A.K.A.: Why using a stylus is like eating pizza with a knife and fork…and why we’re ok with that.

Seriously, is there really a point to using a stylus? Isn’t using a stylus just a way of looking a little more fancy when operating your smartphone—kind of like eating a candy bar with a fork, à la George Costanza? Honestly, the days of the Blackberry with the teeny, tiny keyboard are long gone and even fingers that are slightly wider than the norm can effectively use a touchscreen. So doesn’t that make the stylus a precious, pretentious, and vestigial accessory to modern mobile computing?

Turns out…no. Much like eating pizza with utensils (which, let us be clear, we do not endorse in all scenarios), the benefits of using a stylus with your smartphone or tablet are many.

First, let’s consider greasy fingers. Nobody likes those, because they often spread grease to other surfaces, like your designer jeans or business attire, which could easily be ruined with a smudge of pizza debris. Or your fancy new tablet, which may become increasingly less responsive to your input as the touchscreen becomes coated with smears.

Next, a word on germs. To expand on the concept of greasy fingers, let’s just make it clear that human hands are always dirty—and frequently downright filthy. Just as many people wisely prefer not to touch their food or their mouths with germ-laden hands, so do many people prefer not to touch public screens that have been graced with the germs of countless previous users. Consider how many germs you may avoid if you use your own stylus to operate the ATM, the credit card machine at the grocery store, or (gasp) the electronic check-in at the doctor’s office.

See? You’re already looking towards the stylus much more favorably, aren’t you? And we’re not even talking about inductive styluses, the ones that actually interact with touchscreens. We’re referring to the plain old, run-of-the-mill capacitive stylus can help keep your screen and immune system markedly less gross—and do so much more.

A stylus can be used to increase the accuracy of your typing and swiping on any smartphone or touchscreen device. It can also help you more precisely highlight and select specific text (you know you’ve struggled to highlight a phone number buried in text before), or make selections in forms or dropdown menus. With a stylus, you can take advantage of creative apps that let you draw or write on your screen.

Isn’t a hallmark of human evolution our use of tools? If so, doesn’t that make pizza-with-a-fork eaters advanced diners, and stylus users the most highly-evolved of tech users?

We submit that, yes, people who use a stylus with their smartphone/tablet are more highly-evolved. We further submit that people who use the dual-tool of a pen/stylus combo have so eclipsed the basic use of office implements that they are well on their way to global communication domination.

So…the next time there’s an office pizza lunch, you sit right down at that table with your fork, knife, and your favorite stylus pen—and you show them you’re here to win.

June 10th marks a special day for ballpoint pen aficionados, as it has come to represent one of America’s more obscure holidays – National Ballpoint Pen Day!

Who would have guessed that European Patent #2390636 would end up protecting the world’s most popular modern writing instrument? Certainly, the inventors of the ballpoint pen knew they were on to something, but the fact that these pens have been produced by the billions shows just how right they were. Today, we honor them with National Ballpoint Pen Day.

History of National Ballpoint Pen Day

On June 10th of 1943, Hungarian brothers Laszlo and Gyorgy Biro walked into a European patent office to declare ownership of their new writing pen design. From this day on, countless ballpoint pens have been enjoyed by writers around the world, and this date has grown into the holiday National Ballpoint Pen Day to celebrate the achievements of these ingenious brothers.

While the British government quickly swooped in and bought the rights to the newly-patented pens, today’s ballpoint pens are used the world over and continue to represent an affordable and reliable means for writing on any standard surface.

Fun Facts about Ballpoint Pens

In honor of the Biro brothers and National Ballpoint Pen Day, we’d like to share some interesting facts about this incredibly popular pen type:

• * Each second of every day, more than 125 ballpoint pens are sold
• * An average ballpoint pen will write approximately 50,000 words – or about 100 pages of text
• * 4.3 pens are used, on average, by each person in the United States each year
• * Ballpoint pens range from about 7-cents each, to over $730,000 for the Mont Blanc ballpoint
• * Before acquiring the rights to the ballpoint pen, RAF flyers used feather pens in the cockpit
• * The first ballpoint pens sold in New York (1945) cost $12 each – or about a day’s wages
• * 3.4 billion ballpoint pens are imported into the USA each year
• * 56% of individuals own a logoed or customized ballpoint pen
• * 95% of the time, when a person receives a new pen, the first word they write is their name

National Ballpoint Pen Day will arrive on June 10th of this year, and represents a fun and whimsical way to pay our collective respects to the ingenuity and creativity of the Biro brothers.

This simple and practical product can be found in homes, offices, classrooms and more, and it’s easy to see why this invention has not only survived, but thrived, over the last 73 years. From business to pleasure, the ballpoint pen holds a special place in our hearts.

