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A '''ballpoint pen''', also known as a '''biro''',<ref name="About"/> or '''ball pen''', is a [[pen]] that dispenses [[ink]] over a [[Ball (bearing)|metal ball]] at its point, i.e. over a "ball point". The metal commonly used is [[steel]], [[brass]], or [[tungsten carbide]].<ref>{{cite web|title=How does a ballpoint pen work?|url=http://science.howstuffworks.com/question683.htm|work=Engineering|publisher=HowStuffWorks|year=1998–2007|accessdate=16 November 2007}}</ref> It was conceived and developed as a cleaner and more reliable alternative to [[dip pen]]s and [[fountain pen]]s, and it is now the world's most-used [[Writing implement|writing instrument]]:<ref name="bpp encyc"/> millions are manufactured and sold daily.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> As a result, it has influenced art and [[graphic design]] and spawned [[ballpoint pen artwork|an artwork genre]].

Pen manufacturers produce [[Brand|designer]] ballpoint pens for the high-end and collectors' markets.

The [[Bic Cristal]] is a popular disposable type of ballpoint pen whose design is recognised by its place in the permanent collection of the [[Museum of Modern Art]], New York.<ref name="Bic Cristal in MoMA collection">{{cite web|url=http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=82141|title=Décolletage Plastique Design Team. Bic Cristal® Ballpoint pen. 1950 - MoMA|publisher=|accessdate=30 March 2017}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Ballpointpentip lessnoise.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Tip of a ballpoint pen magnified]]

===Origins===

The concept of using a ''ball point'' within a writing instrument as a method of applying ink to paper has existed since the late 19th century. In these inventions, the ink was placed in a thin tube whose end was blocked by a tiny ball, held so that it could not slip into the tube or fall out of the pen.

The first [[patent]] for a ballpoint pen<ref>Collingridge, M. R. ''et al.'' (2007) "Ink Reservoir Writing Instruments 1905–20" ''Transactions of the Newcomen Society'' 77(1): pp.&nbsp;69–100, p. 69</ref><ref>[Japes P. Mannings, "Reservoir, Fountain, and Stylographic Pens"], ''Journal of the Society of Arts'', October 27, 1905, [https://books.google.com/books?id=_7pJAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1150 p. 1150] </ref> was issued on 30 October 1888, to [[John J. Loud]],<ref>Great Britain Patent No. 15630, 30 October 2008</ref> who was attempting to make a writing instrument that would be able to write "on rough surfaces-such as wood, coarse wrapping-paper, and other articles"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US392046 |title=Patent US392046 - op weym - Google Patents |publisher=Google.com |date= |accessdate=2014-03-08}}</ref> which then-common [[fountain pen]]s could not. Loud's pen had a small rotating steel ball, held in place by a socket. Although it could be used to mark rough surfaces such as leather, as Loud intended, it proved to be too coarse for letter-writing. With no commercial viability, its potential went unexploited<ref name="About"/> and the patent eventually lapsed.<ref name="1940s"/>
The manufacture of economical, reliable ballpoint pens as we know them arose from experimentation, modern chemistry, and precision manufacturing capabilities of the early 20th century.<ref name="bpp encyc"/> Patents filed worldwide during early development are testaments to failed attempts at making the pens commercially viable and widely available.<ref name="web"/> Early ballpoints did not deliver the ink evenly; overflow and clogging were among the obstacles inventors faced toward developing reliable ballpoint pens.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> If the ball socket were too tight, or the ink too thick, it would not reach the paper. If the socket were too loose, or the ink too thin, the pen would leak or the ink would smear.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Ink reservoirs pressurized by piston, spring, [[capillary action]], and gravity would all serve as solutions to ink-delivery and flow problems.<ref>Collingridge, M. R. ''et al.'' (2007) "Ink Reservoir Writing Instruments 1905–20" ''Transactions of the Newcomen Society'' 77(1): pp.&nbsp;69–100, page 80</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Webshark Ltd. – www.webshark.hu |url=http://www.herend.com/herald/012/eng/eletmod.htm |title=A porcelán-arany csoda |publisher=Herend |date= |accessdate=11 September 2010}}</ref>

