What’s The Difference?

What’s the difference between a ballpoint and a rollerball pen?

Whilst a ballpoint and rollerball pen work in the same way, the difference is in the ink. A ballpoint pen uses a thicker, oil-based, ink, whilst a rollerball pen uses liquid ink
The ink in a ballpoint pen is paste-like and is carried in alcohol solvent which dries quickly on the page. The ink in a rollerball pen is much thinner as it’s water-based so it comes out more like a liquid and takes a little longer to dry than the ballpoint does.

How do ballpoint and rollerball pens work?

Both styles of pen, the ballpoint, and the rollerball, use the same mechanism to get the ink on the to page. Inside the body of the pen is a reservoir filled with ink; a small ball in the nib of the pen rolls over as you move it across the paper, dispersing the ink across the page in a line. The ball can roll 360 degrees, keeping the line thickness the same throughout.

Which one is best for smoothness of writing? (Winner: Rollerball)

When it comes to a smooth writing feel, the rollerball frequently comes out on top. The oil-based ink formulas cause the ball in a ballpoint pen to be less responsive which can result in a scratchy sensation when writing. The thinner ink found in rollerball reservoirs is much thinner and results in a much smoother writing experience.
In addition to this, rollerball pens also generally have a much finer writing line than a ballpoint pen. The line on the paper looks much darker and finer than that produced by a ballpoint pen, resulting in a more vivid finish that really pops on the page.

Which one is best for colour and depth? (Winner: Rollerball)

The liquid ink in a rollerball pens puts a great amount of ink on the paper then a ballpoint pen. In fact, a rollerball puts around 3-4 times more ink on the page than a ballpoint does which is why the line produced by the rollerball pen is that much more vivid than the line created by a ballpoint pen.

Which refill will last the longest? (Winner: Ballpoint)

As the rollerball puts more ink on the page than the ballpoint pen, it makes sense that ballpoint pens last much longer than rollerballs. It’s worth noting, however, that the thicker ink in cheap ballpoint pens can dry up in the reservoir much quicker than more expensive ballpoint pens.

Which is best for line quality? (Winner: Tie Break)

Line quality is largely dependant on the quality of the paper that you’re writing on. Rollerball pens are unsuitable for writing on poor quality, thin, paper because the water-based ink soaks in to the paper. This can then leak through the paper on to the surface below, or you may experience slight bleeding and feathering. On the other hand, a ballpoint pen is best for writing on thinner paper as the ink tends to float on top of the paper.

Which provides the best comfort? (Winner: Rollerball)

If you suffer from carpal tunnel or arthritis, or you find that your hands generally get tired quite quickly then it’s likely that you’ll find a rollerball more comfortable to write with. Due to the thinner nature of the ink in a rollerball you need to apply less pressure to the pen to get the desired line which is less stressful on the hand.
So, what’s the final verdict? Which is better; ballpoint or rollerball? At the end of the day, it largely comes down to personal preference and what kind of paper you use most frequently. Always jotting notes down on thin printer paper? opt for a ballpoint. Enjoy writing in a journal? opt for a rollerball.