Eberhard Faber]] Co. to license the rights from Birome for sales in the United States.<ref name="About"/><ref name="1940s"/>

In 1946, a Spanish firm, Vila Sivill Hermanos, began to make a ballpoint, Regia Continua, and from 1953 to 1957 their factory also made Bic ballpoints, on contract with the French firm   [[Société Bic]].<ref>{{cite news|work=El Punt Avui|date=10 July 2016|url=http://admin.elpunt.cat/economia/article/18-economia/985015-el-meu-avi-va-fer-la-primera-estilografica-d-espanya-i-el-primer-boligraf-d-europa.html|last=Francesc|first=Muñoz|title=El meu avi va fer la primera estilogràfica d'Espanya i el primer bolígraf d'Europa|access-date=28 November 2019|archive-date=28 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328234031/http://admin.elpunt.cat/economia/article/18-economia/985015-el-meu-avi-va-fer-la-primera-estilografica-d-espanya-i-el-primer-boligraf-d-europa.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the same period, American entrepreneur [[Milton Reynolds]] came across a Birome ballpoint pen during a business trip to [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina.<ref name="About"/><ref name="1940s"/> Recognizing commercial potential, he purchased several ballpoint samples, returned to the United States, and founded the [[Milton Reynolds#The Reynolds International Pen Company|Reynolds International Pen Company]]. Reynolds bypassed the Birome patent with sufficient design alterations to obtain an American patent, beating Eversharp and other competitors to introduce the pen to the US market.<ref name="About"/><ref name="1940s"/> Debuting at [[Gimbels]] department store in New York City on 29 October 1945,<ref name="1940s"/> for US$12.50 each (1945 US dollar value, about ${{Inflation|US|12.50|1945}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars),<ref name="1940s"/> "Reynolds Rocket" became the first commercially successful ballpoint pen.<ref name="About"/><ref name="How ballpoints work"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Inventing the 20th century: 100 inventions that shaped the world|year=2002|publisher=NYU Press|author=Stephen Van Dulken|author2=Andrew Phillips|page=106}}</ref> Reynolds went to great extremes to market the pen, with great success; Gimbel's sold many thousands of pens within one week. In Britain, the [[Frederick George Miles|Miles]]-[[Miles Aircraft#Bankruptcy and receivership|(Harry) Martin pen company]] was producing the first commercially successful ballpoint pens there by the end of 1945.<ref name="About"/><ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1976/1976%20-%201669.html "Miles."]  ''Flight International,'' 28 August 1976, p. 513.</ref><ref>[http://home.comcast.net/~aero51/html/other/biro.htm "The Biro Story."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905090817/http://home.comcast.net/~aero51/html/other/biro.htm |date=5 September 2008 }} ''comcast.net.''  Retrieved: 25 April 2012.</ref>

Neither Reynolds' nor Eversharp's ballpoint lived up to consumer expectations in America. Ballpoint pen sales peaked in 1946, and consumer interest subsequently plunged due to [[market saturation]], going from [[luxury good]] to [[fungible]] [[consumable]].<ref name="1940s"/> By the early 1950s the ballpoint boom had subsided and Reynolds' company folded.<ref name="About"/>

[[Paper Mate]] pens, among the emerging ballpoint brands of the 1950s, bought the rights to distribute their own ballpoint pens in Canada.<ref name="intrigue"/> Facing concerns about ink-reliability, Paper Mate pioneered new ink formulas and advertised them as "banker-approved".<ref name="1940s"/> In 1954, [[Parker Pens]] released "[[Parker Jotter|The Jotter]]"—the company's first ballpoint—boasting additional features and technological advances which also included the use of tungsten-carbide textured ball-bearings in their pens.<ref name="About"/> In less than a year, Parker sold several million pens at prices between three and nine dollars.<ref name="About"/> In the 1960s, the failing [[Eversharp|Eversharp Co.]] sold its pen division to Parker and ultimately folded.<ref name="About"/>

[[Marcel Bich]] also introduced a ballpoint pen to the American marketplace in the 1950s, licensed from Bíró and based on the Argentine designs.<ref name="bpp encyc"/><ref name="Phaidon"/> Bich shortened his name to Bic in 1953, forming the ballpoint brand [[Société Bic|Bic]] now recognized globally.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Bic pens struggled until the company launched its "Writes First Time, Every Time!"<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bicfightforyourwrite.com/products/pens/ | title=BIC Fight for Your Write }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095504388 | title=BIC }}</ref> advertising campaign in the 1960s.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Competition during this era forced unit prices to drop considerably.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/>