[[László Bíró]], a Hungarian newspaper editor frustrated by the amount of time that he wasted filling up fountain pens and cleaning up smudged pages, noticed that inks used in newspaper printing dried quickly, leaving the paper dry and smudge free. He decided to create a pen using the same type of ink.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Bíró enlisted the help of his brother György, a chemist,<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> to develop viscous ink formulae for new ballpoint designs.<ref name="bpp encyc"/>

Bíró's innovation successfully coupled ink-viscosity with a ball-socket mechanism which act compatibly to prevent ink from drying inside the reservoir while allowing controlled flow.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Bíró filed a British patent on 15 June 1938.<ref name="About"/><ref>''The first complete specifications appear to be UK 498997, June 1938 and UK 512218, December 1938; his rather basic Hungarian patent 120037 was dated April 1938.'' Collingridge, M. R. ''et al.'' (2007) "Ink Reservoir Writing Instruments 1905–20" ''Transactions of the Newcomen Society'' 77(1): pp.&nbsp;69–100, p. 80</ref>

In 1941, the Bíró brothers and a friend, Juan Jorge Meyne, fled Germany and moved to Argentina, where they formed ''Bíró Pens of Argentina'' and filed a new patent in 1943.<ref name="About"/> Their pen was sold in Argentina as the ''Birome'' (portmanteau of the names Bíró and Meyne), which is how ballpoint pens are still known in that country.<ref name="About"/> This new design was licensed by the British, who produced ballpoint pens for RAF aircrew as the ''Biro''. Ballpoint pens were found to be more versatile than fountain pens, especially at high altitudes, where fountain pens were prone to ink-leakage.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/>

Bíró's patent, and other early patents on ballpoint pens often used the term "ball-point fountain pen".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vYr8AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA570&dq=%22ball%20point%20fountain%20pen%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjtnKXRptrJAhUKtIMKHcrKADwQ6AEIMjAA#v=onepage&q=%22ball%20point%20fountain%20pen%22&f=false|title=Patent Log: Innovative Patents that Advanced the United States Navy|first1=Douglas E.|last1=Campbell|first2=Stephen J.|last2=Chant|date=30 March 2017|publisher=Lulu.com|accessdate=30 March 2017|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US2474300|title=Ball point fountain pen|publisher=|accessdate=30 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US2966417|title=Red ball point fountain pen inks and colorants therefor|publisher=|accessdate=30 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com.ar/patents/US2592406|title=Fountain pen of the ball point type|publisher=|accessdate=30 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US2486869|title=Ball-point fountain pen|publisher=|accessdate=30 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US2390636|title=Writing instrument|publisher=|accessdate=30 March 2017}}</ref>

===Postwar proliferation===
Following World War II, many companies vied to commercially produce their own ballpoint pen design. In post-war Argentina, success of the Birome ballpoint was limited, but in mid-1945, the ''Eversharp'' Co., a maker of [[mechanical pencil]]s, teamed up with [[Eberhard Faber]] Co. to license the rights from Birome for sales in the United States.<ref name="About"/><ref name="1940s"/>

During the same period, American entrepreneur [[Milton Reynolds]] came across a Birome ballpoint pen during a business trip to [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina.<ref name="About"/><ref name="1940s"/> Recognizing commercial potential, he purchased several ballpoint samples, returned to the United States, and founded ''[[Milton Reynolds#The Reynolds International Pen Company|Reynolds International Pen Company]]''. Reynolds bypassed the Birome patent with sufficient design alterations to obtain an American patent, beating Eversharp and other competitors to introduce the pen to the U.S. market.<ref name="About"/><ref name="1940s"/> Debuting at [[Gimbels]] department store in New York City on 29 October 1945,<ref name="1940s"/> for US$12.50 each (1945 US dollar value, about ${{Inflation|US|12.50|1945}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars),<ref name="1940s"/> ''Reynolds Rocket'' became the first commercially successful ballpoint pen.<ref name="About"/><ref name="How ballpoints work"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Inventing the 20th century: 100 inventions that shaped the world|year=2002|publisher=NYU Press|author=Stephen Van Dulken|author2=Andrew Phillips|page=106}}</ref> Reynolds went to great extremes to market the pen, with great success; Gimbel's sold many thousands of pens within one week. In Britain, the Miles Martin pen company was producing the first commercially successful ballpoint pens there by the end of 1945.<ref name="About"/>

