Type Or Write With Dark Ink Attach The Sheet Complete: Fill & Download for Free

The 100 Best Pens, As Tested by Strategist EditorsGels, ballpoints, rollerballs, felt-tips, and fountain pens — we tried them all.A small sampling of all the pens we tested. Photo: Jed Egan and Lyne LucienAt its most basic, a pen has to do just one thing, but there are so many reasons to choose one over another. Does it glide along the page, or does it drag? Does the ink flow in a smooth line, or is it unpredictable? Does the pen feel good or would note-taking cramp your hand? And how does it look? With so many varieties out there, from plastic ballpoints sold by the dozen to thousand-dollar fountain pens hunted down by collectors, we became determined to find the very best pens for everyday use.We consulted a panel of experts, picked through personal favorites, and mined our own pen coverage to determine the top contenders. Then we called in and tested dozens upon dozens of gels, rollerballs, felt-tips, ballpoints, and fountain pens, and put them to the test. The resulting list is a ranking of the top 100 pens, according to Strategist editors and writers. One note: A lot of what makes one pen better than another is completely subjective. Some of us prefer a finer line and some of us a thicker one (even within the Strategist’s ranks, there is dissent). One person’s beautiful pen might be no more than inoffensive to another. The finer the point, the scratchier it’s likely to be. And if you disagree (or have a favorite we missed), share it in the comments — we just might test it when we update this list in the future.CandidatesBefore we started testing pens, we did a wide sweep to determine which ones would make the list. We trawled through our own archive, looking for pens favored by highly opinionated people like André Aciman and Curtis Sittenfeld, pens from around the world, writers’ and illustrators’ favorite pens, and even the best-reviewed pens on Amazon. Then we branched out and consulted pen bloggers like Ed Jelley, Jessica Chung of Pretty Prints & Paper, and Ana Reinert of The Well-Appointed Desk; pen shop proprietors like Brian Goluet of The Goulet Pen Company, Elaine Ku of JetPens, and David Cole of Pen Heaven; and even ballpoint-pen artists Rafael Augusto and Nathan Lorenzana, who use the humble tool to create intricate works of art — often on Instagram.CriteriaAmong our team we have those who prefer thin-lined pens, others who like thick, marker-y ones, and even one fountain pen fanatic, but while our individual preferences vary, we’ve aimed to standardize our judgments by evaluating each pen on a scale of 1 (poor) through 5 (excellent):Smoothness: How easily does the pen glide across the page? Does the tip feel scratchy or catch on the paper? How smoothly does the ink flow?Smudging: Does the ink smudge on the paper or on your hand when writing? To what degree?Bleed-through: Does the ink bleed through to the other side of the page?Feel: How does the pen feel in your hand? Is it comfortable to hold? Is it heavy or light?Looks: Is it a beautiful writing instrument? Are there design elements that make the pen stand out?Our doodles on the Muji Plantation Paper notebooks. Photo: Lyne Lucien/Jed EganMethodologyOnce we narrowed our list down to the very best, most highly recommended pens, we divided them up among the Strategist’s team of writers and editors (there are 11 of us) to be rated according to our five criteria. To standardize the writing surface, we asked each tester to use the pens on the same Muji notebook and averaged each pen’s scores across the five categories. If two or more pens ended up with the same average score, we broke the tie by looking at each pen’s smoothness rating, as we collectively found this factor to be the most important one. Still — we were left with some pens that had the same average score and the same smoothness rating, so we broke the tie by recruiting left-handed volunteers (we’re all righties) from the New York office to break the tie, as lefties are more susceptible to smudging.Finally, two pens earned perfect scores in testing, so to find our number-one pen, we put the two to a vote among our team, plus one of our volunteer lefties. Winning out 9-3, our number one pick is — we’re confident — a crowd-pleasing pen. For devotees of a specific style, we’ve also noted which pens earned top marks within its type; we’ve listed them as “Best in Category” and you may hit Ctrl-F, in case you’re specifically interested in our favorite felt-tip, ballpoint, rollerball, gel, or fountain pen. Click here to jump to the top 80, top 60, top 40, or top 20, too.100. Pilot FinelinerType: Felt-tip$14 for 12Smoothness: 1 | Smudging: 3 | Bleed-through: 3 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 2It’s easy to understand the appeal of the Fineliner, which has a straightforwardness that I wanted to like. It came recommended from a few of our experts, but I found that the Fineliner produced a good amount of smudging, some bleed-through, and some dragging. It isn’t great for the average note-taker, but die-hard marker pen fans may find something to love about the retro attractiveness of this one. — Dominique Pariso, Strategist internTotal score: 2.4$14 FOR 12 AT AMAZON99. Pentel Arts Slicci 0.25 mm. Extra FineType: Gel$25now 16% off$21 for 8Smoothness: 1 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 3 | Feel: 2 | Looks: 3I have to admit, I found little to like about this pen. The line it creates is skinny and light, and writing with it feels (and sounds) scratchy. For a gel pen, it created a lot of resistance between the tip and the paper. The ridges on the body look like they’re meant to serve some ergonomic purpose, but since they’re carved into the plastic, they dig painfully into your fingers. In its favor, there’s no smudging and no bleed-through, though it does create raised scratch marks on the other side of the page, which make for a rough writing surface if you’re using both sides of the piece of paper. — Karen Iorio Adelson, writerTotal Score: 2.8$21 FOR 8 AT AMAZON98. Uni-ball JetstreamType: Ballpoint$10 for 3Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 3 | Bleed-through: 3 | Feel: 3.5 | Looks: 1Like the BIC Atlantis (see #64), the Uni-ball Jetstream was built for comfort rather than looks. It’s a thick pen, which might mean fewer hand cramps for those who experience them, but it does have the feel of a pen you’d find in the lobby of a used car dealership. Or — and the name is likely creating some subliminal messaging — it may call to mind a commercial airplane. Big and not glamorous. As far as ballpoints go, this one writes well and leaves smooth, clear marks. A thin layer of silicone sheathes the body to give your fingers a hint of padding. — Margaret Rhodes, senior editorTotal score: 2.9$10 FOR 3 AT AMAZON97. Pilot MetropolitanType: Fountain$24now 33% off$16Smoothness: 1.5 | Smudging: 3 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 3.5This is a budget fountain pen and it writes like one. The ink spreads and spiders, and the line is not clean. The nib feels scratchy across the paper and drags too much. A positive note is that the ink output is consistent (no skipping), but, again, it bleeds. Another good quality is that it does dry pretty quickly and doesn’t smudge as much as other fountain pens. As for looks, it’s got a metallic body in a rosy gold and is rounded and tapered on each end. It has a good heft and feels nice in the hand, but the subpar inking makes it a less than desirable choice. — Lauren Ro, writerTotal Score: 3$16 AT AMAZON96. Pentel R.S.V.P. RTType: Ballpoint$11now 45% off$6 for 4Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 2 | Looks: 1The padded grip and overall light weight make this pen comfortable to use for extended periods of time, but I had to dock a few points because after a while, it really feels like you’re dragging the pen across the page. And while the clear body of the pen makes it slightly more interesting to look at than similar retractable pens at this price point, there isn’t anything particularly special that makes it stand out. — D.P.Total Score: 3$6 FOR 4 AT AMAZON95. Koh-I-Noor RapidographType: Fountain$25Smoothness: 2 | Smudging: 2 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 4As the name indicates, this is a technical pen for artists — not surprising, since it’s used by cartoonist Roz Chast. Its needle-fine point feels like an actual needle: it’s that fine. And the nib contracts when pressed to the paper, which is the mechanism by which the ink is drawn from the well, which you manually fill and refill. The lines are thin, and you could probably control the output of the ink depending on the amount of pressure you use while writing. As for smoothness, again, it’s like writing on a pad of paper with a needle, but the ink output is consistent. It’s a fun pen because of all of its components, and it looks delightfully vintage. Lightweight and mainly made of plastic, it comes in a plastic case with a cool graphic font. For our purposes, it’s definitely a pen not for every day, but it could be a great gift for an artist or architect who values technicality. — L.R.Total Score: 3.1$25 AT BLICK94. Staedtler Pigment LinerType: Felt-tip$15now 27% off$11 for 6Smoothness: 1 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 2Super draggy, with uneven pigment. It skips constantly, especially if you’re trying to write quickly. There’s a ton of resistance, and the nib of the pen is so thin that it keeps on dragging and pulling. It feels unpleasant, especially because it seems like the only way to get an even stream of ink is to write slowly, with your pen held straight up. I truly do not know what writer would use this pen for long periods of note-taking, but it came recommended from Alexander Chee, who uses it to sign books, which may indicate a better purpose (occasional, deliberate name-signing). No smudging or bleed-through, but that’s because the writing is so light. I like the matte finish and how the cap fits snugly on the back of the pen. It’s a totally average-looking pen. I’m mostly docking points because it’s fully covered in text, which makes it look really busy. — Maxine Builder, writerTotal Score: 3.2$11 FOR 6 AT AMAZON93. Staedtler Lumocolor PermanentType: Felt-tip$27now 33% off$18 for 10Smoothness: 2 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 1 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4This Staedtler permanent marker pen intermittently sticks to the page and makes handwriting look staccato rather than smooth. For the amount it bleeds I was surprised to find that this pen doesn’t smudge at all. I did find that this guy bled through two sheets of notebook paper, though — a deal-breaker for me. The matte-finish plastic casing is pleasant to hold and the pen fits well in my hand. But it is too light for my taste and has a strong chemical smell (which I like but some people might not). This is a cool-looking pen with its ribbed cap, flat clip, and an orange “S” on the end. It looks very “professional draftsman” which would make me feel cool. — Liza Corsillo, writer/editorTotal Score: 3.2$18 FOR 10 AT AMAZON92. Pilot G2 Ultra FineType: Gel$25now 48% off$13 for 12Smoothness: 2 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 2 | Looks: 2This pen produces alarmingly thin lines. So thin that my handwriting was rendered even more unreadable than it typically is. I also found it slightly difficult to write with — it took genuine effort to make sure I got every letter I wanted to on the paper. It is just not a smooth writing experience; there is just too little ink being administered. (The 0.7 mm. version of the G2 fared much better, though; see #31.) On the flip side, because the ink comes out so sparingly, there is quite literally no bleed-through or smudging. — Katy Schneider, associate editorTotal Score: 3.2$13 FOR 12 AT AMAZON91. Zebra JimnieType: Rollerball$14now 7% off$13 for 12Smoothness: 3.5 | Smudging: 1.9 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4.2 | Looks: 2For a rollerball with gel ink, this pen isn’t entirely smooth. I discovered that it makes you work a little harder to get it across the page. Even though there isn’t any bleed-through to the other side of the page, there’s a significant amount of smudging, even whenbi the ink has had a few seconds to dry. It’s not an especially great-looking pen either, but if your hand tends to cramp or fatigue while writing, you may appreciate the soft, silicone grip. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.22$13 FOR 12 AT AMAZON90. BIC Round Stic Xtra PrecisionType: Ballpoint$11now 9% off$10 for 24Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 1 | Looks: 1This pen is so familiar to me — it’s the same cheapo BIC you see attached to medical-form clipboards, at the bodega counter when you sign receipts, and what you stock up on in high school when you don’t care about quality. In fact, writer Curtis Sittenfeld buys them on the theory that her family members won’t be tempted to steal such an unexciting pen. Revisiting it wasn’t fun for me: despite the pen’s small size and light weight, it’s not especially comfortable to grip for long periods of time and my wrist felt sore while jotting out my lines for this (I ended up writing out the same passage from Virginia Woolf’s Orlando for all the pens, as a control group for this test — fittingly, it’s about pens). The pen does get good marks for being reliably smudge-proof, smooth, and for not bearing down to the next page, but ultimately it looks like a cheap pen and feels like one. — Lori Keong, writerTotal Score: 3.2$10 FOR 24 AT AMAZON89. Pentel TradioType: Fountain$7now 14% off$6Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 2 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 3.75Writing with the Tradio can be very hit-or-miss. If you’ve given the ink some time to settle, and you’ve got it at the correct angle and you’re writing in a flowy, cursive script, it can feel pretty smooth. However, if you’re quickly jotting down some notes in a less fastidious style, it instead scratches against the page and can alternatively leave pooling ink blots of bare, skipping lines. So if the Tradio works with your handwriting style, it could prove to be a keeper. Veep actor Timothy Simons has had his for more than five years, for instance. The ink smudges very easily, but fortunately it doesn’t have much bleed-through. It’s a wide-bodied plastic pen that’s lightweight and comfortable to hold. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.35$6 AT AMAZON88. Pelikan Fineliner 96Type: Felt-tip$2Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 2 | Feel: 3.5 | Looks: 3.4Smooth and richly inky, the Pelikan Fineliner is a delight to write with. From fine-writing German brand Pelikan (some of their pricey fountain pens also came highly recommended), the Pelikan is an affordable introduction to the brand that would work for daily writing or even drawing and outlining. If you’re okay with a good amount of bleed-through, that is. While the writing quality shows the brand’s attention to functionality, aesthetically it’s not the most exciting pen. The cap doesn’t have a clip; instead it’s more like a seamless addition to the body, which does give it a bit of a streamlined look. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.38$2 AT AMAZON87. Muji Gel-Ink Ball Point 0.5 mm.Type: Gel$7now 14% off$6 for 3Smoothness: 1.5 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 3.5While this Muji pen was recommended by several of my colleagues, I found the point to be too fine and the pen too scratchy for my taste. The thin, gel ink doesn’t bleed through at all and there isn’t much smudging, but those benefits don’t outweigh how uncomfortable it is to write with. If you’re a fan of the Japanese brand’s minimal aesthetic you’ll probably like the transparent plastic body, although there aren’t any design features that make it especially comfortable to hold compared to your standard cheap pen. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.4$6 FOR 3 AT AMAZON86. Platinum 3776Type: Fountain$105now 5% off$100Smoothness: 2.5 | Smudging: 3 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 4This fountain pen has a very thick nib and line. The ink-flow is smooth and consistent, but the nib catches a bit on the paper, and you can feel the flat metal move across the surface. In terms of feel, it sports a pretty robust body made of red translucent plastic, and it feels substantial in the hand without feeling too heavy. There are golden accents (nib, clip, band around the cap) that elevate the pen, but they don’t necessarily warrant the price tag. — L.R.Total Score: 3.4$100 AT AMAZON85. Pilot Hi-Tec-CType: Gel$13now 8% off$12 for 6Smoothness: 2.5 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 3For those who prefer their points extra fine, this is the pen for you. Writing with it is like writing with a needlepoint — the smoothness isn’t really the selling point, but you can write as small and as neatly as you want. The ink-flow is on the consistent side, given the fineness of the point, although it feels scratchy across the page, which may or may not be a deal breaker for some. It’s got a clear plastic body with a cap, and you can see inside the pen, which has a ridged grip. It’s not the most comfortable pen in the world, but if you’re concerned about being as precise as possible with your lines, then that is a small price to pay. — L.R.Total Score: 3.4$12 FOR 6 AT AMAZON84. Pelikan M200Type: Fountain$136Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 2.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Looks: 3.5A fountain pen in the $100-range, this one has a finer point than the other ones I tested, and the mechanism for filling it with ink was a bit more involved. It uses a vacuum system, but filling it — by twisting the back end of the pen in an inkwell to draw the ink up — was straightforward, and the pen was ready to use immediately afterward. The flow of the ink when writing is a little uneven, and the nib drags a bit on the page, but overall it feels nice to write with. It’s got a plastic body with pretty marbled accents and is lightweight as a result, and it would work for prolonged periods of writing with a bit of finessing. — L.R.Total Score: 3.4$136 AT AMAZON83. Pelikano SchoolType: FountainSmoothness: 3 | Smudging: 3.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Looks: 2.5This pen is billed as a fountain pen for school, and its robust plastic structure and bright blue color make it ideal for a high school or college student looking to up their pen game. For a budget fountain pen, the ink output is consistent, and the nib feels decently smooth across the page, although there is slight catching. The smudging is better than on most fountain pens — which is perhaps what makes it particularly fit for use in school — and you can use it without feeling too precious about it. A rubber grip lends a level of comfort to this solid, everyday fountain pen. — L.R.Total Score: 3.4BUY AT AMAZON82. Sakura Gelly RollType: Gel$10 for 10Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 1 | Bleed-through: 3.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4.5Listen: as a child of the ’90s, Gelly Roll pens hold a special, nostalgic place in my heart. But as an adult human who frequently writes first drafts in my notebook, this is not the most practical pen. It is ultrasmudgy, both on the hand and on the paper, and just dispenses too much ink for practical writing. On the other hand, this is the perfect pen for doodling (if you don’t mind getting a little dirty). It’s super inky, which means you can fill in any bubble or shape in seconds, and the ink comes out shiny and dark and thick. It’s also the pen Cupcakes and Cashmere blogger Emily Schuman reaches for, in sparkly pink, when she wants to “add a little punch to [her] to-do list.” — K.S.Total Score: 3.4$10 FOR 10 AT AMAZON81. Zebra Sarasa RetractableType: Gel$13now 8% off$12 for 10Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 3 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 1There is little resistance when writing and the rubber grip adds some comfort to the overall writing experience. However, I had to dock points for the clunky design and the amount of bleed-through. This one is just an average, run-of-the-mill retractable. — D.P.Total Score: 3.4$12 FOR 10 AT AMAZON80. Stabilo FinelinerType: Felt-tip$30now 47% off$16Smoothness: 3.3 | Smudging: 4.8 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 2The Stabilo Fineliner is a comfortably middle-of-the-road felt pen. Its hexagonal body feels just fine to hold and there’s very little smudging or bleed-through. However, it’s sticky on the page and I found that my not-so-neat handwriting was even harder to read than usual because of how the pen dragged across the paper. The line-thickness also varied without my changing the pressure with which I was writing. Will it work for a quick note or to-do list? Certainly. But it’s not a standout by any means. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.42$16 AT AMAZON79. Traveler’s Company Brass PenType: Ballpoint$32Smoothness: 2.5 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 2 | Looks: 4.5I really wanted to like this pen based on looks alone, but its performance is less than subpar. It’s a ballpoint pen with an extremely fine point; something I would normally like, but it feels like a very fine-point mechanical pencil — which is interesting considering the fact that the body of the pen looks like that of a wooden pencil. Still, the very fine point is great for neat, small writing, but not necessarily for everyday note-taking. I do like that the ink comes out uniformly with very little pressure. When capped, the pen appears to be rather short. It has a brass body that looks vintage in the best way — like a bullet, almost — but when you open the pen, you realize that the cap is longer than the pen itself. And holding onto the pen without the cap on the back makes it too short to use comfortably (it’s basically like holding a short golf pencil). Because of this imbalance in the proportion of the cap to the pen itself, the weight-balance feels off, too. With the cap attached to the back of the pen, it feels as if the pen could tip out of your hand; the pen (again, more like a tiny pencil) isn’t hefty enough to stay pointed downward in your hand. — L.R.Total Score: 3.5$32 AT AMAZON78. Uni-ball Signo RTType: Gel$11now 9% off$10 for 10Smoothness: 3.5 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 3My first thought when I started out testing this one was, “Wow, this looks like chicken scratch.” This might be because the pen has a fine point of 0.38 mm., which lends itself better to detailed doodlings than to glorious strains of prose. Writing with this, I felt the slightest bit of drag, like the pen was scraping on the page, which is why I docked points for smoothness. It also feels plastic-y in the hand (with a slight amount of cushion, thanks to a thin finger grip), and there is the teeniest hint of smudging when you pass over fresh sections of writing or art. Overall, it’s a pretty average pen — it looks like the Pilot Gels, but doesn’t feel as cushy and operates like a thinner drawing pen — and an okay option for a doodler on a budget. — L.K.Total Score: 3.5$10 FOR 10 AT AMAZON77. Pilot VarsityType: Fountain$23now 48% off$12 for 7Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 2.5 | Bleed-through: 3 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 3.5This under-$2 disposable plastic fountain pen could easily be a gateway drug to the expensive world of fountain pen collecting because it’s so comfortable and downright fun to write with. There’s more room for error in angling and handwriting style compared to the pricier fountain pens, as the thick, black ink flows effortlessly across the page. Because the ink is thick, dark, and slow-to-dry, though, there is significant smudging and bleed-through — but better to discover you can’t stand that with this pen than with a $200 one. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.5$12 FOR 7 AT AMAZON76. Fisher Chrome-Plated Space Shuttle PenType: Ballpoint$43now 26% off$32Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 1 | Looks: 4Surprisingly smooth, especially for a ballpoint pen. Not a ton of snagging, pretty clean, even lines. But it drags a bit on the page, and there’s a fair bit of resistance. It’s not as bad or noticeable as with a cheaper ballpoint pen, though, and there’s no smudging or bleed-through. The tactile quality isn’t awesome, as the ridges are a little rough, and it feels small in my hand. It’s kind of like writing with a golf pencil rather than a full-size one. While that doesn’t make it ideal for everyday use, frequent travelers do like that it’s compact and easily stashed away. Also, the cap of the pen has a tendency to slide off, which, to be honest, seems like it could be a liability in a zero-gravity situation. But I do like that it’s all metal, so it feels like it’s got some heft. And it looks like a space-age pen. — M.B.Total Score: 3.6$32 AT AMAZON75. Muji Gel-ink Hexa 0.25 mm.Type: Ballpoint$3Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 1 | Looks: 4I love the way this pen looks (elegant!), but the hexagonal barrel makes it a rather un-ergonomic instrument. I can’t imagine using it over a long period of time simply because it would hurt my hand. The point of the tip is so thin that using it practically feels like dragging a razor blade across the page. The ink is about as smooth as you could expect it to be — good, considering, but the word that comes to mind is “scratchy.” You won’t have any problems with bleed-through or smudging, but it’s not a pen I’d use for anything unless I needed the thinnest of lines (e.g., if I were to ever to need to do an architectural rendering by hand). — Jason Chen, deputy editorTotal Score: 3.6$3 AT MUJI74. Uni-ball Deluxe FineType: Rollerball$20now 35% off$13 for 6Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 3This is a classic pen and writes almost like a felt-tip. It writes best when drawing loopy lines and signatures, but for everyday writing, the tip catches a bit, and the ink output isn’t uniform. One might associate this pen with an office or a bank, and it even looks pretty utilitarian, although the pale gold body and minimal stick design are nice. It’s lightweight and would fit right into a leather attaché. — L.R.Total Score: 3.6$13 FOR 6 AT AMAZON73. Lamy Al-StarType: Fountain$28now 7% off$26Smoothness: 3.5 | Smudging: 2.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Looks: 4This is a mid-range fountain pen with decent ink-flow and smoothness. The blue ink looks a little watercolor-y, which is pretty, but the output isn’t always uniform. There are issues with smudging, as with any fountain pen, but if you let it dry before running your finger across the ink, you’ll have no problems. It’s a light-weight aluminum pen with a thick body in a dark silver and a translucent grip area that allows you to see into the pen. It has two straight edges for ergonomic finger placement, and the main body has alternating round and flat sides. The cap is oversized with a paper-clip-style clip. Utilitarian in its looks, it would make a decent everyday fountain pen. — L.R.Total Score: 3.6Editor’s note: The review was changed to reflect that the body of the pen is made of aluminum, not plastic, as the previous version indicated.