In 2002, the Pakistani company Shaheen Group entered the pen market with the subsidiary Shaheen Ballpoints, as in Pakistan the ballpoint pen had a big demand but its quality was low. Shaheen had to compete with foreign companies that were in Pakistan for decades, such as Sayyed Engineers, Dollar Industries, Shahsons and Indus Pencils. The wholesale market bought their stocks in advance, but after six months the company had to pull their stocks due technical and marketing issues.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Azhar |first1=Manqoosh ur Rehman Sarwar M. |year=2014 |title=Shaheen Ballpoints: a project of the Shaheen Group |url=https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/eemcs-10-2013-0199/full/html |access-date=25 February 2025 |journal=Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies |volume=4 |issue=4 |language=en |publisher=[[Emerald Group Publishing]]|pages=1–18|doi=10.1108/EEMCS-10-2013-0199|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== Production in China ===

Many industrial sites specialized in pen production were created in China. One important production site is the [[Fenshui Township, Tonglu|Fenshui Township]]. Their ballpoint pen production started in 1974, when the Hangzhou Ballpoint Pen Factory initiated its production using [[bamboo]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chow |first1=Hal |date=10 August 2023 |title=Wonderful pens blooming flowers all over the city——The development practice of "block economy" in Tonglu water diversion |url=https://www.prostargifts.com/wonderful-pens-blooming-flowers-all-over-the-city-the-development-practice-of-block-economy-in-tonglu-water-diversion/ |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=Prostar |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225043607/https://www.prostargifts.com/wonderful-pens-blooming-flowers-all-over-the-city-the-development-practice-of-block-economy-in-tonglu-water-diversion/ |archive-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> The [[Wengang|Wengang Township]] has a long tradition of brush pen production,<ref>{{cite news |last=Tong |first=Zhao |date=5 September 2021 |title=Across China: Locals paint prosperous lives in hometown of Chinese brush pens |url=http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0905/c90000-9892213.html |publisher=[[People's Daily]] |url-status=live |access-date=25 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225044935/http://en.people.cn/n3/2021/0905/c90000-9892213.html |archive-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> but all kinds of pens are produced, including ballpoint pens.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Don |date=17 December 2007 |title=Fake pens write their own ticket |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-dec-17-fi-fakepens17-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url-status=live |access-date=25 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225045434/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-dec-17-fi-fakepens17-story.html |archive-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> In 2002, China's Pen Capital was constructed in [[Wenzhou]], with an investment of ¥ 600 million. [[AIHAO]] was one of the first companies to move to the industrial site. Their most famous product is the ball-point pen.<ref name="world bank">{{cite book |last1=Dinh |first1=Hinh T. |last2=Rawski |first2=Thomas G. |last3=Zafar |first3=Ali |last4=Wang |first4=Lihong |last5=Mavroeidi |first5=Eleonora |year=2013 |title=Tales from the development frontier: how China and other countries harness light manufacturing to create jobs and prosperity |language=en |publisher=[[World Bank]] |isbn=978-0-8213-9989-7 |doi=10.1596/978-0-8213-9988-0|doi-broken-date=20 May 2025 }}</ref>{{Rp|[{{google books|RU1ZAQAAQBAJ|page=210|plainurl=yes}} 210–211]}}

In the 2000s, China ballpoint pen production skyrocketed. In 2017, China produced 38 billion ballpoint pens per year, 80% of the global market. But the country had a problem in doing precision engineering, including the ballpoint pen tip, that had to be imported from Germany, Switzerland and Japan for the cost of [[Yuan (currency)|¥]] 120 million a year.<ref name="china daily">{{cite news |last1=Ruisheng |first1=Sun |last2=Nan |first2=Zhong |date=18 January 2017 |title=China set to make own ballpoint pen tips |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-01/18/content_27985815.htm |publisher=[[China Daily]] |url-status=live |access-date=25 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225053605/https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-01/18/content_27985815.htm |archive-date=25 February 2025}}</ref><ref name="TWSJ">{{cite news |last1=Yap|first1=Chuin-Wei |date=30 January 2017 |title=With Pen Plan, China Etches Nationalist Economic Policy |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/with-pen-plan-china-etches-nationalist-economic-policy-1485785256 |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Worstall |first=Tim |date=26 January 2016 |title=China Can't Make A Ballpoint Pen, And Why We Shouldn't Worry About TRIPS|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2016/01/26/china-cant-make-a-ballpoint-pen-and-why-we-shouldnt-worry-about-trips/ |work=[[Forbes]] |url-status=live |access-date=25 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225051145/https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2016/01/26/china-cant-make-a-ballpoint-pen-and-why-we-shouldnt-worry-about-trips/ |archive-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> The subject was criticized by [[western media]]. ''[[Forbes]]'' argued that the lack of [[Intellectual property|IP]] protections were the cause of it, as the country wouldn't attract investments in innovation.<ref>{{cite news |last=Worsall |first=Tim |date=26 January 2016 |title=China Can't Make A Ballpoint Pen, And Why We Shouldn't Worry About TRIPS |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2016/01/26/china-cant-make-a-ballpoint-pen-and-why-we-shouldnt-worry-about-trips/ |work=[[Forbes]] |url-status=live |access-date=25 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225051145/https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2016/01/26/china-cant-make-a-ballpoint-pen-and-why-we-shouldnt-worry-about-trips/ |archive-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> ''[[Financial Times]]'' argued that because of Chinese self-sufficiency policy, companies handled the entire [[supply chain]] by themselves, thus creating inefficiency.<ref name="FT">{{cite news |last=Murayama |first=Hiroshi |date=10 April 2017 |title=Ballpoint pens and the danger of China's 'one-dragon' policy |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a9050c2a-1b7b-11e7-a266-12672483791a |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[Financial Times]] |url-status=live |access-date=25 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225051705/https://www.ft.com/content/a9050c2a-1b7b-11e7-a266-12672483791a |archive-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> ''[[Hong Kong Economic Journal]]'' declared that "the day China can produce a 100% homemade ball pen will be the day it truly qualifies as a first-class industrial power".<ref name="sky news">{{cite news |last1=Minelle |first1=Bethany |date=13 January 2017 |title=Finally! After years of trying, China celebrates ballpoint pen breakthrough |url=https://news.sky.com/story/finally-after-years-of-trying-china-celebrates-ballpoint-pen-breakthrough-10726914 |publisher=[[Sky News]]}}</ref>