Neither Reynolds' nor Eversharp's ballpoint lived up to consumer expectations in America. Ballpoint pen sales peaked in 1946, and consumer interest subsequently plunged due to market-saturation.<ref name="1940s"/> By the early 1950s the ballpoint boom had subsided and Reynolds' company folded.<ref name="About"/>

[[Paper Mate]] pens, among the emerging ballpoint brands of the 1950s, bought the rights to distribute their own ballpoint pens in Canada.<ref name="intrigue"/> Facing concerns about ink-reliability, Paper Mate pioneered new ink formulas and advertised them as "banker-approved".<ref name="1940s"/> In 1954, [[Parker Pens]] released ''[[Jotter|The Jotter]]''—the company's first ballpoint—boasting additional features and technological advances which also included the use of tungsten-carbide textured ball-bearings in their pens.<ref name="About"/> In less than a year, Parker sold several million pens at prices between three and nine dollars.<ref name="About"/> In the 1960s, the failing [[Eversharp|Eversharp Co.]] sold its pen division to Parker and ultimately folded.<ref name="About"/>

[[Marcel Bich]] also introduced a ballpoint pen to the American marketplace in the 1950s, licensed from Bíró and based on the Argentine designs.<ref name="bpp encyc"/><ref name="Phaidon"/> Bich shortened his name to Bic in 1953, becoming the ballpoint brand now recognised globally.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Bic pens struggled until the company launched its "Writes The First Time, Every Time!" advertising campaign in the 1960s.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Competition during this era forced unit prices to drop considerably.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/>

==Types of ballpoint pens==
[[Image:4 Bic Cristal pens and caps.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bic Cristal]] ballpoint pens shown in four basic ink colours.]]
Ballpoint pens are produced in both disposable and refillable models. Refills allow for the entire internal ink reservoir, including a ballpoint and socket, to be replaced. Such characteristics are usually associated with designer-type pens or those constructed of finer materials. The simplest types of ballpoint pens are disposable and have a cap to cover the tip when the pen is not in use, or a mechanism for retracting the tip,<ref name="bpp encyc"/> which varies between manufacturers but is usually a spring- or screw-mechanism.

[[Rollerball pen]]s employ the same ballpoint mechanics, but with the use of water-based inks instead of oil-based inks. Compared to oil-based ballpoints, rollerball pens are said to provide more fluid ink-flow, but the water-based inks will blot if held stationary against the writing surface. Water-based inks also remain wet longer when freshly applied and are thus prone to ''smearing''—posing problems to left-handed people (or right handed people writing [[right-to-left]] script)—and ''running'', should the writing surface become wet.

Because of a ballpoint pen's reliance on gravity to coat the ball with ink, most cannot be used to write upside-down. However, technology developed by Fisher pens in the United States resulted in the production of what came to be known as the "Fisher [[Space Pen]]". Space Pens combine a more viscous ink with a pressurised ink reservoir<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> that forces the ink toward the point. Unlike standard ballpoints, the rear end of a Space Pen's pressurized reservoir is sealed, eliminating evaporation and leakage,<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> thus allowing the pen to write upside-down, in zero-gravity environments, and reportedly underwater.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacepen.com/about-us.aspx|title=Fisher Space Pen – About Us|accessdate=5 November 2011}}</ref> Astronauts have made use of these pens in outer space.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/>