$26 AT AMAZON72. Uni-ball RollerType: Rollerball$15now 33% off$10 for 12Smoothness: 3.5 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 3This is another standard office pen that doesn’t stand out much except for the fact that it’s utilitarian. It’s a rollerball that doesn’t feel as smooth as a gel (the metal tip tends to catch on the page), but the line is uniform in both cursive and print. There’s no smudging, but there’s a little bit of bleed-through. In terms of looks, it’s as simple as they come: an all-black body with a matching cap and a metal clip. It’s on the thinner side and may be uncomfortable for prolonged use. — L.R.Total Score: 3.6$10 FOR 12 AT AMAZON71. BIC Round Stic Grip Xtra ComfortType: Ballpoint$23now 78% off$5 for 36Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 1Oh, the humble BIC Round Stic! This bad boy is not going to be winning any awards for design any time soon. But sometimes you need a workhorse, not a show pony. It is cheap and it gets the job done, even if it is ultimately nothing to write home about (see what I did there?). — D.P.Total Score: 3.6$5 FOR 36 AT AMAZON70. BIC ClicType: Ballpoint$1Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 3 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 3.25 | Looks: 4As we were assembling this list, we often discussed how different pens have different purposes. Is this an everyday writing pen for journaling or taking notes? Or a fancy-schmancy pen you whip out for signing important documents? The Bic Clic occupies a unique space as it’s probably the only pen on this list whose main value is as a souvenir — and a branding tool. Since they’re cheap and easily customizable (single or double-colored body, logo-ready, and with the option of a classy-looking gold or silver clip), Clics are the pen of choice for restaurants — and they expect you to steal one after signing the check. As a writing utensil, though, the Clic is squarely “fine.” It’s not a smooth and flowing writing experience, and there’s more smudging you’d expect from a ballpoint’s ink. There’s no bleed-through, though, and it’s affordable (especially if you pocket one after dinner), so it’s a fine option for a backup pen to keep in your bag — or to start a colorful collection to show off your dining adventures. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.65$1 AT OFFICE DEPOT69. Pentel EnerGel RTX RetractableType: Gel$9now 44% off$5 for 3Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Looks: 3Its very fine tip translates into less than ideal smoothness, but the fineness allows me to write more neatly and with more control. The ink output, however, is consistent. The tip feels like a mechanical pencil dragging across the page, and would not be great for the average user, unless you prefer a very fine point. There’s virtually zero smudging, however, and the rubber grip and the clicking mechanism are satisfying. As far as looks go, it’s a utilitarian pen that doesn’t necessarily stand out. — L.R.Total Score: 3.7$5 FOR 3 AT AMAZON68. Pilot FriXion Point ErasableType: Gel$16now 31% off$11 for 6Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 2.5This gel pen has a very fine tip whose ink looks almost like a felt pen’s. Although the ink is black, it comes out looking light gray, and the super-fine tip means that there is quite a bit of dragging on the page. The ink output isn’t very consistent, either. What’s special about this pen, however, is that the ink is completely erasable with the rubberized tip at the other end. It erases more cleanly and evenly than a pencil; it’s incredible. There’s zero smudging or residue left behind and you can barely notice that there was ink there (all you can see is the physical imprint of the point on the paper). For those looking for an erasable pen that actually works, this one’s for you. A very cool, if not ideal, pen. A rubberized grip adds a little comfort, but otherwise, it’s a lightweight pen. — L.R.Total Score: 3.7$11 FOR 6 AT AMAZON67. Parker SonnetType: Fountain$118now 6% off$111Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 3.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Looks: 4The Parker Sonnet fountain pen has a thick nib that yields a thick stream of ink that’s quite consistent. The metallic nib does drag a little across the page, but that doesn’t necessarily affect ink flow. On the pricey side, it would be a handsome (and giftable) upgrade to your everyday plastic fountain pen. It’s great for cursive and for signing your name with a flourish. As far as feel, it’s got great proportions and is made of brushed metal. It feels hefty and balanced in the hand. — L.R.Total Score: 3.7$111 AT AMAZON66. Sailor Pro Gear SlimType: Fountain Pen$100Smoothness: 3.5 | Smudging: 3 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Looks: 4The Sailor fountain pen yields smooth lines and the ink output is consistent — dark and thick. The nib feels a little draggy and scratchy across the paper, but that seems common of fountain pens. Smudging is a problem, but because it’s a fountain pen, it may require more time for the ink to dry. There’s no spotting or pooling, and it works well when writing in both print and cursive. In terms of looks, it’s a simple black pen with silver accents and an etched nib and it doesn’t stand out much from other fountain pens in this price range. — L.R.Total Score: 3.7$100 AT AMAZON65. Pilot Precise V5 RTType: Rollerball$14now 29% off$10 for 6Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 3This is the retractable version of the also very popular Pilot V5 (see #51). It has a needle-fine point that allows for smaller and neater writing. I like the point on this pen. It’s not as smooth as I prefer my pens to be, but its fine point allows me to write smaller and more neatly. There’s a little smudging but that’s not a deal breaker by any means. As far as smoothness goes, the pen passes the cursive test, but there’s a tad bit of resistance, most likely owing to the needlepoint style of the tip. It’s fine but substantial. — L.R.Total Score: 3.7$10 FOR 6 AT AMAZON64. BIC Atlantis OriginalType: Ballpoint$13now 8% off$12 for 12Smoothness: 3.5| Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 4| Feel: 5 | Looks: 1The BIC Atlantis is like the orthopedic shoe of pens: it’s lightweight, has a squishy, padded rubber grip for your fingers, doesn’t smudge at all, and is retractable, so you can’t lose the cap. It also isn’t particularly sexy, neither in body nor in ink output. No ballpoint pen will ever leave a mark as smooth as a felt-tip pen, and the BIC Atlantis is no exception. It’s perfectly utilitarian, but there are little skipping moments where the ink vanishes, leaving some letters with ghost ligaments. It gets the job done, but it’s more of an office supply closet staple than a pen you’d use for your journal or a love note. — M.R.Total Score: 3.7$12 FOR 12 AT AMAZON63. BIC Classic CristalType: Ballpoint$16now 13% off$14 for 50Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 2 | Looks: 3A classic disposable ballpoint pen that everyone has probably tried at some point. It’s hard to get excited about, but it’s a solid performer. It’s reliable and smooth. No skipping or bleed-through, and smudging is minimal if present at all. The one thing that really detracts from this one overall is its discomfort. The angular, hard plastic body quickly becomes uncomfortable in the hand. It’s a reliable, affordable pen for jotting down quick notes, but not something you would want to write with for an extended period of time. — David Notis, writerTotal Score: 3.7$14 FOR 50 AT AMAZON62. Lamy SafariType: Fountain$25Smoothness: 3.7 | Smudging: 2 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 5Strategist writer David Notis called the Lamy Safari a “fountain pen for dummies,” and I, as a total fountain pen novice, found this to be mostly true. Using a fountain pen takes some getting used to — the angle of the pen hitting the paper has to be just right, and varying the pressure you’re writing with can make a big difference in how your lines look. Writing quickly with it — as you would when jotting down ideas or taking notes in an interview or meeting — isn’t all that easy, and the pen can often feels more scratchy than smooth. The wet ink is also super smudgy, although there’s not as much bleed-through as I expected. With its bright yellow body (other color options are also available), it is a refreshing pop of color among blue and black pens, and the angular body and oversize clip look cool and not at all fussy. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.74$25 AT AMAZON61. Uni-ball VisionType: Rollerball$34now 38% off$21 for 12Photo: SvetaVo/Getty Images/iStockphotoSmoothness: 2.5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 3The Uni-ball writes mostly smooth once it gets going, although there is some skipping at first. It does come in a variety of colors (I tested one in a peculiar shade of green, somewhere between “Emerald City” and chartreuse). For a Staples staple the design is not bad: space age-y with an alternating matte and chrome silver finish. There is barely any bleed-through and absolutely no smudging, which is rare for a rollerball. — D.P.Total Score: 3.8$21 FOR 12 AT AMAZON60. Kaweco Classic Sport BallpointType: Ballpoint$16now 19% off$13Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 2.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 5Kaweco is best known for its fountain pens, but this one is a standard ballpoint. I’ll start with the looks, because that’s the only reason you might spend $20 on one of these: this squat, faceted burgundy-and-gold pen looks like something you might’ve once found in your grandfather’s study. You smell mahogany and cigar smoke just looking at it. And for that, I’m a fan. As for the actual writing: the blue ink comes out more smoothly and easily than it would with a cheaper ballpoint, but it also smudges a bit more than a regular ballpoint does. It puts down thin, precise marks that don’t bleed through but have enough impact for anything with a carbon copy. Perfect for writing checks. — M.R.Total Score: 3.8$13 AT AMAZON59. Poketo ColorblockType: Gel$4Smoothness: 3.5 | Smudging: 3.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3.5 |Looks: 4This pen from L.A. brand Poketo is one you might buy for looks (it’s designed with the brand’s signature modern color blocking) over function. It’s reasonably lightweight, with a thin point, but at the end of the day it’s just a hard plastic pen without a grip. I noticed that this pen encounters hiccups in writing where the ink catches, and only half of a letter might appear on the page from time to time, which isn’t ideal. But overall, the writing feels fairly smooth, and if you don’t mind the smudging, it’s a solid choice for everyday note-taking — or just for creating a certain desk aesthetic. — L.K.Total Score: 3.8$4 AT POKETO58. Paper Mate FlairType: Felt-tip$31 for 24Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 3 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 3The Paper Mate Flair boasts a fan base that includes writer Lesley Arfin, Saucony creative director Chris Mahoney, and New York’s Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz, who came by our desks to rave about it when he heard we were testing pens. It’s mostly smooth and doesn’t drag on the paper. But it feels more like writing with a Sharpie than with a pen. It’s functionally a marker, so it’s not great for fine lines or details or even writing super small. It also sometimes has an uneven flow of ink, with the middle of the line appearing a little lighter than the final flourish. But for quick note-taking, where precision isn’t that important, I quite like it. I had no smudging issues. Again, it’s basically a marker, so there’s definitely bleed-through, especially where I write bullet points or periods. It’s pretty light in my hand, and, to be honest, it feels pretty cheap, since it’s all plastic. But it’s mostly balanced and easy to write with. The cap does seem like it would stay on the pen if it was in my bag or a pencil case, which is especially important since it’s a felt-tipped marker that could definitely do some damage on fabric. It’s a totally average, forgettable-looking pen, though I do really like that the entire pen is the same color as the ink. That makes it very easy to tell what color ink to expect when you start writing. — M.B.Total Score: 3.8$31 FOR 24 AT AMAZON57. Pentel Arts SignType: Felt-tip$31now 26% off$23 for 12Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 2 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 3.5The word “pen” feels like a bit of a misnomer, here: this is really a fine-tipped marker. Or a calligraphy brush dressed up as a pen. When writing, if you slant the tip of the pen downward, you’ll easily draw a fat black line. This makes the letter ligaments thicker than most, which will frustrate those who write small. But it is smooth: the only reason I didn’t give it a perfect score for how the ink hits the paper is because it sometimes bleeds a bit too much onto the page. It’s also light (it’s made out of mostly recycled plastic plastic, which is nice) which makes it easy to hold. Amazon’s product description says the Pentel Sign is perfect for artists and designers, and that sounds about right — use this one for big, detailed renderings. — M.R.Total Score: 3.8$23 FOR 12 AT AMAZON56. Pilot Pop’lolType: Gel$26now 31% off$18 for 20Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 1The Pop’lol, besides having the most delightful name of the bunch, is also so, so smooth. Seriously, you barely need to apply any pressure when writing in order to get a continuous line. The fast-drying ink also results in zero smudging, which makes this pen ideal for cursive writers. The padded grip is a nice touch and the pen is super light. Unfortunately, what it boasts in comfort, it lacks in aesthetics. — D.P.Total Score: 3.8$18 FOR 20 AT AMAZON55. Conklin DuragraphType: Fountain$35now 6% off$33Smoothness: 2.5 | Smudging: 3.5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4.5The Conklin Duragraph is a big, stately pen. Sometimes that works for it, and sometimes that works against it. While those with larger hands will appreciate the generous size, it might be a bit unwieldy for those with smaller hands. The biggest issue was skipping, especially when starting to write again after a short rest. In general it’s quite smooth, but it skipped out more than the other fountain pens I tested. It’s possible that it needs to be held at a specific angle, but I didn’t find the other fountain pens to be as fussy in this regard. Smudging was about average for a fountain pen. No bleed-through. It’s certainly a nice looking pen with a bold design. — D.N.Total Score: 3.9$33 AT AMAZON54. Pilot Hi-Tec-C