Ballpoint Pens for Business

Bring ballpoint pens into the office, and appreciate the versatility and ingenuity of the Biro invention even further. If you’re looking for a way to grow your business or spotlight the benefits of your organization, consider providing your clients or prospects with a batch of high-quality, affordable, and fully customizable ballpoint pens.

A popular option is the BIC Clic Stic pen, available in your choice of custom colors and sized to handle about 150 characters of personalized text. Or, consider the RiteLine Frisco Ballpoint Pen with a colored barrel. This affordable option comes in several unique and vibrant base colors and can also accommodate your choice of several lines of custom text.

Regardless of which pen you choose to help celebrate National Ballpoint Pen day, or which option you elect to grow and promote your business, you’ll find that the trusty ballpoint pen will soldier on as one of the most effective promotional gifts you can employ.

One thing is certain – using a ballpoint pen delivers a more personal experience than simply typing on a keyboard. The power of the written word is undeniable. To learn more, click here for a glimpse at an exciting new infographic entitled, The Benefits of Handwriting vs. Typing.

Grab a pen this June 10th, find some paper, and pay homage to the Biro brothers by celebrating National Ballpoint Pen Day!

Handwriting Tools of the Trade – National Pen

With so many different pen types and labels, choosing the right pen is actually a lot harder than it seems. It’s more than just randomly choosing something to write with. In addition to the pen itself, you also have to decide on the point size, type of ink, and color options. These characteristics can help enhance your overall writing experience with a particular pen. If you’re looking for a new go-to pen that fits your personal writing style and needs, here are a couple pen types to consider.

Ballpoint Pens

Ballpoint pens are one of the most common and well-known pen types. The ink used in ballpoint pens is oil based and dries faster than other types of ink. This means less smudging when you’re writing. Since the ink is thick, ballpoint pens use less ink as you write, lasting longer than other pen types. Another point to consider: thick ink is more prone to clumping, so you have to apply more writing pressure. As a result, these pens aren’t the best choice for long writing. But, if you’re just looking for a simple pen for everyday use, ballpoint pens are an easy and reliable option.

Rollerball Pens

Rollerball pens use the same design as ballpoint pens but with water-based ink. Water-based ink flows faster and soaks into the paper more than ballpoint pen ink. The ease of flow requires less pressure and creates a smooth, comfortable writing experience. And, because the ink flows so smoothly, rollerball pens are ideal for writing text with dark and fine lines. They also come in a wider range of colors because they use water-soluble dyes. If you need to write for a long period of time, use a rollerball, but make sure to refill the ink often since they use more ink than other pen types.

Gel Pens

Gel pens combine characteristics from ballpoint and rollerball pens. They use water-based gel ink that has a consistency between both types of ink. This makes the ink less likely to smudge but still flows freely enough for smooth writing. As a result, gel pens offer the comfort of rollerball pens, with the performance of ballpoint pens. And, since they use pigments instead of regular dyes, gel pens are also available in a variety of colors. If you want to make a bold statement but still expect reliability, gel pens are a great choice.

Marker Pens

Marker pens come in four types of ink: pigment, water, oil and alcohol-based. Pigment and water-based inks are for traditional paper. On the other hand, oil and alcohol-based inks are for non-paper media (e.g. plastic, metal, or glass). These pens include permanent markers, non-permanent markers (e.g. dry erase markers), highlighters, and porous point (or felt tip) pens. With such a wide variety of point sizes, colors, and types, marker pens work great for both writers and artists alike. If you’re looking to add a splash of color to any of your projects, marker pens are the right choice for you.

Promotional marketing gifts run the gamut from drinking tumblers to desk organizers, home and kitchen accessories to automotive gadgets and tools. There are countless options available today. But those who have spent a significant amount of time working or managing a tradeshow, conference, business networking event, or large scale marketing campaign, know that the classic writing pen is an undeniably effective promotional tool.

At National Pen, we feel the same way, and we’d like to highlight our five best-selling Colorama Pens that have proven to be relentlessly effective at winning new business, reinforcing existing relationships, and highlighting virtually any business or organization.

Our five best sellers are:

THE CLASSIC: While some promotional marketing gifts rely on gadgets and flair to attract attention, the classic colorama pens rely on rugged simplicity, long-term durability, and a value-oriented price point to create real value. These pens feature a click-action mechanism for total reliability, a plastic barrel that is sized to accept up to five lines of custom text, and a background design that can be sourced from our extensive catalog of design choices. Classic is cool, classic is reliable, and in the case of the colorama series, classic is effective.