Since 2011, the [[Ministry of Science and Technology (China)|Ministry of Science and Technology]] invested $8.7 million in the production of the tips. Beifa Group worked with [[Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group|Taiyuan Iron & Steel Group]] (TISCO) with no success.<ref name="TWSJ"/> In 2016, the [[Premier of China|Chinese Premier]] [[Li Keqiang]] complained on national television about the quality of Chinese pens.<ref name="sky news"/> In June 2016, TISCO produced the first national ballpoint pen. In November, TISCO's industry standard was approved by the China Metallurgical Standardization Research Institute and on 10 January 2017 the pens were officially announced.<ref>{{cite news |date=10 January 2017 |title=China develops its own ballpoint pen tips |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com//english/2017-01/10/c_135970334.htm |publisher=[[Xinhua News Agency]] |url-status=live |access-date=25 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225061720/http://www.xinhuanet.com//english/2017-01/10/c_135970334.htm |archive-date=25 February 2025}}</ref> The achievement reached the front-page news, was discussed in talk shows and celebrated on social media.<ref>{{cite news |first=Minter |last=Adam |date=18 January 2017 |title=China finally invents a ballpoint pen of its own |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/security-tech/technology/china-finally-invents-a-ballpoint-pen-of-its-own/articleshow/56592397.cms |publisher=[[The Economic Times]] |url-status=live |access-date=25 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225062706/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/security-tech/technology/china-finally-invents-a-ballpoint-pen-of-its-own/articleshow/56592397.cms |archive-date=25 February 2025}}</ref>

==Inks==
Ballpoint pen ink is normally a paste containing around 25 to 40 percent dye. The dyes are suspended in a mixture of solvents and fatty acids.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The Difference Between Ballpoint, Gel, and Rollerball Pens {{!}} JetPens|url=https://www.jetpens.com/blog/the-difference-between-ballpoint-gel-rollerball-pens/pt/167|access-date=2021-02-11|website=www.jetpens.com|archive-date=5 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105035818/https://www.jetpens.com/blog/the-difference-between-ballpoint-gel-rollerball-pens/pt/167|url-status=live}}</ref> The most common of the solvents are [[benzyl alcohol]] or [[phenoxyethanol]], which mix with the dyes and oils to create a smooth paste that dries quickly. This type of ink is also called "oil-based ink". The fatty acids help to lubricate the ball tip while writing. Hybrid inks also contain added lubricants in the ink to provide a smoother writing experience. The drying time of the ink varies depending upon the viscosity of the ink and the diameter of the ball.

In general, the more viscous the ink, the faster it will dry, but more writing pressure needs to be applied to dispense ink. But although they are less viscous, hybrid inks have a faster drying time compared to normal ballpoint inks. Also, a larger ball dispenses more ink and thus increases drying time.

The dyes used in blue and black ballpoint pens are [[alkaline|basic]] dyes based on [[triarylmethane dye|triarylmethane]] and acid dyes derived from [[diazo]] compounds or [[phthalocyanine]]. Common dyes in blue (and black) ink are [[Prussian blue]], Victoria blue, [[methyl violet]], [[crystal violet]], and [[phthalocyanine blue]]. The dye [[eosin]] is commonly used for red ink.

The inks are resistant to water after drying but can be defaced by certain solvents which include acetone and various alcohols.

==Types of ballpoint pens==
[[File:4 Bic Cristal pens and caps.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bic Cristal]] ballpoint pens shown in four basic ink colors]]
[[File:Jinhao 182 twist action ballpoint pen disassembled.jpg|thumb|right|Twist action ballpoint pen with large capacity G2 type refill. Model: Waterman Stainless Steel]]
[[File:Ball point pen refills en.png|thumb|right|Commonly used ballpoint refill types (diameter and length given in millimeters)]]
Ballpoint pens are produced in both disposable and refillable models. Refills allow for the entire internal ink reservoir, including a ballpoint and socket, to be replaced. Such characteristics are usually associated with designer-type pens or those constructed of finer materials. The simplest types of ballpoint pens are disposable and have a cap to cover the tip when the pen is not in use, or a mechanism for retracting the tip,<ref name="bpp encyc"/> which varies between manufacturers but is usually a spring- or screw-mechanism.