MaicaType: Gel$26now 69% off$8 for 5Smoothness: 3.5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Looks: 3The Maica is an upgrade to the Hi-Tec C and is supposed to appeal to a more design-conscious user. It has a rounded body with a removable cap that features a jewel-cut dome at the top and a loop on the side — perhaps for attaching a little charm. The logo (a calligraphied “M”) is enclosed in a kind of coat of arms. Honestly, the design elements are a little fussy, especially for Pilot, but the pen itself is a winner. It has a very fine needlepoint tip (.4 mm.) but writes very smoothly and consistently. The tip drags less than the that of the original Hi-Tec C and allows for very controlled, small, neat handwriting. For those who prefer a fine-point gel option, the Maica is an ideal choice. — L.R.Total Score: 3.9$8 FOR 5 AT AMAZON53. Paper Mate Write BrosType: Ballpoint$15now 33% off$10 for 60Smoothness: 3.9 | Smudging: 3.8 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 3.8 | Looks: 3I mean, what to say, really: this is likely the world’s most basic pen. It’s a pen you might see at a doctor’s office, or on the reception desk at an elementary school. It is absolutely, perfectly fine: it doesn’t smudge much (I dragged a sweaty palm over my signature and there was only the faintest trace), it has zero bleed-through. While writing with it isn’t necessarily pleasurable, it is smooth enough. The ink comes out neither too thick nor too thin. This is a true middle-of-the-road pen, and I really don’t have a bad thing, nor a good thing, to say about it. — K.S.Total Score: 3.9$10 FOR 60 AT AMAZON52. TUL Gel Retractable Needle Point FineType: Gel$18Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Looks: 3This pen has a needlepoint tip, but its smoothness factor far surpasses most of its ilk. I can use it to both print and write in cursive, and the line is consistent in both instances. The pen doesn’t glide as smoothly as other gels, but it would certainly be a good pen for everyday use for those who like a finer point. There’s virtually no smudging, and it feels nice in the hand with its rubber grip and retractable click. It’s a solid, reliable writing instrument. — L.R.Total Score: 3.9$18 AT OFFICE DEPOT$16 FOR 12 AT AMAZON51. Pilot V Razor PointType: Felt-tip$16 for 12Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 3This is the felt-tip version of the popular Pilot V5 pen, and it’s just as solid a writing instrument. The point, though extra fine, feels substantial when pressed down, and the ink-flow and smoothness are extremely consistent. There’s minimal bleed-through for a felt-tip, and it would be an appropriate pen for everyday use if you prefer the performance of a marker-like pen. It’s slim in design, with the vented tapering and clear-bodied grip that the V5 is known for, and has a cap. As for looks, it’s utilitarian. — L.R.Total Score: 3.9$16 FOR 12 AT AMAZON50. Karas Kustom BoltType: Ballpoint$40Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 2.5 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 5The Karas Kustom Bolt is a “machined, bolt-action pen.” It comes in either aluminum, brass, or copper, which is what gives this durable pen its heft. It’s also made in the good ol’ U.S. of A. (if that sort of thing matters to you) and is generally well-designed. Unfortunately, the same heft that makes the pen as durable as a tank might also make it tire out your hands. And there are traces of smudging. Design-wise, the all-black body with silver accents lends this pen a cool, minimalist look. But while the pen-release mechanism on the side is a well thought-out design feature, it does catch quite a bit during use. — D.P.Total Score: 3.9$40 AT KARAS KUSTOMS49. Delfonics WoodenType: Ballpoint$14now 43% off$8Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 2 | Looks: 3For a ballpoint pen, the Delfonics is surprisingly smooth. The ink comes out nicely and dries quickly, but in many ways the pen is disappointing. With its raw wood body, it looks a little like a kid’s toy pen rather than an elegant writing instrument. The tip is also uncomfortably shallow — it’s hard to see exactly what you’re writing because the thick point of the pen is so close to the page it almost obstructs it. You end up having to contort your body a little to the left to make out the text, which makes the whole exercise pretty uncomfortable. I wrote in my notes: “Not a pleasure to write with. My hand would cramp.” — J.C.Total Score: 3.9$8 AT AMAZON48. Pentel EnerGel Needle PointType: Ballpoint$5now 40% off$3Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 3For being a “needle-tip” pen, this one writes very smoothly: the best way I can describe the sensation of writing and doodling with it is “fluid,” which is nice, and the ink still has a thickness to it. The pen feels a little bulky and plastic-y in the hand, though it has a thin grip to offset that, and the color is pretty, but it doesn’t change the fact that it looks sort of cheap overall. I was impressed by how it didn’t smudge at all, though there’s enough color bleed-through going on to dock a point. I’d recommend it if you want a fine-tip pen that writes well, without producing spindly-thin script. — L.K.Total Score: 3.9$3 AT AMAZON47. Sharpie Fine PointType: Felt-tip$14 for 8Smoothness: 4.1 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 3.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4When we were researching pens, we were surprised to discover how many of the famous people we’ve interviewed in the past like writing with Sharpies. In fact, the permanent markers are the top picks of writers Michael Cunningham, Lucy Sykes, and Meg Wolitzer. In the spirit of keeping the pens on this list comparable, we ruled out the extra-thick varieties you’d use to address a package, but maybe not for scrolling notes in a lined notebook. What remained was this Sharpie pen that has a finer line but still feels smooth to run across the page and isn’t all that smudgy for a marker pen. The smoothness of the pen is also rather nice, and for being felt, it’s not very smudgy, either. It’s also cool-looking in all black. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.92$14 FOR 8 AT AMAZON46. BIC Gel-ocityType: Gel$22now 68% off$7 for 12Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 3.7 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 3.94Rating the BIC Gel-ocity was a classic case of not judging a book by its cover. For an affordable pen that doesn’t look like anything special, it’s surprisingly fun to write with. It’s exceptionally smooth, with a medium-weight line that makes even messy handwriting easy to read. There’s minimal bleed-through and smudging, and the plastic body has a soft covering that’s comfortable to grip. The retractable clicking mechanism did get stuck at times, which could be annoying, but overall it’s a solid everyday pen with a budget-friendly price tag. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.94$7 FOR 12 AT AMAZON45. Uni-ball Onyx FineType: Rollerball$9now 11% off$8 for 12Smoothness: 4.3 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 3.5 | Feel: 3.4 | Looks: 4.1Compared to other fine-line pens, the Onyx has a much smoother flow and is more accommodating to writing large, rounded letters. It doesn’t glide quite as easily as some of the other rollerballs I tried, but on the plus side, there’s comparatively less smudging than average. All-black with a white logo, it’s sleek-looking, and small dots on each end of the pen show the ink color, which is an interesting touch. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.96$8 FOR 12 AT AMAZON44. Machine Era Solid Brass PenType: Gel$38Smoothness: 3.9 | Smudging: 2.5 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 4.5 | Looks: 5Now this is a sexy pen. Made of solid, shiny brass, it’s petite with rounded edges and a slender, bullet-like shape. The cap seamlessly disappears into the body when it’s twisted over the tip or fitted over the back while writing. It’s perfectly purse- or pocket-sized and tastefully statement-making. As for writing, it’s acceptably smooth — not the smoothest of the pens I tested, but free of noticeable skipping or dragging. The ink is a bit slow to dry and can smudge if you run your hand over it too soon. — K.I.A.Total Score: 3.98$38 AT AMAZON43. Cross BaileyType: Ballpoint$22now 5% off$21Smoothness: 3 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4This is a fancier ballpoint with a substantial metallic body and a twist mechanism. The point is rather thick and requires more pressure to write, although you can control the ink-flow this way. A light touch yields a finer line, while pressing down harder imparts a thicker line. The ink-flow is not consistent and there’s some buildup, but moving the pen across the page feels nice and smooth. The body is black with silvery accents and the pen feels weighty in the hand. It’s handsome but doesn’t necessarily stand out among pens of this caliber. It would be a good pen for signing special documents and displaying on a corporate desk. — L.R.Total Score: 4$21 AT AMAZON42. Pelikan P40Type: Fountain$120Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 3.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4This is in the mid- to high-end range of fountain pens, and it feels like it. The nib glides easily across the page, yielding consistent ink-flow and lines, even though the ink looks a little wet. The blue ink looks almost purple, and it, too, has a watercolor-y aspect. It’s got a metallic body, parts of which are both solid and matte, and its design is a little more modern than your average fountain pen. There is a satisfying weight and heft to the pen and it feels nice in the hand. An all-around solid fountain pen if you’re looking to splurge a little. Another bonus: the ink-flow started immediately after the cartridge was installed. — L.R.Total Score: 4$120 AT AMAZON41. BIGiDESIGN Ti Arto EDC TitaniumType: Gel$95Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 2.5 | Looks: 4.5This is a hefty pen made out of solid titanium. Billed as “the world’s most refill-friendly pen,” it accepts over 200 different refills without the need for special parts or modifications. Even the tip length can be adjusted, and without any “wiggle.” This particular sample came with a Schneider Gelion 39 refill and a 0.4 mm. point. When writing with it, the ink flowed in a thick line and was rather smooth, with minimal smudging. But with the Ti Arto EDC, it’s really about the pen itself. While it looks raw and has a cool aesthetic, it’s heavy and a little unwieldy. It’s on the short side for a pen, and larger hands may feel cramped when using it. Still, it’s a substantial pen. Each component screws on and off via threading: the barrel holding the tip of the ink cartridge, the cap, and the back of the pen. The grip is ridged, but because it’s metal, it isn’t very comfortable for prolonged writing. But the pen as a whole looks sleek and tough (it’s a dark gray with a thin black band at the end) and is definitely a statement item if not purely utilitarian. It’s on the expensive side and would make a very handsome gift for someone who values looks and prefers to choose their own ink. — L.R.Total Score: 4$95 AT AMAZON40. TUL BP3 RetractableType: Ballpoint$18Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 2So smooth, no drag, but it’s still a ballpoint pen. I really like the click top — it has such a substantial and satisfying feel and noise. And the rubber grip is nice. It feels smooth and comfortable in my hand, not too heavy. It’s a pretty forgettable looking pen, though it has some nice detailing. — M.B.Total Score: 4$18 AT OFFICE DEPOT$17 FOR 12 AT AMAZON39. Parker IMType: Rollerball$40now 23% off$31Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 3.5The Parker IM Rollerball is handsome looking. A smooth operator. The kind of pen that takes itself seriously. One could imagine it on a wooden desk, being used to sign important papers by an important person. An important person who doesn’t have time for smudging or bleeding. Granted, its relative heft isn’t great for writing over extended periods. But this pen approximates what a luxury pen offers, at a much lower price point. — D.P.Total Score: 4$31 AT AMAZON38. Pilot Razor Point IIType: Felt-tip$20now 35% off$13Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 2.