Ballpoint pens with "erasable ink" were pioneered by the [[Paper Mate]] pen company.<ref name="Erasable"/> The ink formulas of erasable ballpoints have properties similar to [[rubber cement]], allowing the ink to be literally rubbed clean from the writing surface before drying and eventually becoming permanent.<ref name="Erasable"/> Erasable ink is much thicker than standard ballpoint inks, requiring pressurised cartridges to facilitate inkflow—meaning they can also write upside-down. Though these pens are equipped with erasers, any eraser will suffice.<ref name="Erasable"/>

The inexpensive, disposable [[Bic Cristal]] (also simply ''Bic pen'' or ''Biro'') is reportedly the most widely sold pen in the world.<ref name="Phaidon">''Phaidon Design Classics- Volume 2'', 2006 Phaidon Press Ltd. {{ISBN|0-7148-4399-7}}</ref><ref name="Humble">[http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2004/pdfs/humble_checklist.pdf ''Humble Masterpieces''] – [[The Museum of Modern Art]] New York, 8 April – 27 September 2004.</ref> It was the Bic company's first product and is still synonymous with the company name.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/BIC-Corporation-Company-History.html|title=BIC Corporation – Company History |publisher=Fundinguniverse.com|date= |accessdate=17 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bicworld.com/en/bic-group/history/ |title=History |publisher=Bicworld.com|date= |accessdate=17 August 2011}}</ref> The Bic Cristal is part of the permanent collection at the [[Museum of Modern Art]] in [[New York City]], acknowledged for its [[industrial design]].<ref name="Bic Cristal in MoMA collection"/><ref name="Humble"/> Its hexagonal barrel mimics that of a wooden [[pencil]] and is transparent, showing the ink level in the reservoir. Originally a sealed streamlined cap, the modern pen cap has a small hole at the top to meet safety standards, helping to prevent suffocation if children suck it into the throat.<ref>[http://www.bicworld.com/us/pages/faq/ BICWorld.com FAQ – BIC World]</ref>

Ballpoint pens are sometimes provided free by businesses, such as hotels, as a form of advertising—printed with a company's name; a ballpoint pen is a relatively low cost advertisement that is highly effective (customers will use, and therefore see, a pen daily). Businesses and charities include ballpoint pens in direct mail campaigns to increase a customer's interest in the mailing. Ballpoints have also been produced to commemorate events, such as a pen commemorating the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.<ref name="bpp encyc"/>

==As art medium==

[[File:McQueen ballpoint biro drawing art.jpg|thumb|Example of a ballpoint pen work-in-progress – rendering of actor [[Steve McQueen]] by artist James Mylne.]]
Ballpoint pens have proven to be a versatile [[art medium]] for professional artists as well as amateur [[doodle]]rs.<ref name="NYT"/> Low cost, availability, and portability are cited by practitioners as qualities which make this common writing tool a convenient, alternative art supply.<ref name="Oddity"/> Some artists use them within [[mixed-media]] works, while others use them solely as their medium-of-choice.<ref name="Tricks"/>

Effects not generally associated with ballpoint pens can be achieved.<ref name="Weekender"/> Traditional [[pen|pen-and-ink]] techniques such as [[stipple|stippling]] and [[cross-hatching]] can be used to create half-tones<ref name="Mylne"/> or the illusion of form and volume.<ref name="Art of Sketching"/> For artists whose interests necessitate precision line-work, ballpoints are an obvious attraction; ballpoint pens allow for sharp lines not as effectively executed using a brush.<ref name="Japan Times"/> Finely applied, the resulting imagery has been mistaken for airbrushed artwork<ref name="Tokyo Journal"/> and photography,<ref name="Telegraph"/> causing reactions of disbelief which ballpoint artist [[Lennie Mace]] refers to as the ''Wow Factor''.<ref name="Japan Times"/><ref name="Tokyo Journal"/>