[[Rollerball pen]]s employ the same ballpoint mechanics, but with the use of water-based inks instead of oil-based inks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ballpoint vs. Rollerball – What's The Difference? |url=https://unsharpen.com/ballpoint-vs-rollerball/ |website=Unsharpen.com |access-date=29 August 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923130924/https://unsharpen.com/ballpoint-vs-rollerball/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Compared to oil-based ballpoints, rollerball pens are said to provide more fluid ink-flow, but the water-based inks will blot if held stationary against the writing surface. Water-based inks also remain wet longer when freshly applied and are thus prone to "smearing"—posing problems to left-handed people (or right handed people writing [[right-to-left]] script)—and "running", should the writing surface become wet.

Some ballpoint pens use a hybrid ink formulation whose viscosity is lower than that of standard ballpoint ink, but greater than rollerball ink.<ref name=":0" /> The ink dries faster than a [[gel pen]] to prevent smearing when writing. These pens are better suited for left-handed persons. Examples are the Zebra Surari, [[Uni-ball]] Jetstream and [[Pilot (pen company)|Pilot]] Acroball ranges.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-08-20|title=Hybrid Ballpoint Showdown|url=https://www.wellappointeddesk.com/2013/08/hybrid-ballpoint-showdown-and-giveaway/|access-date=2021-02-11|website=The Well-Appointed Desk|language=en-US|archive-date=1 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301045128/http://www.wellappointeddesk.com/2013/08/hybrid-ballpoint-showdown-and-giveaway/|url-status=live}}</ref> These pens are also labelled "extra smooth", as they offer a smoother writing experience compared to normal ballpoint pens.

Ballpoint pens with erasable ink were pioneered by the [[Paper Mate]] pen company.<ref name="Erasable"/> The ink formulas of erasable ballpoints have properties similar to [[rubber cement]], allowing the ink to be literally rubbed clean from the writing surface before drying and eventually becoming permanent.<ref name="Erasable"/> Erasable ink is much thicker than standard ballpoint inks, requiring pressurized cartridges to facilitate inkflow—meaning they can also write upside-down. Though these pens are equipped with erasers, any eraser will suffice.<ref name="Erasable"/>

Ballpoint tips are fitted with balls whose diameter can  vary from 0.28&nbsp;mm to 1.6&nbsp;mm. The ball diameter does not correspond to the width of the line produced by the pen.   The line width depends on various factors like the type of ink and pressure applied. Some standard ball diameters are: 0.3&nbsp;mm, 0.38&nbsp;mm, 0.4&nbsp;mm, 0.5&nbsp;mm, 0.7&nbsp;mm (fine), 0.8&nbsp;mm, 1.0&nbsp;mm (medium), 1.2&nbsp;mm and 1.4&nbsp;mm (broad). Pens with ball diameters as small as 0.18&nbsp;mm have been made by Japanese companies, but are extremely rare.

The inexpensive, disposable [[Bic Cristal]] (also simply "Bic pen" or "Biro") is reportedly the most widely sold pen in the world.<ref name="Phaidon">''Phaidon Design Classics- Volume 2'', 2006 Phaidon Press Ltd. {{ISBN|0-7148-4399-7}}</ref><ref name="Humble">[http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2004/pdfs/humble_checklist.pdf ''Humble Masterpieces''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020152134/http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2004/pdfs/humble_checklist.pdf |date=20 October 2012 }} – [[The Museum of Modern Art]] New York, 8 April – 27 September 2004.</ref> It was the Bic company's first product and is still synonymous with the company name.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/BIC-Corporation-Company-History.html|title=BIC Corporation – Company History|publisher=Fundinguniverse.com|access-date=17 August 2011|archive-date=25 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525074127/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/BIC-Corporation-Company-History.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bicworld.com/en/bic-group/history/ |title=History |publisher=Bicworld.com |access-date=17 August 2011 |archive-date=8 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208012638/http://www.bicworld.com/en/bic-group/history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Bic Cristal is part of the permanent collection at the [[Museum of Modern Art]] in [[New York City]], acknowledged for its [[industrial design]].<ref name="Bic Cristal in MoMA collection">{{cite web |url=http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=82141 |title=Décolletage Plastique Design Team. Bic Cristal® Ballpoint pen. 1950 – MoMA |access-date=30 March 2017 |archive-date=30 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830234749/http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=82141 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Humble"/> Its hexagonal barrel mimics that of a wooden [[pencil]] and is transparent, showing the ink level in the reservoir. Originally a sealed streamlined cap, the modern pen cap has a small hole at the top to meet safety standards, helping to prevent suffocation if children suck it into the throat.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bicworld.com/us/pages/faq/ |title=BICWorld.com FAQ – BIC World |access-date=5 March 2013 |archive-date=20 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820220633/http://www.bicworld.com/us/pages/faq/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Kugelschreiber Buche gestockt.jpg|thumb|Designer created ballpoint pen with case made of wood showing [[Wood-decay fungus#Induced fungal decay|induced fungal decay]]]]
Multi-pens are pens that feature multiple varying colored pen refills. Sometimes ballpoint refills are combined with another non-ballpoint refill, usually a mechanical pencil. Sometimes ballpoint pens combine a ballpoint tip on one end and touchscreen stylus on the other.