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Looks: 4The Pilot Razor Point pen is a lot like a Le Pen, but dressed in American business casual instead of a perfectly cut blazer. For those who prefer the clear, consistent lines of a felt-tip, this is the ideal day-to-day pen: it’s smooth and doesn’t catch or blot, and the ink dries in an instant. It’s plastic and lightweight, so it’s a utility player. And looks-wise, it’s basic in a good way. It’s even slightly retro: There’s a slight shimmer-sparkle print on the body and an embossed silver logo in an all-caps, non-cheesy typeface, making this look like a pen that belongs in an office with wood floors and nice Aeron chairs, and not in a Dilbert cartoon. It’s also artist and architect Richard Meier’s favorite. — M.R.Total Score: 4$13 AT AMAZON37. TUL Gel Retractable MediumType: Gel$18Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 3 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4I have a very intimate working knowledge of this TUL pen, because I own a colored set of these that I use every day. The TUL is my go-to for journaling and note-taking because it’s stupidly smooth, which really helps when I’m jotting stuff down quickly and have a lengthy train of thought, and the ink appears thick and bold on the page (I find it to be very similar to the Pilot Gel pens, but less messy). It does smudge slightly if you’re doubling back on your writing, and it’s pigmented enough to bleed through the page a bit, but it’s still a very good option for someone who writes a lot and wants something that allows for movement and speed. — L.K.Total Score: 4$18 AT OFFICE DEPOT$16 FOR 12 AT AMAZON36. Staedtler Triplus FinelinerType: Felt-tip$22now 27% off$16 for 20Smoothness: 4.3 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 3.6 | Feel: 4.2 | Looks: 3One of the most unique things about this pen is its triangular-shaped body with rounded edges. This little tweak makes it a lot easier and more comfortable to hold, while also giving it some traction so it doesn’t slip around in your fingers. For the most part, it’s a smooth pen with just an echo of resistance on some upstrokes. It doesn’t smudge at all and only a few darker points and lines bleed through. For a basic-looking pen with a relatively fine point, though, it’s satisfying to write with and most letters look clear and legible even when you’re writing quickly. — K.I.A.Total Score: 4.02$16 FOR 20 AT AMAZON35. Stabilo WorkerType: Rollerball$16now 13% off$14 for 4Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 3.5 | Bleed-through: 3.5 | Feel: 4.8 | Looks: 4.5With a solid and smooth line, this rollerball pen is reminiscent of a fountain pen — with none of the learning curve. Even though it has a fine point, it’s easier to control and way less scratchy than some of the other fine-nibbed pens I tested. With a wide, silicone-coated body, it’s easy to hold for long periods of time, and the orange color gives it a modern feel. Another cool touch: the dots on the body indicate the ink color. — K.I.A.Total Score: 4.06$14 FOR 4 AT AMAZON34. Sakura Pigma MicronType: Felt-tip$13now 23% off$10 for 6Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 3 | Looks: 3The Sakura Micron pen sticks a tiny bit which slows me down as I write. It does, however, have a nice flexibility of line thickness. I like the opacity of the ink, but sometimes it builds up on certain letters, which is ugly. It does not smudge and there is zero bleed-through. This pen has a pretty good weight to it, but because it’s shiny plastic I think it might make my hand sweat a little. It also feels slightly short in my hand. The cap is functional enough and the clip is kinda small. When it comes to looks, Micron pens are, in my opinion, sort of anti-design. The greenish, khaki-colored plastic is the definition of bland and visually, the overall design is basically negligible. — L.C.Total Score: 4.1$10 FOR 6 AT AMAZON33. Acme RollerballType: Rollerball$80Smoothness: 3.8 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 3 | Feel: 4.5 | Looks: 5Hawaiian-based Acme has been collaborating with architects, graphic designers, and artists since its founding in 1985. These are good-looking pens and it’s not surprising that they frequently win design awards. The two I tried out (a black-and-white geometric edition inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and a brightly colored one designed by Karim Rashid) were both attractive from afar and feature little details (like the artists’ signatures engraved on the cap bands) that reveal the care invested in the pens. While it’s not an unpleasant pen to write with by any means, it does seem like function takes a backseat to form. I noticed some skipping and there’s resistance when you’re dragging the pen across the page. The ink dries quickly and doesn’t smudge, but there is some visible bleed-through on the back of the page. Still, this is a pen that’ll get noticed in the office. Let your coworkers try it out — even if just for the highly satisfying sound the cap makes when it clicks on the pen. — K.I.A.Total Score: 4.16$80 AT ACME32. Pilot G-Tec-C GelType: Rollerball$13now 38% off$8 for 3Smoothness: 3.5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 3.5It’s a bit counterintuitive that such an everyday pen could be handsome, but the G-Tec-C has a nice combination of colors (clear, black, silver) and clean lines that feel pleasant in the hand. Because it’s so thin, though, it’s hard to feel like you’re writing with a smooth instrument — the ink doesn’t skip, but the tip is so thin that it doesn’t exactly glide across the page — it feels like it might slice through it at any point. Since so little ink is coming out, though, there’s no time for it to smudge or pool, and it certainly won’t bleed through the page. Though the tip is thin, the pen isn’t overly narrow, and I can imagine being able to write comfortably with it for a while. For quick note-taking, it may be hard to write quickly without fear that the ink will skip, but it’s a solid choice if you prefer a thin-lined pen. — J.C.Total Score: 4.2$8 FOR 3 AT AMAZON31. Pilot G2 Retractable 0.7 mm. FineType: Gel$25now 56% off$11Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 3.5The Pilot G-2 series are some of the most popular pens on the market, and that comes as no surprise. The ink runs smoothly and there’s virtually zero smudging. The lines are thick and more or less consistent, and that makes the pen great for everyday note-taking. I prefer a finer point, but this is a solid pen. It’s comfortable to hold thanks to its ergonomic and ridged rubber grip, has a satisfying click, and the clear barrel allows you to see the level of ink inside. — L.R.Total Score: 4.2$11 AT AMAZON30. Moleskine GoType: Ballpoint$6Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 1 | Looks: 5The Moleskine Go Pen lives up to its name in that writes consistently and smoothly without sticking to the page and it has a quick and satisfying ink-flow. It does the job of a ballpoint exceedingly well: It writes quickly and clearly, making my handwriting look neat and effortless. I noticed a minimal amount of smudging when I filled in an area and then rubbed my finger over it, zero smudging when I wrote normally, and zero bleed-through despite a nice dark, opaque ink. This pen hurts my hand to write with. Its rectangular design makes the corners dig into my thumb as I write. I would not be able to use this on a regular basis. Despite the pain it caused me it’s a nice-looking pen. I like the minimal grid design on the front and the black-and-white design reminds me of a Braun clock. I would keep this on my desk or in my pen jar. I also like the asymmetrical pocket clip. — L.C.Total Score: 4.2$6 AT AMAZON29. Sakura Pigma Micron Fine LineType: Felt-tip$20 for 8Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 2I usually hate fine pens, because my handwriting is relatively large and loopy and fine pens usually catch and drag, but writing with this pen felt like cutting butter with a hot knife, it’s that smooth. It has the feel and smooth, constant ink-flow of a fresh marker, and the precision of a ballpoint pen. I didn’t experience any smudging, nor, surprisingly, any bleed-through, even though it’s felt-tipped and looks inky. It feels comfortable in my hand, the cap clicks onto the back well, and for a plastic pen, it has a nice weight to it. My biggest complaint about this pen is that it is ugly. It’s an unseemly shade of khaki, covered in text, and a little clunky. — M.B.Total Score: 4.2$20 FOR 8 AT AMAZON28. Caran d’Ache 849 FluorescentType: Ballpoint$18now 39% off$11Smoothness: 4 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4.5I love the way this retractable ballpoint pen by Swiss company Caran d’Ache looks and feels. It comes in a striking neon pink with ridged sides like a No. 2 pencil and a silver push button, clip, and point. Its metallic body gives a heft to the pen and it’s satisfying to hold and write with. The ink output is smooth and consistent, making it a great instrument for everyday use. At $25, it’s certainly an upgrade, but its eye-catching design makes it worth it. I loved this pen. — L.R.Total Score: 4.3$11 AT AMAZON27. Montblanc Meisterstück Red Gold-Coated ClassiqueType: Ballpoint$420Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4Of course we had to include a Montblanc, and this one (the fountain pen version) is Salman Rushdie’s favorite. It’s a luxury pen that looks and feels like one. While its noticeable heft is comfortable at first, we docked a point because we imagine the weight may leave your hand feeling fatigued if you’re taking notes in an hour-long class or meeting. There’s no visible bleed-through and the writing experience is nearly seamless, with only a tiny bit of skipping when we first started using it. The ink is fast-drying but does leave faint smudging seconds after writing, which could be problematic for lefties. The shiny black body and rose gold details are nice looking, but we held off on giving the design top marks since, while elegant, it lacks any especially eye-popping elements to justify the cost. — L.R. & K.I.A.Total Score: 4.3$420 AT MONTBLANC26. Uni-ball Vision Elite BLXType: Rollerball$18now 28% off$13 for 5Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 4.75 | Feel: 4.5 | Looks: 4Almost everyone has used a version of this pen at some point — it’s a standby for a reason. The rollerball line is fluid and the ink flows smoothly. But the line can feel a bit thick at times, which for cursive writers can occasionally cause blurring. Smudging can also be an issue with this pen; after a few seconds you’ll still see some streaking. When you look super closely, a bit of heathering happens once the ink dries. If the slightly finicky nature of the rollerball’s style doesn’t bother you, it’ll be easy to see why this smooth inky pen has collected so many fans over the years. — Simone Kitchens, senior editorTotal Score: 4.35$13 FOR 5 AT AMAZON25. Pilot EasyTouch RetractableType: Ballpoint$16now 50% off$8 for 12Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4The Pilot EasyTouch is a reliable and affordable disposable pen. It’s surprisingly smooth and it draws a nice, fine line that doesn’t skip. The pen does not feel scratchy, but you do get a little pushback when writing with it; there is a small but normal amount of pressure required. No bleed-through. The retractable mechanism works well and yields an extremely satisfying but loud “click.” If you are looking to compulsively fiddle without disturbing your coworkers, this is not the pen for you. — D.N.Total Score: 4.4$8 FOR 12 AT AMAZON24. Cross Townsend 10 Karat Gold-Filled RollerballType: Rollerball$125Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4This pen is like the poor pen’s idea of an expensive pen: it’s plated in 10 karat gold and has a graduation-gift quality to it. It’s also remarkably smooth, though we’d say it’s not quite as glide-y as some other rollerballs. I did notice, however, that it smudged slightly when I wrote over previous writing, and while it has the perfect thickness between your fingers, the pen does begin to feel a bit heavy after longer periods of use. I happen to like its gold case, but after just one day in the pocket of our canvas messenger bag, the metal already had several superficial scratches. I’d probably save this for signing expensive checks on a well-appointed desk. — J.C.Total Score: 4.4$125 AT AMAZON23. Paper Mate Inkjoy — Best Gel PenType: Gel (Best in Category)$17Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4This is a jelly pen, but succeeds in many places where the (iconic) Gelly Roll fails. It is exceedingly smooth, and has very little to no smudging, even the second after you write with it. It has no bleed-through, and the ink that comes out produces not-too-thick, not-too-thin lines. I just like writing with this thing — it feels made for pretty, loopy cursive. — K.S.Total Score: 4.4$17 AT AMAZON22. Idlewild LuxeType: Rollerball$12Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 4.75 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4This pen feels a bit inconsistent at times: The line is smooth and the ink flows reliably, but not in the super-inky way that would feel commensurate to the look and “flair” of this pen. It’s quite heavy, so you’re sort of expecting an inkier, fuller line. Given the weight and the average writing experience, it seems more like a pen that’s for show, and less like one you’d want to use while settling down with a notebook. The feel is fine and the grip isn’t terrible; all in all it offers an average writing experience. — S.K.Total Score: 4.45$12 AT IDLEWILD CO.21. Pentel VicuñaType: Ballpoint$62Smoothness: 4.75 | Smudging: 4.2 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4.5 | Looks: 4If you’re someone who likes a sharp line and has small handwriting, this pen will accommodate both. But the ink can well up in places, specifically if you’re writing cursive, which can create an uneven lines at times, as well as some smudging. While it’s not much to speak of in the looks department, the rubbery grip is solid and would allow you to write comfortably for quite a while, thanks to its ultralightweight body. — S.K.Total Score: 4.49$62 AT AMAZON20. Pilot Better RetractableType: Ballpoint$18now 39% off$11 for 12Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 5 | Looks: 3An expensive-feeling ballpoint pen, the Pilot Better Retractable has a good shape that feels natural to hold. The line comes out unlike any BIC — as soon as I started writing, I was taken aback by the even distribution and glide of the ink (I wrote: “Smooth as butter”). As most ballpoints do, it gets high marks for smudging and bleed-through, too. Where it falls short for us is in the looks department; there’s something a bit humorless about it. Nobody’s going to ask you where you got it in your next meeting. — J.C.Total Score: 4.5$11 FOR 12 AT AMAZON19. Pilot Dr. Grip Center of Gravity RetractableType: Ballpoint$10now 10% off$9Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 5 | Looks: 3Though I was forced to detract points for the pen’s aesthetic (frankly, the thing is hideous — silver and purple and cheap-looking), this Dr. Grip is the smoothest pen I tried. The writing experience is seamless, and the ink that comes out is neither too thin, nor too thick. There is virtually no bleed-through or smudging, and the top of the pen is encased in a (latex-free, apparently) rubber, which felt very squishy and comfortable on my fingers while I wrote. The pen is a wee bit thick for my liking, but overall, this is a pen I would make a serious to-do list with. — K.S.Total Score: 4.5$9 AT AMAZON18. Marvy Le PenType: Felt-tip$41now 7% off$38 for 24Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 2.5 | Feel: 5 | Looks: 5Oh, the