Autumn 2016 | P2P Magazine |
17
GEL PENS
EnerGel Permanent. The ink is as smooth
flowing and quick-drying as other pens
in the range, but is also water-resistant,
lightfast and fade-resistant, making it
ideal for signing contracts, cheques and
other important documents.
I tested the ink’s permanence by
Not just for kids
Pukka Pens
Pukka Pen gel pens, Pukka Pad’s first
foray into the pen market, come in a
blister pack with four colours (black, blue,
pink and purple). Each ink colour is bright
and corresponds to the bold casing
making it easy to reach for the colour
you need. The black ink seemed slightly
greyer and not as dark as other black
pens tested.
Pukka Pads marketing manager
Natalie Garner says comfort was an
important factor in the design of the
pens. “We had full control over the
design of our gel grip – we wanted to
make sure they were easy grip and
comfortable to use,” she said. And in this
respect they don’t disappoint; the rubber
grip makes the pens comfortable to hold
and easy to write with for prolonged
periods. Smooth and affordable, these
mark a successful introduction to the
pen market for Pukka Pads.
Pentel EnerGel
Pentel launched its first gel pen in
1990 and named it the Hybrid to
advertise the fact that the ink was a
fusion of thick, oil-based and thinner
dye or water-based technologies. The
pen initially came in just four colours
but Pentel quickly added an extra 22
shades, including ‘fluorescent’, pastel
and metallic options. Hybrid became a
global sensation.
Ten years later Pentel launched its
best selling EnerGel range featuring
a longer write-out length and ultra-
quick drying times. Gel pens typically
lay down a lot of ink, which can be a
problem for left-handed writers like me.
I was impressed by how quickly EnerGel
dries – no more smudging or ink stained
hands!
Today, the EnerGel range includes
fine, medium and broad nibs; cap-style
or retractable tips; slimline or chunky
barrels; and up to eight colours. The
newest member of the range is the
Tayla Ansell tries out some of the latest introductions from leading pen manufacturers
It’s easy to
see why children
are attracted
to bright,
colourful gel
pens, but what
is it about them
that appeals so
much to office
workers?
Continued...
For someone who grew up in the
‘90s, the term ‘gel pen’ brings back
memories of colourful, metallic and
even scented pens. A good collection
could easily make you the envy of
your peers. But today, gel pens aren’t
just for children or for colouring –
they have their place in the office, too.
Wendy Vickery, Marketing Manager
at Pentel, says: “The gel pen market
reached an all-time high in the mid to
late 1990s when wide colour ranges
were first introduced. These became
extremely fashionable and highly
collectible – especially for teenagers.
After this trend peaked, sales stabilised
as the technology established itself in
the office.”
Today, gel pens are so prevalent in the
workplace that Pukka Pads sees them
as a ‘natural extension’ to its range of
notebooks.
It’s easy to see why children are
attracted to bright, colourful gel pens,
but what is it about them that appeals
so much to office workers?
For Aimee Owen, Marketing Executive
at Pilot Pen, the secret lies in the
smooth, consistent writing experience.
Unlike ballpoint pens, which use a
viscous oil-based ink that requires a hard
ballpoint to activate, gel pen ink is made
from pigment suspended in a water-
based gel and is much more free-flowing.
“A gel or liquid ink pen will distribute,
on average, four times as much ink as
a ballpoint, so the write-out distance
will be shorter, but the overall comfort
of the delivery will be much smoother,
consistent and provide a more even
coverage without scratching, skipping or
blobbing, which is often attributed more
to ballpoint pens,” she explains.
Pentel’s Wendy Vickery points out
that because they require very little
pressure to write with gel pens are
particularly good for those who suffer
from writing fatigue, adding that the
wide choice of colours and ink types has
value for a range of business applications.
“Sales of different colours are growing
steadily. Colour coding, underlining and
highlighting important text are some
of the key uses.Within the education
sector, teachers often use violet or green
ink to mark homework and other colours
to write key guidance notes to students,”
she explains.
Diversity is not limited to colour
options. As well as being a great choice
for everyday writing in the workplace,
gel pens feature a variety of ink types
for more specialist applications, from
erasability at one end of the spectrum to
permanent, archive-quality durability at
the other.
Test sample dried out
Test sample wet
Ink density test