THE COLOR GRIP: This incredible pen comes with the legendary SmoothWrite ink cartridge that guarantees a fantastic writing experience. The colorama deluxe pen is upgraded with a colorful gripping surface that is attractive and comfortable to hold, while the pocket clip and rugged click-action mechanism combine to instill this pen with a real sense of purpose. Chrome accents add a nice, subtle touch, while the low price point makes these colorama deluxe pens with color grip ideally suited for high-volume marketing activities.

NEON ACCENTS: This best-selling pen is also one of the newest to be released in the colorama line, and it has made an immediate and lasting impact with clients across all industries. This neon colorama pen delivers stunning good looks and a unique neon color theme that adds a touch of intrigue to these click-action writing pens. Neon trim and pocket clip and plenty of room for up to five lines of customized text create an unbeatable value for a tradeshow handout or mailing gift.

STYLUS TIP: The colorama series of pens are incredible effective as promotional marketing gifts, but add a stylus tip and they become even more potent! A stylus tip makes interfacing with a smartphone, touchscreen, or tablet super easy, while keeping fingerprints and smudges off of the screen for a neater, cleaner operation. Add a soft rubber gripping surface and reliable click-action mechanism and you’re bound to make friends when you distribute these colorama deluxe pens with color grip and stylus.

HOLOGRAPHIC COLORS: The basic colorama pen is made that much more appealing when we add a holographic color scheme to the pen barrel. SmoothWrite ink delivers incredible writing performance, while a generously-sized barrel permits plenty of space for your choice of custom imprint. Six holographic colors are available for our colorama sparkler pen with subtle black trim accents to draw serious attention to your brand.

These best-selling colorama pens from National Pen represent tremendous value in a promotional marketing pen. Order a batch of each and get ready to make serious gains with your clients and prospects.

The idea of celebrating love on the 14^th of February spawned from a popular account concerning St. Valentine of Rome. It was reported that he performed weddings for Roman soldiers who were, at the time, forbidden to marry. Valentine was later imprisoned for these actions, but made a connection with his jailer by allegedly healing his ailing daughter. Before Valentine’s scheduled execution he wrote the jailer’s daughter a letter and signed the paper “your Valentine” – hence, the first Valentine’s Day card and early history of Valentine’s Day.

From the History of Valentine’s Day to Modern Day

In our modern era, Valentine’s Day is characterized by red-tinged gift boxes, bouquets of roses, shiny gifts, romantic dinners, and other gestures of love. Jewelry stores look at the month of February as their big “holiday season,” while florists work around the clock – prepping for what is certainly the busiest sales week of the year.

Millions of festive individuals, spanning ages from three to a hundred and three, put pen to paper and scribe Valentine’s Day cards for loved ones and lovers alike. It is this last activity that encapsulates the modern spirit of Valentine’s Day – the profession of love and admiration through the written word.

But how and when exactly did the action of writing Valentine’s Day cards and exchanging gifts become commonplace?

From Chaucer to Chocolates – In mid-eighteenth century England, it became quite common for admiring individuals to exchange flowers, confectioneries, and send greeting cards on Valentine’s Day. During this time, individuals may have also sent “Saint Valentine’s keys” to one another, with the message being – “unlock your loving heart.” These keys were also used to ward off epilepsy, which was then known as Saint Valentine’s malady. Modern jewelry stores frequently offer similar trinkets – though few recipients today are likely to don a Saint Valentine’s key to minimize medical concerns.

Today, the act of giving gifts is wide-reaching, but few individuals know that the first connection of Valentine’s Day with romantic love was in the work entitled Parlement of Foules (1382), by Geoffrey Chaucer. This poem was written to recognize the first anniversary of the engagement of Anne of Bohemia to King Richard II of England.

Valentine’s Day Cards by the Millions – The phenomenon of mechanical automation ushered in a new era of Valentine’s card creation in the 18^th century. The book entitled, The Young Man’s Valentine Writer (1797), gave ideas to young men who were unable to come up with creative messages for Valentine’s Day. But early 19^th-century England saw high-volume production of preformatted Valentine’s Day cards that were available with a variety of romantic messages.

More than 60,000 Valentine’s Day cards were sent in 1835 in Britain, while today more than 150 million cards are sent each Valentine’s Day – just in America! Today, Valentine’s Day is the second most popular holiday for sending cards after the Christmas holiday.

Options are virtually limitless – Hallmark alone offers more than 1,400 varieties of Valentine’s Day greeting cards each year, and many of these are left blank on the inside to allow the love-struck writer to create a moving and personal verse. While according to CNN.com, 29% of individuals today will send a romantic text message on Valentine’s Day, the majority will put pen to paper.

Now that you know the history of Valentine’s Day, embrace the power of the handwritten word and create a touching and heartfelt message for your beloved!