The Evolution Of the Pen

Regg Penn
MAN 4054
Final Paper
Professor Marcelo Alvarado-Vargas

Where did the Pen come from?
I can argue that everything that you and I know is majorly because of the existence of writing equipment and the pen. It’s clear that most of the fabric of history, was recorded by some previous form of the pen, along with some kind of paper. Pens were not always around however the concept of writing and recording images and symbols has been around since the beginning of time. Take the caveman for example; there are thousands of ‘cave paintings’ or drawings that have been either preserved or recorded so that curious individuals could see them. Those drawings were probably drawn with rock at first, then later on chiseled, which I would imagine was very time consuming. I remember learning in a History Course that Ancient Romans carved documents onto wax sculptures. As the progression and the knowledge of human beings expanded, new writing equipments became available. With invention of paper or papyrus, the pen came into existence.
According to Maxfield Carroll, “The word "pen" is derived from "penna," the Latin word for a feather or plume. And that is exactly what the early pens were---quills or reeds with the tip carved to form a nib” (Carroll). The Quill was basically a bird feather being dipped into ink. The Quill pen was first used in Western Europe for writing church documents. This was sometime around 6AD. This is usually the pen that is seen in movies set in the 19th century. The Quill pen then set the path for the Fountain, Ballpoint and Rollerball Pens.
After the feathered Quill, came the metal Quill. This was basically a metal frame that could be dipped into ink. There was still one problem however; people didn’t want to have to be inconvenienced by having to constantly dip their pens in a pool of ink. So finally that problem was solved with the invention of the fountain pen. M. Bion created the oldest fountain pen still in existence in 1702 for King Louis XIV (Curtiss, Pen & Ink History ). The Fountain Pen solved the issue of having to dip the frame of the pen into ink. The Fountain Pen contained a built in refillable ink supply into the pen’s frame. These pens proved to be effective except for the slight blotching issues that users experienced while using it. The ink in the Fountain Pen also took a long time to dry.
With advancements in pen industry, came the birth of the Ballpoint Pen. Laszlo Biro was determined to solve the problem that the Fountain Pen had. He realized that newspaper ink dried relatively fast and didn’t blotch or smear. However, it was to thick to be used with the Fountain Pen. Laszlo Biro would have to alter the entire structure on the Fountain Pen to allow the newspaper ink to be compatible. So, he redesigned the pen. In 1944, Laszlo Biro massed produced the Ball Point Pen (Curtiss). The Ball Point Pen used a tiny ball bearing at its tip to control the flow of ink. The ink in the Ball Point Penn was not refillable. It came in a small tub. Once the ink finished the pen had to be disposed of.
Rollerball Pens were almost the exact thing as Ball Point Pens. The only difference was the type of ink used in the pen. The roller ball used a water-based gel instead of the oil based ink system.