Ballpoint pens are sometimes provided free by businesses, such as hotels and banks, printed with a company's name and logo. Ballpoints have also been produced to commemorate events, such as a pen commemorating the 1963 [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|assassination of President John F. Kennedy]].<ref name="bpp encyc"/> These pens, known as "advertising pens," are the same as standard ballpoint pen models, but have become valued among collectors.

Sometimes ballpoint pens are also produced as design objects. With cases made of metal or wood, they become individually styled utility objects.

== Use of ballpoint pens in space ==

It is generally believed that gravity is needed to coat the ball with ink. In fact most ballpoint pens on the Earth do not work when writing upside-down because the Earth's gravity pulls the ink inside the pen away from the tip of the pen. However, in the microgravity environment of space a regular ballpoint pen can still work, pointed in any direction,  because the capillary forces in the ink are stronger than non present gravitational forces.
The functionality of a regular ballpoint pen in space was confirmed by ESA astronaut Pedro Duque in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pedro Duque's diary from space |url=https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Cervantes_Mission/Pedro_Duque_s_diary_from_space |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=www.esa.int |language=en}}</ref>

Technology developed by Fisher pens in the United States resulted in the production of what came to be known as the "Fisher [[Space Pen]]". Space Pens combine a more viscous ink with a pressurized ink reservoir<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> that forces the ink toward the point. Unlike a standard ballpoint's ink container, the rear end of a Space Pen's pressurized reservoir is sealed, eliminating evaporation and leakage,<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> thus allowing the pen to write upside-down, in zero-gravity environments, and allegedly underwater.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacepen.com/about-us.aspx|title=Fisher Space Pen – About Us|access-date=5 November 2011|archive-date=28 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428143620/http://www.spacepen.com/about-us.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> Astronauts have made use of these pens in outer space.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/>

==As an art medium==
{{Main|Ballpoint pen artwork}}
[[File:McQueen ballpoint biro drawing art.jpg|thumb|Example of a ballpoint pen work-in-progress – rendering of actor [[Steve McQueen]] by artist James Mylne]]
[[File:Lennie Mace "Uchuu Neko Parade" 2005 Tokyo, ballpoint "Penting" 130x92cm.jpg|thumb|Ballpoint "''PENting''" by [[Lennie Mace]], Uchuu Neko Parade (2005) ballpoint pen and hardware on paper]]

The ballpoint pen has proven to be a versatile [[art medium]] for both professional artists and amateur [[doodle]]rs.<ref name="NYT"/> Low cost, availability, and portability are cited by practitioners as qualities which make this common writing tool a convenient art supply.<ref name="Oddity"/> Some artists use them within [[mixed-media]] works, while others use them solely as their medium-of-choice.<ref name="Tricks"/>

Effects not generally associated with ballpoint pens can be achieved.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} Traditional [[pen|pen-and-ink]] techniques such as [[stipple|stippling]] and [[cross-hatching]] can be used to create half-tones<ref name="Mylne"/> or the illusion of form and volume.<ref name="Art of Sketching"/> For artists whose interests necessitate precision line-work, ballpoints are an obvious attraction; ballpoint pens allow for sharp lines not as effectively executed using a brush.<ref name="Japan Times"/> Finely applied, the resulting imagery has been mistaken for airbrushed artwork<ref name="Tokyo Journal"/> and photography,<ref name="Telegraph"/> causing reactions of disbelief which ballpoint artist [[Lennie Mace]] refers to as the "Wow Factor".<ref name="Japan Times"/><ref name="Tokyo Journal"/>

Famous 20th-century artists including [[Andy Warhol]], have utilized the ballpoint pen during their careers.<ref name="Warhol BPP"/> Ballpoint pen artwork continues to attract interest in the 21st century, with many [[contemporary artist]]s gaining recognition for their specific use of ballpoint pens as a medium. Korean-American artist [[Il Lee]] has been creating large-scale, abstract artwork since the late 1970s solely with ballpoint pens.<ref name="NYT"/> Since the 1980s, [[Lennie Mace]] creates imaginative, ballpoint-only artwork of varying content and complexity, applied to unconventional surfaces including wood and denim.<ref name="Gekkan"/> The artist coined terms such as "PENtings" and "Media Graffiti" to describe his varied output.<ref name="Japan Times"/> British artist [[James Mylne (artist)|James Mylne]] has been creating photo-realistic artwork using mostly black ballpoints, sometimes with minimal mixed-media color.<ref name="Telegraph"/>

