Ballpoint pens use viscous, oil-based inks. They’re made by dissolving dyes in a mixture of alcohols and fatty acids. Alcohols promote smooth ink flow, while fatty acids lubricate the tip of the pen. Because the ink is so thick, ballpoints work well on low-quality papers with little to no bleedthrough. However, they do require more pressure to write. This can be tiring over long periods of time, but some find these pens easier to control. Ballpoint inks are usually smudge resistant, quick drying, and waterproof.

Gel ink consists of pigment suspended in a water-based gel. This particular formulation makes gel pens precise and vibrant. Very few other pens come in tip sizes as small as 0.28 mm--or as many colors. The smooth ink flow makes it much easier to write for long periods of time with less pressure, so you won’t get hand cramps as easily. However, gel pens tend to skip more than ballpoints or rollerballs. This is because their tips are not as evenly coated with the thinner, water-based ink. Gel pens also have longer dry times, so they can smudge if you’re not careful.

A rollerball pen uses liquid ink consisting of dyes dissolved in water--similar to what’s commonly used with fountain pens. The ink flows freely in comparison to ballpoint and gel pens, so a rollerball requires less pressure to write. This helps to reduce hand strain and keeps you comfortable for long missives or note-taking sessions. However, using a liquid ink does mean that paper choice is important, as it will bleed through lower-quality papers. Rollerball pens often have more feedback (a tactile sensation where you “feel” the paper through the pen’s tip) due to the thinness of the ink. For those who prefer the smooth writing experience of other pens, broader tips and wetter writers deliver a more lubricated feel.

The viscous ink found in ballpoints is uniquely suited to writing on slick surfaces (like receipts or other thermal papers) that might smudge water-based inks. Thanks to their dependability, ballpoints make excellent everyday carry additions.

Because ballpoints require some pressure to write, they work well to ensure dark marks when paired with carbonless copy paper.

Gel pens are great for everyday note-taking. We recommend them highly for students who fill dozens of notebooks over the course of their school years. The wide variety of colors is simply unmatched by other pens, making it easy to color-code your notes in a veritable rainbow of shades.

We enjoy using rollerballs for taking notes, but we find it especially useful to those who suffer from hand cramps. The free-flowing, liquid ink writes with a light touch, so it helps prevent heavy-handed writing.

Our favorite ballpoint pen is the Uni Jetstream. It uses a special low-viscosity ink that just might change your mind on what a ballpoint pen should be. It writes smoothly with little effort, and even comes in tip sizes like 0.38 mm. We’ve found that Jetstreams run out a bit faster than other ballpoints, but we think it’s a worthwhile trade-off for the writing experience.

We recommend the Uni-ball Signo UM-151 time and time again, and for good reason. This tried and true gel pen writes particularly smoothly in any tip size, from bold 0.7 mm to delicate 0.28 mm. Its vibrant ink comes in a wide array of colors, including pastel and metallic inks. Plus, the pigment-based formulation is waterproof and resists fading from light-exposure.

Though it looks humble, the Uni-ball Vision Elite packs a punch. Its velvety-smooth ink is skip-free and richly pigmented for an excellent writing experience. As a bonus, the ink is fraud-resistant and archival, so you can feel confident that checks and legal documents will stay unaltered.