Famous 20th-century artists such as [[Andy Warhol]], among others, have utilised ballpoint pens to some extent during their careers.<ref name="Warhol BPP"/> Ballpoint pen artwork continues to attract interest in the 21st century, with [[contemporary]] artists gaining recognition for their specific use of ballpoint pens; for their technical proficiency, imagination, and innovation. Korean-American artist [[Il Lee]] has been creating large-scale, ballpoint-only abstract artwork since the late 1970s.<ref name="NYT"/> Since the 1980s, [[Lennie Mace]] creates imaginative, ballpoint-only artwork of varying content and complexity, applied to unconventional surfaces including wood and denim.<ref name="Gekkan"/> The artist coined terms such as ''PENtings'' and ''Media Graffiti'' to describe his varied output.<ref name="Japan Times"/> More recently, British artist [[James Mylne (artist)|James Mylne]] has been creating photo-realistic artwork using mostly black ballpoints, sometimes with minimal mixed-media color.<ref name="Telegraph"/> In the mid-2000s (decade), [[Juan Francisco Casas]] generated Internet attention for a series of large-scale, [[photorealism|photo-realistic]] ballpoint duplications of his own [[snapshot (photography)|snapshots]] of friends, utilising only blue pens.<ref name="Casas"/>

[[File:Lennie Mace "Uchuu Neko Parade" 2005 Tokyo, ballpoint "Penting" 130x92cm.jpg|thumb|Ballpoint "''PENting''" by [[Lennie Mace]], Uchuu Neko Parade (2005) ballpoint pen and hardware on paper.]]
Using ballpoint pens to create artwork is not without limitations. Color availability and sensitivity of ink to light are among concerns of ballpoint pen artists.<ref name="Care"/> Mistakes pose greater risks to ballpoint artists; once a line is drawn, it generally cannot be erased.<ref name="Japan Times"/> Additionally, "blobbing" of ink on the drawing surface and "skipping" of ink-flow require consideration when using ballpoint pens for artistic purposes.<ref name="Tricks"/> Although the mechanics of ballpoint pens remain relatively unchanged, ink composition has evolved to solve certain problems over the years, resulting in unpredictable sensitivity to light and some extent of fading.<ref name="Care"/>

==Manufacturing==
[[File:Ink holder of a ballpen.jpg|thumb|300px|The ink holder of a disposable ballpoint pen.]]
Although designs and construction vary between brands, basic components of all ballpoint pens are universal.<ref name="bpp encyc"/> Standard components include the freely rotating ''ball point'' itself (distributing the ink), a ''socket'' holding the ball in place, and a self-contained ''ink reservoir'' supplying ink to the ball.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> In modern disposable pens, narrow plastic tubes contain the ink, which is compelled downward to the ball by gravity.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Brass, steel, or tungsten carbide are used to manufacture the ball bearing-like points,<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> then housed in a brass socket.<ref name="Incredible Pen"/>

The function of these components can be compared with the ball-applicator of roll-on antiperspirant; the same technology at a larger scale. The ball point delivers the ink to the writing surface while acting as a ''buffer'' between the ink in the reservoir and the air outside, preventing the quick-drying ink from drying inside the reservoir. Modern ballpoints are said to have a two-year shelf life, on average.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/>

The common ballpoint pen is a product of [[mass production]], with components produced separately on assembly lines.<ref name="Incredible Pen"/> Basic steps in the manufacturing process include production of ink formulas, moulding of metal and plastic components, and assembly.<ref name="bpp encyc"/> [[Marcel Bich]] was involved in developing the production of inexpensive ballpoint pens.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/>

===Standards===
The [[International Organization for Standardization]] has published standards for ball point and roller ball pens:

; ISO 12756:1998: Drawing and writing instruments – Ball point pens – Vocabulary<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=27200&ICS1=1&ICS2=100&ICS3=40 |title=ISO 12756:1998 – Drawing and writing instruments – Ball point pens and roller ball pens – Vocabulary |publisher=Iso.org |date=12 June 2009 |accessdate=11 September 2010}}</ref>
; ISO 12757-1:1998: Ball point pens and refills – Part 1: General use<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=1129&ICS1=97&ICS2=180&ICS3= |title=ISO 12757-1:1998 – Ball point pens and refills – Part 1: General use |publisher=Iso.org |date=12 June 2009 |accessdate=11 September 2010}}</ref>
; ISO 12757-2:1998: Ball point pens and refills – Part 2: Documentary use (DOC)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=23718&ICS1=1&ICS2=100&ICS3=40 |title=ISO 12757-2:1998 – Ball point pens and refills – Part 2: Documentary use (DOC) |publisher=Iso.org |date=12 June 2009 |accessdate=11 September 2010}}</ref>
; ISO 14145-1:1998: Roller ball pens and refills – Part 1: General use<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=23719&ICS1=97&ICS2=180&ICS3= |title=ISO 14145-1:1998 – Roller ball pens and refills – Part 1: General use |publisher=Iso.org |date=12 June 2009 |accessdate=11 September 2010}}</ref>
; ISO 14145-2:1998: Roller ball pens and refills – Part 2: Documentary use (DOC)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=23720&ICS1=1&ICS2=100&ICS3=40 |title=ISO 14145-2:1998 – Roller ball pens and refills – Part 2: Documentary use (DOC) |publisher=Iso.org |date=12 June 2009 |accessdate=11 September 2010}}</ref>

== Guinness World Record ==
The world's largest functioning ballpoint pen was made by Acharya Makunuri Srinivasa in India. The pen measures 5.5 m (18 ft 0.53 in) long and weighs 37.23 kg (82.08 lb 1.24 oz).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/31621-largest-ball-point-pen|title=Largest ball point pen|newspaper=Guinness World Records|access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Gel pen]]
*[[List of pen types, brands and companies]]
*[[Retractable pen]]
*[[Rollerball pen]]
*[[Ballpoint pen knife]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em |refs= 
<ref name="Japan Times">
{{cite news
 | title = The hair-raising art of Lennie Mace; Lennie Mace Museum
 | first = C.B.
 | last = Liddell
 | url = http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fa20020403a1.html
 | newspaper = [[The Japan Times]]
 | publisher = Toshiaki Ogasawara
 | location = Tokyo, Japan
 | issn = 0447-5763
 | oclc = 21225620
 | date = 3 April 2002
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
}}
</ref>

<ref name="NYT">
{{cite news
 | title = To See the World in Ballpoint Pen
 | first = Benjamin
 | last = Genocchio
 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/arts/design/10lee.html
 | newspaper = [[The New York Times]]
 | publisher = [[Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr.]]
 | location = Manhattan, New York, USA
 | issn = 0362-4331
 | oclc = 1645522
 | date = 10 August 2007
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Weekender">
{{cite journal
 | last = Small
 | first = Suzy
 | date = 19 August 2005
 | title = Ai Candy; exhibition preview
 | journal = [[Tokyo weekender|Tokyo Weekender]]
 | volume = 2
 | issue = 15
 | page = 16
 | location = Tokyo, Japan
 | publisher = BC Media Group
 | issn = 
 | oclc = 
 | accessdate = 3 May 2012
}}{{dead link|date=March 2017}}
</ref>