The ballpoint pen has several limitations as an art medium. Color availability and sensitivity of ink to light are among concerns of ballpoint pen artists.<ref name="Care"/> As a tool that uses ink, marks made with a ballpoint pen can generally not be erased.<ref name="Japan Times"/> Additionally, "blobbing" ink on the drawing surface and "skipping" ink-flow require consideration when drawing with a ballpoint pen.<ref name="Tricks"/> Although the mechanics of ballpoint pens remain relatively unchanged, ink composition has evolved to solve certain problems over the years, resulting in unpredictable sensitivity to light and some extent of fading.<ref name="Care"/>

==Manufacturing==
The common ballpoint pen is a product of [[mass production]], with components produced separately on assembly lines.<ref name="Incredible Pen"/> Basic steps in the manufacturing process include the production of ink formulas, molding of metal and plastic components, and assembly.<ref name="bpp encyc"/> [[Marcel Bich]] (leading to [[Société Bic]]) was involved in developing the production of inexpensive ballpoint pens.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/>

[[File:Ink holder of a ballpen.jpg|thumb|The ink holder of a disposable ballpoint pen]]

Although designs and construction vary between brands, basic components of all ballpoint pens are universal.<ref name="bpp encyc"/> The making of a ballpoint pen, specially the tip, is considered a work of [[precision engineering]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Atkinson |first=Simon |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38566114 |title=Pen power: China closer to ballpoint success |work=[[BBC News]] |date=10 January 2017 |access-date=4 March 2025 |archive-date=4 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250304185327/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38566114}}</ref> Standard components of a ballpoint tip include the freely rotating "ball" itself (distributing the ink on the writing surface), a "socket" holding the ball in place, small "ink channels" that provide ink to the ball through the socket, and a self-contained "ink reservoir" supplying ink to the ball.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> In modern disposable pens, narrow plastic tubes contain the ink, which is compelled downward to the ball by gravity.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Brass, steel, or tungsten carbide are used to manufacture the ball bearing-like points,<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> then housed in a brass socket.<ref name="Incredible Pen"/>

The function of these components can be observed at a larger scale in the ball-applicator of roll-on antiperspirant. The ballpoint tip delivers the ink to the writing surface while acting as a "buffer" between the ink in the reservoir and the air outside, preventing the quick-drying ink from drying inside the reservoir. Modern ballpoints are said to have a two-year shelf life, on average.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/>

A ballpoint tip that can write comfortably for a long period of time is not easy to produce, as it requires high-precision machinery and thin high-grade steel alloy plates. China, which {{as of|2017|lc=y}} produces about 80 percent of the world's ballpoint pens, relied on imported ballpoint tips and metal alloys before 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/18/finally-china-manufactures-a-ballpoint-pen-all-by-itself/ |title=Finally, China manufactures a ballpoint pen all by itself |work=washingtonpost.com |date=18 January 2017 |access-date=21 October 2017 |archive-date=5 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105153404/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/18/finally-china-manufactures-a-ballpoint-pen-all-by-itself/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Standards==
The [[International Organization for Standardization]] has published standards for ball point and roller ball pens:

; ISO 12756:1998: Drawing and writing instruments – Ball point pens – Vocabulary<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=27200&ICS1=1&ICS2=100&ICS3=40 |title=ISO 12756:1998 – Drawing and writing instruments – Ball point pens and roller ball pens – Vocabulary j |publisher=Iso.org |date=12 June 2009 |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=13 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313024616/http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=27200&ICS1=1&ICS2=100&ICS3=40 |url-status=live }}</ref>
; ISO 12757-1:1998: Ball point pens and refills – Part 1: General use<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=1129&ICS1=97&ICS2=180&ICS3= |title=ISO 12757-1:1998 – Ball point pens and refills – Part 1: General use |publisher=Iso.org |date=12 June 2009 |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=16 November 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031116220609/http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=1129&ICS1=97&ICS2=180&ICS3= |url-status=live }}</ref>
; ISO 12757-2:1998: Ball point pens and refills – Part 2: Documentary use (DOC)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=23718&ICS1=1&ICS2=100&ICS3=40 |title=ISO 12757-2:1998 – Ball point pens and refills – Part 2: Documentary use (DOC) |publisher=Iso.org |date=12 June 2009 |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=25 August 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050825233001/http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=23718 |url-status=live }}</ref>
; ISO 14145-1:1998: Roller ball pens and refills – Part 1: General use<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=23719&ICS1=97&ICS2=180&ICS3= |title=ISO 14145-1:1998 – Roller ball pens and refills – Part 1: General use |publisher=Iso.org |date=12 June 2009 |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=26 June 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030626145218/http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=23719&ICS1=97&ICS2=180&ICS3= |url-status=live }}</ref>
; ISO 14145-2:1998: Roller ball pens and refills – Part 2: Documentary use (DOC)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=23720&ICS1=1&ICS2=100&ICS3=40 |title=ISO 14145-2:1998 – Roller ball pens and refills – Part 2: Documentary use (DOC) |publisher=Iso.org |date=12 June 2009 |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=1 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051201214706/http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=23720&ICS1=1&ICS2=100&ICS3=40 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Guinness World Records==
* The world's largest functioning ballpoint pen was made by Acharya Makunuri Srinivasa in India. The pen measures {{convert|5.4999|m|ftin|adj=ri1|sigfig=5}} long and weighs {{convert|37.23|kg|lb|sigfig=4}}.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/31621-largest-ball-point-pen|title=Largest ball point pen|newspaper=Guinness World Records|access-date=14 December 2016|archive-date=18 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161218065227/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/31621-largest-ball-point-pen|url-status=live}}</ref>
* The world's most popular pen is the [[Bic Cristal]], with the 100 billionth model sold in September, 2006. The Bic Cristal was launched in December 1950  and roughly 57 are sold per second.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/pen-best-selling|title=Pen - Best Selling|website=Guinness World Records|access-date=14 May 2018|archive-date=15 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515071420/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/pen-best-selling|url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Gel pen]]
* [[List of pen types, brands and companies]]
* [[Retractable pen]]
* [[Rollerball pen]]
* [[Ballpoint pen knife]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em |refs=
<ref name="Japan Times">{{cite news
 | title = The hair-raising art of Lennie Mace; Lennie Mace Museum
 | first = C.B.
 | last = Liddell
 | url = http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fa20020403a1.html
 | newspaper = [[The Japan Times]]
 | publisher = Toshiaki Ogasawara
 | location = Tokyo
 | issn = 0447-5763
 | oclc = 21225620
 | date = 3 April 2002
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 | archive-date = 22 November 2012
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 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

<ref name="NYT">{{cite news
 | title = To See the World in Ballpoint Pen
 | first = Benjamin
 | last = Genocchio
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 | newspaper = [[The New York Times]]
 | issn = 0362-4331
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 | access-date = 30 March 2017
 | archive-date = 17 December 2017
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 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

<ref name="Tokyo Journal">
{{cite journal
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 | first = C.B.
 |date=Jan 2002
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 | volume = 21
 | issue = 241
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 | publisher = Nexxus Communications K.K.
 | issn = 0289-811X
 | oclc = 13995159
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Mylne">
{{cite web
 |url=http://www.birodrawing.co.uk/ballpoint_drawing_tips.html
 |title=About Ballpoints, & Using Them in Art
 |last=Mylne
 |first=James
 |year=2010
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 |publisher=James R. Mylne
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 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121128044653/http://www.birodrawing.co.uk/
 |archive-date=28 November 2012
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Gekkan">
{{cite journal
 | last = Honda
 | first = Takahiko
 |date=April 2011
 | title = New York's Playful Ballpoint Picasso
 | journal = 「月刊ギャラリー」(Gekkan Gallery Guide)
 | volume = 4
 | page = 27
 | location = Tokyo
 | publisher = Gallery Station Co., Ltd.
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news
 | title = Biro artist recreates Girl With A Pearl Earring masterpiece
 | first = Emily
 | last = Garnham
 | url = http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/169690/Biro-artist-recreates-Girl-With-A-Pearl-Earring-masterpiece
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 | publisher = [[Northern and Shell Media]]
 | location = London
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 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

<ref name="Warhol BPP">
{{cite book
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 | year = 2007
 | publisher = McCaffrey Fine Art
 | location = New York
 | isbn = 978-0-9790484-1-8
 | oclc = 420821909
 | pages = intro
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Oddity">{{cite news
 | title = Artist wins £6,000 art prize after using 3p ballpoint pens from Tesco
 | first = Fred
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 | url = http://www.metro.co.uk/news/877097-artist-wins-6-000-art-prize-after-using-3p-ballpoint-pens-from-tesco
 | newspaper = [[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]
 | publisher = [[Associated Newspapers Ltd]]
 | location = Kensington, London
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 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