Le Pen. It is the nearly perfect pen: the felt tip leaves smooth, slender, consistent marks on paper, and your handwriting inevitably looks more elegant because of it. The actual build of the pen is refined but not flashy: it’s simply a tailored writing utensil of uniform width with a silver logo embossed on the side. There are no bumps or ridges where your fingers hold the pen’s body, so gripping it is comfortable. The Le Pen’s only flaw is that at the joints of letters, where you might press down for a beat longer, the ink can bleed through to the back of the paper. But for the Le Pen, you can forgo taking double-sided notes. — M.R.Total Score: 4.5$38 FOR 24 AT AMAZON17. OHTO Liberty CeramicType: RollerballSmoothness: 4 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4.5 | Looks: 4.5There is a lot to love about this pen. It feels substantial in your hand, but not too heavy. The lacquer finish makes the pen cool and comfortable to the touch; the ink is smooth and smudge-free. The black body with its gold details makes for a classy, elegant pen that looks more expensive than it really is. — D.P.Total Score: 4.6BUY AT AMAZON16. Pilot Precise V5Type: Rollerball$27now 48% off$14Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 4.5 | Feel: 4.5 | Looks: 4.5My old high school art teacher used to have to buy these by the boxful because us students would steal them every chance we’d get (sorry, Mr. Rapone!). The beauty of this one lies in its extra-fine tip. Precision is the name and the game here. Further, this baby really glides over the paper. It is, in short, the ideal doodling pen (and also the ideal everyday writing pen). If you want to feel like a disaffected art student during your morning meeting, this one’s for you. — D.P.Total Score: 4.6$14 AT AMAZON15. Pelikan Stola IIIType: Fountain$30Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4.5 | Looks: 4This is one of the smoothest fountain pens I tested. In some ways it almost feels like a rollerball: you don’t get any of the feedback resistance you sometimes get with a fountain pen. It doesn’t skip at all, and it starts writing right away — no need to scribble initially to get the ink flowing. There’s no bleed-through, and barely any smudging, which is very impressive for a fountain pen. The metal body has a nice finish and gives the pen a nice weight. The one issue I found was that the cap does not easily fasten onto the back of the pen. This won’t be a problem if you’re someone who uses fountain pens “unposted.” (In fountain pen lingo, writing “unposted” means writing with the cap removed from the body of the pen; writing “posted” means you slide the cap onto the back of the pen to write). If you prefer to write posted, it can be a bit of an issue to secure the cap to the back of the pen — you really need to force it on. This is really the only flaw here, if you can even call it one; overall, it’s a really solid fountain pen. — D.N.Total Score: 4.6$30 AT AMAZON14. Baron Fig Squire ClickType: Ballpoint$45Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4The smoothest ballpoint pen I’ve tested so far! It’s a little short for my taste, but it’s got a nice heft to it. I like the smooth, all-metal finish, and the clicking mechanism is very satisfying. Sleek, smooth, though if I had to knock off points, it would be due to the relatively prominent Baron Fig logo on the side. — M.B.Total Score: 4.6$45 AT BARON FIG13. Schneider Slider Rave XBType: Ballpoint$18 for 5Smoothness: 4.75 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4.8 | Looks: 4This pen delivers an incredibly smooth gel-feel that makes for a fun and almost bouncy writing experience. The harder you press it to the paper, the darker the ink and the chunkier the line. Writing a bit more softly, though, I experienced occasional skipping and it showed a little unevenness in places. You will notice the occasional tracer lines between picking up the pen and putting it back down on the paper. Still, the overall writing experience felt smooth and has a gliding effect. The ergonomic rubber grip feels great in your hand and it takes no time at all to get in a comfy position with it. — S.K.Total Score: 4.61$18 FOR 5 AT AMAZON12. BIC 4-ColorType: Ballpoint$8now 25% off$6 for 3Smoothness: 4.2 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 5I’ve long loved the way the BIC 4-Color Ballpoint looks. It’s blue and white, with each of its four color options represented by little slidable strips on the top (you press the color you’d like to use down, and the pen switches to that ink). That said: the ink comes out extremely faint, meaning you have to press down hard to make sure you can see your own notes. Smudginess and bleed-through are, needless to say, not an issue with this pen — and it’s not particularly fun to doodle with, because there’s just not enough ink coming out to fill drawings in. I love to use this for checklists — you can make the list with blue or black ink, then put little stars next to the urgent items in red ink. Do I sound crazy? — K.S.Total Score: 4.64$6 FOR 3 AT AMAZON11. Poppin SignatureType: Ballpoint$7 for 6Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 4.8 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4 | Looks: 4.5The action on this Poppin ballpoint pen is so smooth, it almost feels like it’s doing the writing on its own. It doesn’t stick to the page and it makes my handwriting look graceful. The flow of ink is on the lighter side and pressing harder won’t really affect that. This would be good for letter-writing or sketchbook notes. There is zero smudging (there was none even when I filled in a large area and ran my finger over it, hard). However, I noticed that ink did smudge onto the edge of the cap when removing it and putting it back on, which means the mint color of the case starts to look dirty fast. Zero bleed-through. This pen feels nice but it’s a little light for my taste. It almost feels like if I looked away, I would think I had dropped it. But the plastic is smooth and the cap pulls off and clicks back on with a nice sound. The mint color is nice and I like the design of the clip (which may be an ode to a paper clip). It would look great on a desk or in a meeting, where I want to project good taste and organization. — L.C.Total Score: 4.66$7 FOR 6 AT POPPINOur top ten.10. Pelikan P205Type: Fountain$109Smoothness: 4.5 | Smudging: 4 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 5 | Looks: 5This has the looks and feel of a classic, high-end fountain pen. The design is simple and understated, especially in the black with silver accents. The ink-flow is quite steady and it does not skip at all. It’s a smooth writer, but the nib feels slightly scratchy, most likely because it’s an “Extra Fine” nib, so a little scratchiness is inevitable. It is lightweight, easy to maneuver, and comfortable to hold. The cap screws on, so it can be stored away in your pocket without worry, and the cap also clicks onto the back easily and securely. No bleed-through. Smudging was a minor issue, about average for a fountain pen. (I tested this with the included ink cartridge, which is a special edition Pelikan ink from the “Edelstein Ink Collection,” so it’s possible that had something to do with the smudginess.) — D.N.Total Score: 4.7$109 AT AMAZON9. Hay BulletType: Ballpoint$7Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 4.8 | Bleed-through: 4 | Feel: 5 | Looks: 5I can tell a pen’s great from the way it makes my writing look — neat and pretty, ideally, like that of someone who bullet journals and scrapbooks regularly. But scrawling with this Hay pen felt like I was gliding over ice, too: if my cursive were any less rudimentary, I would go wild with elegantly looping g’s, y’s, and z’s. I suppose I should expect nothing less from the Strategist-beloved brand Hay — the pen is a Midas-y gold and is the most delightful-looking pen I’ve ever used, and the function really lives up to the design. I was struck by how weightless this pen felt in my hand. Despite the lack of a rubbery grip, the shape is ergonomic enough (it tapers like a chopstick) that my fingers felt secure and comfortable, and there’s virtually no bleed-through or smudging. I ended my testing by messaging a co-worker: “This pen has changed me.” — L.K.Total Score: 4.76$7 AT HAY8. Retro 51 TornadoType: Rollerball$25now 20% off$20Smoothness: 4.75 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4.5 | Looks: 4.6This is a total “signature” pen — perfect for signing checks, if that’s something you do often-ish. This rollerball delivers a super-clean, medium line; you won’t experience a lot of inconsistencies or smudging. As far as the pen itself goes, the weighty feel and the fat, torpedo-shaped body match up well with its super-inky and dark rollerball line. It’s not the type of pen you’d want to use for extended periods of writing, though — you really do feel the weight of it as you pick it up and put it down. But the clean, seamless line and substantial feel create an enjoyable experience overall. Design-wise, if a pen with a personality is your thing, perhaps you will particularly appreciate the “E = mc²” chalkboard motif. (It’s also available in — among many other styles — a crossword grid design, a herringbone-patterned metal, and an embossed honeybee-honeycomb design.) — S.K.Total Score: 4.77$20 AT AMAZON7. Parker JotterType: Ballpoint$15Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4.5 | Looks: 4.5The Parker Jotter is extremely smooth, but its ink is darker than average, making it, in my opinion, more of a work pen and less of a correspondence pen. I like that you can control your lines’ thickness and darkness by the pressure you apply — this is the mark of a more complex tool. This pen doesn’t smudge during normal note-taking or doodling. I got it to smudge a tiny bit, but only after trying very hard to fabricate smudge conditions. There is zero bleed-through. The weight of this pen is very satisfying. I like how it’s cool to the touch and then gradually warms in your hand, thanks to the metal casing. My favorite thing about this pen is the sound it makes when you click the top button — ka-chunk. It is very springy. This is a classic-looking pen, thanks to its super-handsome brushed metal body and arrow-shaped clip. It isn’t necessarily going to turn the heads of any pen snobs, but it is a few steps above a regular old BIC. — L.C.Total Score: 4.8$15 AT AMAZON6. Schneider Slider Memo XB MediumType: Ballpoint$30now 30% off$21 for 10Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4.5 | Looks: 4.5As far as disposable ballpoints go, the Schneider Slider Memo XB is really impressive. This pen is smooth. Like, really smooth. Almost disarmingly smooth. It really glides effortlessly, with minimal pressure required. It’s basically smudge-free. (If you try really hard to smudge just after writing, you can get the slightest smudge, but under normal conditions there should be no smudging at all). And there is no bleed-through. The XB yields a really thick line, so that is something to be aware of. It’s probably best suited for jotting down quick notes, and might present issues if fine lines or neat handwriting are required. Its large size combined with the cap attached to the back and its thick point make the pen slightly difficult to maneuver. It’s sort of like a big, comfortable Cadillac. I gave it a 4 on looks, which I know is potentially controversial. Is it an objectively attractive pen? No, definitely not. It has an unapologetically orthopedic look and a bulbous shape, and the metal clip on the cap is disarmingly wide, but this is all in the service of its function. It’s also wrapped in a comfortable, rubberized coating. — D.N.Total Score: 4.8$21 FOR 10 AT AMAZON5. Kaweco Classic Sport Fountain PenType: Fountain$21now 10% off$19Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 4.5 | Looks: 4.9The Kaweco Classic Sport Brass fountain pen is special. Writer André Aciman called it “the Volkswagen of pens, with a Jaguar engine.” I was worried it would be too heavy or uncomfortable due to its brass body, but it actually has just the right amount of heft. It is definitely heavier than your average pen, but I ended up enjoying the resistance from the additional weight and it helped my hand-movements feel more controlled. With its octagonal shape, compact size, and brass construction, this pen earned my highest marks on looks. It might not appeal to everyone, but it definitely has style. It also feels really solid and substantial: unscrewing the cap and sliding it on and off produces Hollywood-caliber sound effects. It’s a pen you will love fiddling with — for better or worse. There is no bleed-through. It is also one of the only fountain pens that somehow doesn’t smudge. It writes very smoothly with no skipping, but it requires a little more pressure than most fountain pens, because the ink-flow is relatively light, which could be a pro or a con depending on your preference. The only drawback is that sometimes the posted cap can loosen a bit as you write, but other than that, it’s pretty much perfect. — D.N.