<ref name="Tokyo Journal">
{{cite journal
 | last = Liddell
 | first = C.B.
 |date=Jan 2002
 | title = Getting the ball rolling in harajuku
 | journal = [[Tokyo Journal]]
 | volume = 21
 | issue = 241
 | pages = 36–37
 | location = Tokyo, Japan
 | publisher = Nexxus Communications K.K.
 | issn = 0289-811X
 | oclc = 13995159
 | url = 
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Mylne">
{{cite web
 | url = http://www.birodrawing.co.uk/ballpoint_drawing_tips.html
 | title = About Ballpoints, & Using Them in Art
 | last = Mylne
 | first = James
 | year = 2010
 | work = Biro Drawing.co.uk
 | publisher = James R. Mylne
 | accessdate = 3 June 2012
 | deadurl = yes
 | archiveurl = https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20121128044653/http://www.birodrawing.co.uk:80/
 | archivedate = 28 November 2012
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Gekkan">
{{cite journal
 | last = Honda
 | first = Takahiko
 |date=April 2011
 | title = New York’s Playful Ballpoint Picasso
 | journal = 「月刊ギャラリー」(Gekkan Gallery Guide)
 | volume = 4
 | page = 27
 | location = Tokyo, Japan
 | publisher = Gallery Station Co., Ltd.
 | issn = 
 | oclc = 
 | url = 
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Casas">
{{cite news
 | title = Simply birolliant – the incredible 10ft 'photographs' drawn with a ballpoint pen
 | author = staff
 | url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-511688/Simply-birolliant--incredible-10ft-photographs-drawn-ballpoint-pen.html
 | newspaper = [[Daily Mail]]
 | publisher = [[Associated Newspapers Ltd]]
 | location = England
 | issn = 0307-7578
 | oclc = 16310567
 | date = 2 February 2008
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Telegraph">
{{cite news
 | title = Biro artist recreates Girl With A Pearl Earring masterpiece
 | first = Emily
 | last = Garnham
 | url = http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/169690/Biro-artist-recreates-Girl-With-A-Pearl-Earring-masterpiece
 | newspaper = [[Daily Express]]
 | publisher = [[Northern and Shell Media]]
 | location = London, England
 | issn = 
 | oclc = 173337077
 | date = 16 April 2010
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Warhol BPP">
{{cite book
 | last1 = Warhol
 | first1 = Andy
 | last2 = Slovak
 | first2 = Richard
 | last3 = Hunt
 | first3 = Timothy
 | title = Warhol Polaroid Portraits
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=MB1MGlION0MC&pg=PP8&dq=ballpoint+pen+artwork#v=onepage&q=ballpoint%20pen%20artwork&f=false
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
 | year = 2007
 | publisher = McCaffrey Fine Art
 | location = New York City, New York, USA
 | isbn = 9780979048418
 | oclc = 420821909
 | pages = intro
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Oddity">
{{cite news
 | title = Artist wins £6,000 art prize after using 3p ballpoint pens from Tesco
 | first = Fred
 | last = Attewill
 | url = http://www.metro.co.uk/news/877097-artist-wins-6-000-art-prize-after-using-3p-ballpoint-pens-from-tesco
 | newspaper = [[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]
 | publisher = [[Associated Newspapers Ltd]]
 | location = Kensington, London, England
 | issn = 1469-6215
 | oclc = 225917520
 | date = 29 September 2011
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Art of Sketching">
{{cite book
 | last = Tizon
 | first = Natalia
 | title = Art of Sketching
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=MeyF9BFQKZEC&pg=PA84&dq=ballpoint+pen+artwork#v=onepage&q=ballpoint%20pen%20artwork&f=false
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
 | edition = illustrated
 | year = 2007
 | publisher = [[Sterling Publishing]]
 | location = New York City, New York, USA
 | isbn = 9781402744235
 | oclc = 76951111
 | page = 84
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Care">
{{cite book
 | last = Holben Ellis
 | first = Margaret
 | title = The care of prints and drawings
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=RMevB4KjDRkC&pg=PA103&dq=ballpoint+pen+artwork#v=onepage&q=ballpoint%20pen%20artwork&f=false
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
 | edition = reprint, illustrated
 | year = 1995
 | publisher = [[Rowman Altamira]]
 | location = Lanham, Maryland, USA
 | isbn = 9780761991366
 | oclc = 33404294
 | pages = 101–103
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Tricks">
{{cite book
 | last = Johnson
 | first = Cathy
 | title = Watercolor tricks & techniques: 75 new and classic painting secrets
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=M2Vik1EPOnAC&pg=PA123&dq=ballpoint+pen+artwork#v=onepage&q=ballpoint%20pen%20artwork&f=false
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
 | edition = illustrated, revised
 | year = 2010
 | publisher = [[North Light Books]]
 | location = Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
 | isbn = 978-1-60061-308-1
 | oclc = 299713330
 | page = 123
}}
</ref>