Where the Pen stands today?
There is a saying that says, “Old habits die hard.” So today some of the older pens still exist and are used. The Quill Pen is rarely used, however it is in many historic museums. The Fountain Pen is also used today. It is used more often than the Quill Pen, but it still isn’t the dominant design. Today the Ball Point and Roller Ball pens are the most popular. Major Pen brands include: Pilot, Sheaffer, Parker and BIC. Pens today, however don’t just come in black ink. Standard colors now include, blue, red, black and green.
I looked around my dorm room and every pen had the brand BIC. This is mainly because BIC sells in bulk. Most students tend to lose pens very easily. For this reason Companies like BIC and Pilot thrive because they both sell in bulk.
Now, all pens do not contain just ink. There are special types of pens for erasing, highlighting, coloring, electronic purposes and there are custom pens. Often times when we write, we make careless errors. Ink for the most part is permanent on a piece of paper. Here’s an example. Sometimes we may write, “Today was was a great day.” The error is the second was. This can be corrected by simply crossing or scratching the second “was” out in more pen ink. Now if this was the only error in a long document written in ink, then it might not stand out. But now imagine if you saw many of these errors with ‘scratch outs’ in the document? Wouldn’t that look tacky and unprofessional? It is for this reason that the Whiteout pen was created. This pen oozes a white substance onto the paper it was written on then covers the ink. When the “white ink” dries, it is possible to write over it. Whiteout has proven to be very convenient and handy.
Highlighters are special type of pen used to place a bright transparent streak of color over ink. The tip of the highlighter is thick, whereas the Ballpoint tip is very skinny. Highlighters are now widely used throughout the world. When one has to read a long document or a long excerpt from a book it can be tough to remember everything one reads. Honestly, there are many paragraphs in a reading that are irrelevant to what you want or need to remember. The highlighter allows one to simply highlight what he or she thinks is important. That text then stands out. How can you miss a bright yellow highlighted mark on a white page? Highlighters come in many different colors. The tip of the highlighter also comes in different shapes and sizes.
In the late 19th century, the Marker was created. The Marker is very similar to the highlighter. The only thing different is the style of ink that each produces. Instead of the transparent bright color, the Marker provides solid colors that are not transparent. Markets are usually used to write large text on things. For example, writing an address on a box to be mail somewhere. There are also special Markets used for artwork. There are Markers that are used to color things.
Electronic Pens are now on the rise. They include: Digital Pens and styluses. A Digital Pen is a rather clever device that digitally records written text and converts it to digital text on a computer. Instead of a mouse, a digital pen provides a very natural way to hand write and hand draw into the computer. In addition, since it stores everything internally, the data transfer to the computer via wireless or USB can be done at a later time (digital pen Definition from PC Magazine Encyclopedia). Digital pens or Smart Pens are also used to record audio as one writes. So, in the event that a sentence or phrase is missed while writing, the digital recording would have recorded everything that was missed. These products are fairly expensive however, ranging from 70 to 150 dollars, according to amazon.com. These pens are costly, but arguably worth the expense.
The other form of electronic pen, the stylus, is also on the rise. The stylus is a form of pen that can interact with the screen of an electronic device. The original Stylus had no ink or any other features. As time passed however, the ‘half stylus half pen’ was created, a multi function pen that can write on both paper and the screen of an electronic device.
Today, human beings live in a world of rapidly expanding technological advancements. The personal computer, laptops, palm pilots, smart phones, electronic gaming devices, tablets and televisions. These are but a few of the technologies that are widely accepted and use today. Most of these devices allow one to type text on the device instead of the traditional pen and paper. However the invention of the stylus was a step forward and backward at the same time. Maybe the world can’t give up the unique feel of writing with the hand and a pen?
Currently I have an Apple IPad. I have an application that allows me to either type text or draw text on my device. I use both functions. Typing surely much is faster than writing. But, I can’t type every thing that a professor writes on a board. I can’t type a diagram or a set of specific symbols. There are programs that allow one to add shapes and symbols, however I find it too time consuming. I can see why the pen still exists even in such a technological age. Sometimes it simply is more convenient.
Pens today are not just used to write, color, highlight or whiteout. The Swiss army knife is now available in pen form. The top half of the pen is writing part and the bottom half can contain knives, scissors, corkscrews and any other small useful tool. These all in one pens can be very handy but they are not as cheap as regular on function pens. I am positive that our military has developed ‘super pens’. Maybe they have pens that can shoot lasers or even bullets? Who knows? But one thing is for certain, with and innovative mind any thing is possible.
What will the Pen become in the Future?
Maybe the correct question is, “Will the pen still be around in the future?” Predicting the future is no easy task. For instance, I’m still awaiting a “flying car” or teleportation devices.
I think that the concept of the pen will remain in the future. After all, we are living in the 21st century with pens still around. But, I don’t think that ink pens will survive. Some people will argue that nothing beats the feel of a crisp piece of paper and a sturdy pen to write on it. However, with technology advancing so quickly, compatibility may become an issue. If everyone is using an electronic device to complete work tasks, why would you be the ‘lone ranger’ using pen and paper? It just would be inconvenient to all the computer users.
I think that pens will be more digitally based. People will use this digital pen/stylus to write on notepads, which will be computerized. This has already been introduced, but in the future the experience should be 100 times better.
In addition to my previous theory, I think that pens themselves will become computers and projectors. I believe that users will be able to write anything in mid air. The pen will project what ever the user writes. Projected images will be fully interactive. This means that once the word dog is written, you would be able to tap the word dog to see an image from the Internet of the search its definition.
This new all in one pen device will revolutionize the way people right and enjoy the little things in life. Imagine wanting to draw a building right in front of you. With the all in one pen you could simply look at a building in front of you and outline or trace it in using the air as you median of writing. This futuristic pen will also be able to capture images. It will capture them by projecting a scan on the object and basically replicating the image, detail for detail. The all-in-one pen will be able to wirelessly sync with any electronic device.
The all-in-one pen will also be able to sync with a users brain. This will allow thoughts to be automatically written by the pen or projected for the user to see. How cool would that be?
I think this product will have a relatively long product life cycle. The growth stage should occur rather quickly. I think everyone would benefit from using such a mind-boggling device. This new pen technology will take decades to be outdated. The technology will be so advanced that a new idea will take a very long time to surface and become a reality. Improvements to the product will be made after its launch date, but I do not think that they will be radical.
Generating profit should be relatively easy for companies to do. Advertising will play a key roll. Futuristic captivating television advertisements should reel many customers in. I think that short trials will also benefit customers. If they can get a free glimpse of what the product can do for a limited time, they will either love it or hate it. Complimentary goods can also help to generate rents. Easier said than done however. Complimenting such a technologically filled product will be tricky. A probable compliment could be a rechargeable pen case.
Protecting such an innovative product will be a priority of most companies. The inventor company can patent the process of creating the product. This could allow the product time to mature and gain good sales without rival companies’ trying to copy the product.
Human beings have developed many technologies through the process of innovation. The pen was a great invention. It allowed people to write and draw words or images. Some of these recordings became history. The pen went from being a feather to becoming a solid plastic or metal frame with a dispensable ink system. In the future I think that the pen and ink will no longer be necessary. Electronically advanced pens will take over. I believe that the all-in-one pen can be a possible reality maybe in the next 20 to 30 years. Will the classic inked filled pen be missed? Possibly, for a short time, but as humans have done since the beginning of time, we will adapt.

Works Cited
Carroll, Maxfield. History of Pen and Ink Rendering | eHow.com. 2013 йил 11-April. <http://www.ehow.com/about_6561946_history-pen-ink-rendering.html>.
Curtiss, Joshua. Pen & Ink History . 13 April 2013 <http://www.ehow.com/about_5273246_pen-ink-history.html>.
—. Pen & Ink History . 13 April 2013 <http://www.ehow.com/about_5273246_pen-ink-history.html>. digital pen Definition from PC Magazine Encyclopedia. <http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/41360/digital-pen>.