ballpoint

A ballpoint is a writing instrument that dispenses ink through a small rotating ball at its tip. The ball moves across the page, transferring ink from a reservoir. The design aims for smooth, controlled ink delivery with reduced leakage and quick drying compared with fountain pens.

Inside the tip, the ball sits in a socket and rotates as writing proceeds. Ink is supplied from a viscous reservoir by capillary action and gravity. A narrow gap around the ball seals the supply from air and minimizes drips. Inks are typically oil-based, contributing to longevity and smear resistance.

Form factors include capped, retractable, and disposable designs. Typical tip sizes range from 0.5 to 1.2 mm. While classic ballpoints use oil-based ink, many common models are designed for reliability across climates and papers, with continued refinements to flow and drying characteristics.

History: László Bíró, a Hungarian journalist, and his brother György patented the concept in 1938 after observing that newspaper ink dried quickly. After development in the 1940s, the modern, low-cost disposable ballpoint was popularized in the 1950s by Bic, a French firm established to commercialize the design.

Today ballpoints are among the most widely used writing instruments worldwide, valued for reliability, long shelf life, and low cost. They come in refillable and disposable forms, and vary in ink formulations and tip size. Reuse and recycling programs address plastic waste associated with disposables.