<ref name="How ballpoints work">
{{cite web
 | url = http://home.howstuffworks.com/pen.htm
 | title = How Ballpoint Pens Work
 | first = Melissa
 | last = Russell-Ausley
 | date = 
 | work = 
 | publisher = Howstuffworks, Inc.
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
}}
</ref>

<ref name="bpp encyc">
{{cite web
 | url = http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2896700021.html
 | title = How products are made
 | first = Romanowsky
 | last = Perry
 | date = January 1998
 | work = Ballpoint pen
 | publisher = High Beam Research, Inc.
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
}}
</ref>

<ref name="About">
{{cite web
 | url = http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa101697.htm
 | title = About ballpoint pens
 | first = Mary
 | last = Bellis
 | date = 
 | work = 
 | publisher = About.com
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
}}
</ref>

<ref name="intrigue">
{{cite web
 | url = http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/politics-human-intrigue-flow-through-ballpoint-pens-history-ink-stained-story-165829326.html
 | title = book review, "Politics, human intrigue flow through ballpoint pen's history"
 | first = Greg
 | last = Cresce
 | date = 
 | work = Gyorgy Moldova; Ballpoint: A tale of Genius and Grit, Perilous Times, and the Invention that Changed the Way We Write; Winnipeg Free Press
 | publisher = 
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
}}
</ref>

<ref name="1940s">
{{cite book
 | last1 = Ryan
 | first1 = James Gilbert
 | last2 = Schlup
 | first2 = Leonard C.
 | title = Historical Dictionary of The 1940s
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-t3Hx4ASLKUC&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40&dq=ballpoint+pen#v=onepage&q=ballpoint%20pen&f=false
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
 | edition = 
 | year = 2006
 | publisher = M.E. Sharpe, Inc.
 | location = 
 | isbn = 0-7656-0440-X
 | oclc = 
 | page = 40
}}
</ref>

<ref name="web">
{{cite web
 | url = https://www.asme.org/about-asme/history/landmarks/topics-m-z/manufacturing---2/-236-birome-ballpoint-pen-collection-(1938-1948)
 | title = Birome Ballpoint Pen Collection
 | date = 1996–2013
 | work = Bios, Landmarks, Patents – ASME
 | publisher = ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Incredible Pen">
{{cite book
 | last1 = Dransfield
 | first1 = Rob
 | last2 = Needham
 | first2 = Dave
 | title = GCE AS Level Applied Business Double Award for OCR
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-rEqVZvAGz4C&pg=PT125&lpg=PT125&dq=ballpoint+pen#v=onepage&q=ballpoint%20pen&f=false
 | accessdate = 30 March 2017
 | edition = 
 | year = 2005
 | publisher = Heinemann Educational Publishers
 | location = 
 | isbn = 978-0-435401-16-0
 | oclc = 
 | page = 329
}}
</ref>

<ref name="Erasable">
{{cite journal
 | author = V. Elaine Smay
 | year = 1979
 | title = New Designs; Ball-point pen uses erasable ink
 | journal = Popular Science
 | volume = 
 | issue = July 1979; pg. 20
 | location = 
 | publisher = 
 | issn = 
 | oclc = 
}}
</ref>

}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/story055.htm A history of the ballpoint pen].
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6173154.stm ''Did Biros really revolutionise writing?''] – [[BBC News]] – 24 October 2006
* [http://jewish.hu/view.php?clabel=biro_laszlo Laszlo Biro on Jewish.hu's list of famous Hungarians]
* [http://www.theballpointer.com/headlines.html ''The Ballpointer'' online journal covering ballpoint pen artwork]


[[Category:Pens]]