$19 AT AMAZON4. Aurora Ipsilon — Best Fountain PenType: Fountain (Best in Category)$140Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 4.5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 5 | Looks: 5The Aurora Ipsilon is about as classic as it gets. It is a very smooth writer, never skipping even when first touching down on the paper. Its ink-flow was consistent and steady throughout all of our tests. It’s quite lightweight and easy to maneuver, and the size is just right: not too big and not too small. Smudging was generally not an issue at all, but our hard-core “smudge test” did turn up some very light smudging. No bleed-through. Overall, it’s a really comfortable and easy-to-use fountain pen. It has an elegant and unassuming appearance with a vivid resin body and gold accents. A couple of small bonuses: the Aurora ink cartridges are super-sized, which comes in handy, and the the cap clicks on very securely. It’s the type of reliable pen you will find yourself reaching for. It narrowly edges out the Kaweco in terms of looks because it’s more likely to appeal to a wider group of people. — D.N.Total Score: 4.9$140 AT AMAZON3. Prismacolor Premier Fine Line — Best Felt-tip PenType: Felt-tip (Best in Category)$19now 26% off$14 for 5Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 5 | Looks: 4.5Great pen. Of all the pens I tried, it feels the closest to an extension of my natural hand gestures and it makes my handwriting look easy-going and legible. I also love the line quality — dark, but not too thick, and subject to my control (as opposed to controlling me). It does not smudge. Zero bleed-through. This pen feels like barely anything in my hand, which is perfect. For me, looks are less important than performance here, but having said that, this pen is less attractive than many others. Maybe that’s because it is shiny rather than matte and the clip is kind of puny. — L.C.Total Score: 4.9$14 FOR 5 AT AMAZON2. OHTO Horizon Needle Point Knock — Best BallpointType: Ballpoint (Best in Category)$20Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 5 | Looks: 5If you’re most comfortable writing with a 0.5 mm. (or even 0.3 mm.) mechanical pencil, you will feel right at home using this Japanese needlepoint pen (though its point is actually 0.7 mm.). The ink comes out clean and even, yielding the thinnest, smoothest line; there’s no smudging or skipping. You’ll be amazed at how small you can write with this thing. The pen itself feels sturdy, but not too heavy. It somehow seems like gripping it would be slippery, but that wasn’t an issue. The cerulean blue, hexagonal-tube design is elegant, but in a retro way — it’s easy to imagine some ’60s-era person at, like, IBM or NASA tucking it into a shirt pocket. And the side-click-release is both discreet-looking and extremely satisfying. — S.K.Total Score: 5$20 AT AMAZON1. Baron Fig Squire — Best Rollerball & Best OverallType: Rollerball (Best in Category)$55Smoothness: 5 | Smudging: 5 | Bleed-through: 5 | Feel: 5 | Looks: 5I love this pen. It practically dances across the page, and the ink comes through with command and a real presence (those who prefer a thinner line may not appreciate it so much, but I generally prefer a thinner line and was so taken with the ink’s smoothness that it didn’t matter). The matte finish of the burgundy Squire I tried gave it an expensive look, and the pen has a sturdy but not heavy feeling in the hand. I was worried that the Squire would fail the smudge test, due to the heavier distribution of ink onto the page, but it passed with flying colors (I also passed it along to a lefty, who was surprised that it didn’t smear at all). A star among rollerballs, which I’m happy to report, considering its considerable price tag — I think we’ve found what may well become a very popular graduation gift. — J.C.Total Score: 5$55 AT BARON FIG

History of librariesFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe history of libraries began with the first efforts to organize collections of documents. Topics of interest include accessibility of the collection, acquisition of materials, arrangement and finding tools, the book trade, the influence of the physical properties of the different writing materials, language distribution, role in education, rates of literacy, budgets, staffing, libraries for specially targeted audiences, architectural merit, patterns of usage, and the role of libraries in a nation's cultural heritage, and the role of government, church or private sponsorship. Since the 1960s issues of computerization and digitization come to the fore.Library history is the academic discipline devoted to the study of the history of libraries; it is a subfield of library science and of history.The first libraries consisted of archives of the earliest form of writing – the clay tablets in cuneiform script discovered in temple rooms in Sumer,[1][2] some dating back to 2600 BC.[3] About an inch thick, tablets came in various shapes and sizes. Mud like clay was placed in the wooden frames, and the surface was smoothed for writing and allowed to dry until damp. After being inscribed, the clay dried in the sun, or for a harder finish, was baked in a kiln. For storage, tablets could be stacked on edge, side by side, the contents described by a title written on the edge that faced out and was readily seen. The first libraries appeared five thousand years ago in Southwest Asia's Fertile Crescent, the area that ran from Mesopotamia to the Nile in Africa. Known as the cradle of civilization, the Fertile Crescent was the birthplace of writing, sometime before three thousand BC. (Murray, Stuart A.P.) These archives, which mainly consisted of the records of commercial transactions or inventories, mark the end of prehistory and the start of history.[4][5]Things were much the same in the government and temple records on papyrus of Ancient Egypt.[2] The earliest discovered private archives were kept at Ugarit; besides correspondence and inventories, texts of myths may have been standardized practice-texts for teaching new scribes. There is also evidence of libraries at Nippur about 1900 BC and those at Nineveh about 700 BC showing a library classification system.[6]Over 30,000 clay tablets from the Library of Ashurbanipal have been discovered at Nineveh,[7] providing modern scholars with an amazing wealth of Mesopotamian literary, religious and administrative work. Among the findings were the Enuma Elish, also known as the Epic of Creation,[8] which depicts a traditional Babylonian view of creation, the Epic of Gilgamesh,[9] a large selection of "omen texts" including Enuma Anu Enlil which "contained omens dealing with the moon, its visibility, eclipses, and conjunction with planets and fixed stars, the sun, its corona, spots, and eclipses, the weather, namely lightning, thunder, and clouds, and the planets and their visibility, appearance, and stations",[10] and astronomic/astrological texts, as well as standard lists used by scribes and scholars such as word lists, bilingual vocabularies, lists of signs and synonyms, and lists of medical diagnoses.Philosopher Laozi was keeper of books in the earliest library in China, which belonged to the Imperial Zhou dynasty.[11] Also, evidence of catalogues found in some destroyed ancient libraries illustrates the presence of librarians.[11]Classical period[edit]Artistic rendering of the Library of Alexandria, based on some archaeological evidenceThe Library of Alexandria, in Egypt, was the largest and most significant great library of the ancient world.[12] It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a major center of scholarship from its construction in the 3rd century BC until the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BC. The library was conceived and opened either during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter (323–283 BC) or during the reign of his son Ptolemy II (283–246 BC).[13] An early organization system was in effect at Alexandria.[13]The Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Anatolia, now part of Selçuk, Turkey was built in honor of the Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus[14][15] (completed in AD 135) by Celsus' son, Gaius Julius Aquila (consul, 110). The library was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a monumental tomb for Celsus. The library's ruins were hidden under debris of the city of Ephesus that was deserted in early Middle Ages. In 1903, Austrian excavations led to this hidden heap of rubble that had collapsed during an earthquake. The donator's son built the library to honor his father's memory and construction began around 113 or 114. Presently, visitors only see the remains of the library's facade.[16]Private or personal libraries made up of written books (as opposed to the state or institutional records kept in archives) appeared in classical Greece in the 5th century BC. The celebrated book collectors of Hellenistic Antiquity were listed in the late 2nd century in Deipnosophistae. All these libraries were Greek; the cultivated Hellenized diners in Deipnosophistae pass over the libraries of Rome in silence. By the time of Augustus there were public libraries near the forums of Rome: there were libraries in the Porticus Octaviae near the Theatre of Marcellus, in the temple of Apollo Palatinus, and in the Ulpian Library in the Forum of Trajan. The state archives were kept in a structure on the slope between the Roman Forum and the Capitoline Hill.Private libraries appeared during the late republic: Seneca inveighed against libraries fitted out for show by illiterate owners who scarcely read their titles in the course of a lifetime, but displayed the scrolls in bookcases (armaria) of citrus wood inlaid with ivory that ran right to the ceiling: "by now, like bathrooms and hot water, a library is got up as standard equipment for a fine house (domus).[17] Libraries were amenities suited to a villa, such as Cicero's at Tusculum, Maecenas's several villas, or Pliny the Younger's, all described in surviving letters. At the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum, apparently the villa of Caesar's father-in-law, the Greek library has been partly preserved in volcanic ash; archaeologists speculate that a Latin library, kept separate from the Greek one, may await discovery at the site.Remains of the Library of Celsus at EphesusIn the West, the first public libraries were established under the Roman Empire as each succeeding emperor strove to open one or many which outshone that of his predecessor. Rome's first public library was established by Asinius Pollio. Pollio was a lieutenant of Julius Caesar and one of his most ardent supporters. After his military victory in Illyria, Pollio felt he had enough fame and fortune to create what Julius Caesar had sought for a long time: a public library to increase the prestige of Rome and rival the one in Alexandria.[18] Pollios's library, the Anla Libertatis,[19] which was housed in the Atrium Libertatis, was centrally located near the Forum Romanum. It was the first to employ an architectural design that separated works into Greek and Latin. All subsequent Roman public libraries will have this design.[20] At the conclusion of Rome's civil wars following the death of Marcus Antonius in 30 BC, the Emperor Augustus sought to reconstruct many of Rome's damaged buildings. During this construction, Augustus created two more public libraries. The first was the library of the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine, often called the Palatine library, and the second was the library of the Porticus of Octaviae.[21]Two more libraries were added by the Emperor Tiberius on Palatine Hill and one by Vespasian after 70. Vespasian's library was constructed in the Forum of Vespasian, also known as the Forum of Peace, and became one of Rome's principal libraries. The Bibliotheca Pacis was built along the traditional model and had two large halls with rooms for Greek and Latin libraries containing the works of Galen and Lucius Aelius.[22] One of the best preserved was the ancient Ulpian Library built by the Emperor Trajan. Completed in 112/113 AD, the Ulpian Library was part of Trajan's Forum built on the Capitoline Hill. Trajan's Column separated the Greek and Latin rooms which faced each other.[23] The structure was approximately fifty feet high with the peak of the roof reaching almost seventy feet.[24]Unlike the Greek libraries, readers had direct access to the scrolls, which were kept on shelves built into the walls of a large room. Reading or copying was normally done in the room itself. The surviving records give only a few instances of lending features. Most of the large Roman baths were also cultural centres, built from the start with a library, a two-room arrangement with one room for Greek and one for Latin texts.Libraries were filled with parchment scrolls as at Library of Pergamum and on papyrus scrolls as at Alexandria: the export of prepared writing materials was a staple of commerce. There were a few institutional or royal libraries which were open to an educated public (such as the Serapeum collection of the Library of Alexandria, once the largest library in the ancient world),[13] but on the whole collections were private. In those rare cases where it was possible for a scholar to consult library books there seems to have been no direct access to the stacks. In all recorded cases the books were kept in a relatively small room where the staff went to get them for the readers, who had to consult them in an adjoining hall or covered walkway.In 213 BC during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang most books were ordered destroyed. The Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) reversed this policy for replacement copies, and created three imperial libraries. Liu Xin a curator of the imperial library was the first to establish a library classification system and the first book notation system. The seven Epitomes would be created as the cataloging system started by Liu Xiang and finished by his son Liu Xin. The title of the Seven Epitomes seems to suggest its classification to have seven classes. In fact, it comprised six main classes and 38 divisions or subclasses. Preceding the six classes was the Collective Epitome - thus the title Seven Epitomes.[25] At this time the library catalog was written on scrolls of fine silk and stored in silk bags. Important new technological innovations include the use of paper and block printing.[26][27] Wood-block printing, facilitated the large-scale reproduction of classic Buddhist texts which were avidly collected in many private libraries that flourished during the T'ang Dynasty (618–906 AD).The Ming Dynasty in 1407 founded the imperial library, the Wen Yuan Pavilion. It also sponsored the massive compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia, containing 11,000 volumes including copies of over 7000 books. It was soon destroyed, but similar very large compilations appeared in 1725 and 1772.Late Antiquity[edit]Malatestiana Library of Cesena, the first European civic library[28]During the Late Antiquity and Middle Ages periods, there was no Rome of the kind that ruled the Mediterranean for centuries and spawned the culture that produced twenty-eight public libraries in the urbs Roma.