<ref name="Art of Sketching">
{{cite book
 | last = Tizon
 | first = Natalia
 | title = Art of Sketching
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=MeyF9BFQKZEC&q=ballpoint+pen+artwork&pg=PA84
 | access-date = 30 March 2017
 | edition = illustrated
 | year = 2007
 | publisher = [[Sterling Publishing]]
 | location = New York
 | isbn = 978-1-4027-4423-5
 | oclc = 76951111
 | page = 84
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Care">
{{cite book
 | last = Holben Ellis
 | first = Margaret
 | title = The care of prints and drawings
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=RMevB4KjDRkC&pg=PA103
 | access-date = 30 March 2017
 | edition = reprint, illustrated
 | year = 1995
 | publisher = [[Rowman Altamira]]
 | location = Lanham, Maryland
 | isbn = 978-0-7619-9136-6
 | oclc = 33404294
 | pages = 101–103
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Tricks">{{cite book
 | last = Johnson
 | first = Cathy
 | title = Watercolor tricks & techniques: 75 new and classic painting secrets
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=M2Vik1EPOnAC&q=ballpoint+pen+artwork&pg=PA123
 | access-date = 30 March 2017
 | edition = illustrated, revised
 | year = 2010
 | publisher = [[North Light Books]]
 | location = Cincinnati, Ohio
 | isbn = 978-1-60061-308-1
 | oclc = 299713330
 | page = 123
 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

<ref name="How ballpoints work">{{cite web
 | url = http://home.howstuffworks.com/pen.htm
 | title = How Ballpoint Pens Work
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 | last = Russell-Ausley
 | date = April 2000
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 | access-date = 30 March 2017
 | archive-date = 4 May 2017
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170504124556/http://home.howstuffworks.com/pen.htm
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

<ref name="bpp encyc">{{cite web
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 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

<ref name="About">{{cite web
 | url = https://www.thoughtco.com/ballpoint-pens-laszlo-biro-4078959
 | title = How Laszlo Biro Changed the History of Ballpoint Pens
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 | date = 15 April 2017
 | publisher = Thoughtco.com
 | access-date = 22 December 2017
 | archive-date = 18 April 2019
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190418135057/https://www.thoughtco.com/ballpoint-pens-laszlo-biro-4078959
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

<ref name="intrigue">{{cite news
 | url = http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/politics-human-intrigue-flow-through-ballpoint-pens-history-ink-stained-story-165829326.html
 | title = book review, "Politics, human intrigue flow through ballpoint pen's history"
 | first = Greg
 | last = Cresce
 | work = Gyorgy Moldova; Ballpoint: A tale of Genius and Grit, Perilous Times, and the Invention that Changed the Way We Write; Winnipeg Free Press
 | date = 11 August 2012
 | access-date = 30 March 2017
 | archive-date = 22 November 2015
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151122220512/http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/politics-human-intrigue-flow-through-ballpoint-pens-history-ink-stained-story-165829326.html
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

<ref name="1940s">{{cite book
 | last1 = Ryan
 | first1 = James Gilbert
 | last2 = Schlup
 | first2 = Leonard C.
 | title = Historical Dictionary of The 1940s
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-t3Hx4ASLKUC&q=ballpoint+pen&pg=PA40
 | access-date = 30 March 2017
 | year = 2006
 | publisher = M.E. Sharpe, Inc.
 | isbn = 0-7656-0440-X
 | page = 40
 | archive-date = 6 June 2022
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220606202641/https://books.google.com/books?id=-t3Hx4ASLKUC&q=ballpoint+pen&pg=PA40
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

<ref name="web">{{cite web
 | url = https://www.asme.org/about-asme/history/landmarks/topics-m-z/manufacturing---2/-236-birome-ballpoint-pen-collection-(1938-1948)
 | title = Birome Ballpoint Pen Collection
 | date = 1996–2013
 | work = Bios, Landmarks, Patents – ASME
 | publisher = ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
 | access-date = 1 March 2013
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130526230309/http://www.asme.org/about-asme/history/landmarks/topics-m-z/manufacturing---2/-236-birome-ballpoint-pen-collection-(1938-1948)
 | archive-date = 26 May 2013
 }}</ref>

<ref name="Incredible Pen">
{{cite book
 | last1 = Dransfield
 | first1 = Rob
 | last2 = Needham
 | first2 = Dave
 | title = GCE AS Level Applied Business Double Award for OCR
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-rEqVZvAGz4C&q=ballpoint+pen&pg=PT125
 | access-date = 30 March 2017
 | year = 2005
 | publisher = Heinemann Educational Publishers
 | isbn = 978-0-435401-16-0
 | page = 329
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Erasable">{{cite journal
 | author = V. Elaine Smay
 | year = 1979
 | title = New Designs; Ball-point pen uses erasable ink
 | journal = Popular Science
 | issue = July 1979; p. 20
 | access-date = 30 March 2017
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=NQEAAAAAMBAJ&q=ballpoint+pen&pg=PA20
 | archive-date = 4 April 2023
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230404231046/https://books.google.com/books?id=NQEAAAAAMBAJ&q=ballpoint+pen&pg=PA20
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ballpens}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190913070341/http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/ballpen.htm Fascinating facts about the invention of the Ballpoint Pen by Ladislas Biro in 1935] (archived 13 September 2019)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130522234407/http://jewish.hu/view.php?clabel=biro_laszlo Laszlo Biro on Jewish.hu's list of famous Hungarians] (archived 22 May 2013)

{{Pens}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:American inventions]]
[[Category:Argentine inventions]]
[[Category:Hungarian inventions]]
[[Category:Pens]]