[29] The empire had been divided then later re-united again under Constantine the Great who moved the capital of the Roman Empire in 330 AD to the city of Byzantium which was renamed Constantinople.[30] The Roman intellectual culture that flourished in ancient times was undergoing a transformation as the academic world moved from laymen to Christian clergy.[31] As the West crumbled, books and libraries flourished and flowed east toward the Byzantine Empire.[32] There, four different types of libraries were established: imperial, patriarchal, monastic, and private.[33] Each had its own purpose and, as a result, their survival varied.Christianity was a new force in Europe and many of the faithful saw Hellenistic culture as pagan. As such, many classical Greek works, written on scrolls, were left to decay as only Christian texts were thought fit for preservation in a codex, the progenitor of the modern book.[34] In the East, however, this was not the case as many of these classical Greek and Roman texts were copied.[35]In Byzantium, much of this work devoted to preserving Hellenistic thought in codex form was performed in scriptoriums by monks.[36] While monastic library scriptoriums flourished throughout the East and West, the rules governing them were generally the same.[37] Barren and sun-lit rooms (because candles were a source of fire) were major features of the scriptorium that was both a model of production and monastic piety.[38] Monks scribbled away for hours a day, interrupted only by meals and prayers.[39] With such production, medieval monasteries began to accumulate large libraries. These libraries were devoted solely to the education of the monks and were seen as essential to their spiritual development.[40] Although most of these texts that were produced were Christian in nature, many monastic leaders saw common virtues in the Greek classics. As a result, many of these Greek works were copied, and thus saved, in monastic scriptoriums.[41]When Europe passed into the Dark Ages, Byzantine scriptoriums laboriously preserved Greco-Roman classics. As a result, Byzantium revived Classical models of education and libraries.[42] The Imperial Library of Constantinople was an important depository of ancient knowledge. Constantine himself wanted such a library but his short rule denied him the ability to see his vision to fruition. His son Constantius II made this dream a reality and created an imperial library in a portico of the royal palace.[43] He ruled for 24 years and accelerated the development of the library and the intellectual culture that came with such a vast accumulation of books.[44]Constantius II appointed Themistius, a pagan philosopher and teacher, as chief architect of this library building program. Themistius set about a bold program to create an imperial public library that would be the centerpiece of the new intellectual capital of Constantinople.[45] Classical authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Demosthenes, Isocrates, Thucydides, Homer, and Zeno were sought. Themeistius hired calligraphers and craftsman to produce the actual codices. He also appointed educators and created a university-like school centered around the library.[46]After the death of Constantius II, Julian the Apostate, a bibliophile intellectual, ruled briefly for less than three years. Despite this, he had a profound impact on the imperial library and sought both Christian and pagan books for its collections.[43] Later, the Emperor Valens hired Greek and Latin scribes full-time with from the royal treasury to copy and repair manuscripts.[47]At its height in the 5th century, the Imperial Library of Constantinople had 120,000 volumes and was the largest library in Europe.[48] A fire in 477 consumed the entire library but it was rebuilt only to be burned again in 726, 1204, and in 1453 when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks.[49]Patriarchal libraries fared no better, and sometimes worse, than the Imperial Library. The Library of the Patriarchate of Constantinople was founded most likely during the reign of Constantine the Great in the 4th century.[50] As a theological library, it was known to have employed a library classification system.[51] It also served as a repository of several ecumenical councils such as the Council of Nicea, Council of Ephesus, and the Council of Chalcedon. The library, which employed a librarian and assistants, may have been originally located in the Patriarch's official residence before it was moved to the Thomaites Triclinus in the 7th century. While much is not known about the actual library itself, it is known that many of its contents were subject to destruction as religious in-fighting ultimately resulted in book burnings.[52]During this period, small private libraries existed. Many of these were owned by church members and the aristocracy.[53] Teachers also were known to have small personal libraries as well as wealthy bibliophiles who could afford the highly ornate books of the period.[54]Thus, in the 6th century, at the close of the Classical period, the great libraries of the Mediterranean world remained those of Constantinople and Alexandria. Cassiodorus, minister to Theodoric, established a monastery at Vivarium in the toe of Italy (modern Calabria) with a library where he attempted to bring Greek learning to Latin readers and preserve texts both sacred and secular for future generations. As its unofficial librarian, Cassiodorus not only collected as many manuscripts as he could, he also wrote treatises aimed at instructing his monks in the proper uses of reading and methods for copying texts accurately. In the end, however, the library at Vivarium was dispersed and lost within a century.Through Origen and especially the scholarly presbyter Pamphilus of Caesarea, an avid collector of books of Scripture, the theological school of Caesarea won a reputation for having the most extensive ecclesiastical library of the time, containing more than 30,000 manuscripts: Gregory Nazianzus, Basil the Great, Jerome and others came and studied there.Islamic landsInside a Qur'anic Library in Chinguetti, MauritaniaThe first libraries in Muslim lands were not necessarily for the public, but they contained much knowledge. The need for the preservation of the Quran, the Muslim Holy Book, and the Traditions of the Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam is what led to the collection of writings in the Muslim world. Where traditions and history used to be oral, the need to preserve the words of the Quran necessitated a method of preserving the words by some means other than orally. Mosques that were the center of everything in an Muslim societies day-to-day life became also libraries that stored and preserved all knowledge, from the Quran to books on religion, philosophy and science. "Under the Abbasids, Muslims formed the vanguard of civilization. The Abbasids were influenced by the Quran and Hadith such as, "the ink of scholar is equal to the blood of martyr,[55] "stressing the value of knowledge." With the passion of the Caliphs to establish centers of knowledge, the Muslim world quickly began to have different centers that housed libraries which contained encyclopedias, translations, commentaries and treatises written by Muslim philosophers, scholars and scientists. With the discovery of paper, the Muslim world quickly began to progress in its development of libraries, and "libraries (royal, public, specialised, private) had become common and bookmen (authors, translators, copiers, illuminators, librarians, booksellers' collectors) from all classes and sections of society, of all nationalities and ethnic backgrounds, vied with each other in the production and distribution of books.[56]"By the 8th century first Iranians and then Arabs had imported the craft of papermaking from China, with a paper mill already at work in Baghdad in 794. By the 9th century public libraries started to appear in many Islamic cities. They were called "halls of Science" or dar al-'ilm. They were each endowed by Islamic sects with the purpose of representing their tenets as well as promoting the dissemination of secular knowledge. In Baghdad, the library was known as the House of Wisdom.[57] It also was a university where numerous scholars and copyists translated works from other nations into Arabic. he 9th-century Abbasid Caliph al-Mutawakkil of Iraq, ordered the construction of a "zawiyat qurra" – an enclosure for readers which was "lavishly furnished and equipped". In Shiraz Adhud al-Daula (d. 983) set up a library, described by the medieval historian, al-Muqaddasi, as "a complex of buildings surrounded by gardens with lakes and waterways. The buildings were topped with domes, and comprised an upper and a lower story with a total, according to the chief official, of 360 rooms.... In each department, catalogues were placed on a shelf... the rooms were furnished with carpets".[58] The libraries often employed translators and copyists in large numbers, in order to render into Arabic the bulk of the available Persian, Greek, Roman and Sanskrit non-fiction and the classics of literature.It should also be noted that Islamic states in Africa began to see a rapid development in education from the 11th century. Libraries of particular importance would include that of Timbuktu, which held many manuscripts that were important for over 600 years in the Ghanan, Mali and Songhai empires. One of the most notable authors was Ahmad Baba who wrote over 40 manuscripts – widely considered as being one of the most influential scholars from Timbuktu. Many of the manuscripts and buildings were destroyed by the Arab-European invasion in 1591 and writers, such as Ahmad Baba were taken into captivity.[59] Despite this and the poor preservation conditions as many as 700,000 manuscripts still survive today.[60]This flowering of Islamic learning ceased centuries later when learning began declining in the Islamic world, after many of these libraries were destroyed by Mongol invasions. Others were victim of wars and religious strife in the Islamic world. However, a few examples of these medieval libraries, such as the libraries of Chinguetti in West Africa, remain intact and relatively unchanged. Another ancient library from this period which is still operational and expanding is the Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi in the Iranian city of Mashhad, which has been operating for more than six centuries.The contents of these Islamic libraries were copied by Christian monks in Muslim/Christian border areas, particularly Spain and Sicily. From there they eventually made their way into other parts of Christian Europe. These copies joined works that had been preserved directly by Christian monks from Greek and Roman originals, as well as copies Western Christian monks made of Byzantine works. The resulting conglomerate libraries are the basis of every modern library today.AsiaThe spread of religion and philosophy in South and East Asia spurred the development of writing and books. Chinese emperors were very supportive of this culture. Chinese printing and papermaking, which predate Western development, gave birth to a thriving book culture in East Asia.[61] Several Asian religious and philosophical movements are responsible for stimulating learning, printing and book collecting: Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Jainism.[61] Jainism, a major faith of the Indian subcontinent, had a tradition of religious, scientific, and cultural scholarship. Early practitioners of the faith not only produced scriptural writing the first century BC, but also established some of Asia's earliest libraries.[61] Mainly housed in temples, these libraries later became known as "Jain Knowledge Warehouses" and is responsible for the preservation of hundreds of thousands handwritten manuscripts. The invention of paper in China allowed the Chinese to create an early form of printing (stone-rubbing). Writings the sixth-century philosopher, Confucius, were originally inscribed on stone tablets. To achieve this early form of printing the Chinese would push soft paper onto the stone, apply ink to the back of the sheet, resulting in a black background with white letters.[61] The Chinese also employed inked carved woodblock to produce printed materials. One the major Buddhist cannons, the Tripitaka, was published in 5,000 volumes using more than 130,000 individual woodblocks.[61] In the eleventh century movable type was developed in China and Koreans established the first foundry for producing movable type. In spite of these developments, woodblock printing remained the norm in China, Korea, and Japan. Each ruler in China compiled its own official written archives. Every emperor decided which philosophical texts, which accounts of history, which rituals of faith, and what poetry and literature would be permitted in the empire; oftentimes chronicling their own version of the previous ruler's history. Confucian and Buddhist writings that were brought to Korea and Japan are directly responsible for the continued development of book publishing and library building in East Asia.[61]Buddhist scriptures, educational materials, and histories were stored in libraries in pre-modern Southeast Asia. In Burma, a royal library called the Pitakataik was legendarily founded by King Anawrahta;[62] in the 18th century, British envoy Michael Symes, on visiting this library, wrote that "it is not improbable that his Birman majesty may possess a more numerous library than any potentate, from the banks of the Danube to the borders of China". In Thailand libraries called ho trai were built throughout the country, usually on stilts above a pond to prevent bugs from eating at the books.European Middle AgesMerton College LibraryIn the Early Middle Ages, monastery libraries developed, such as the important one at the Abbey of Montecassino in Italy.[63] Books were usually chained to the shelves, reflecting the fact that manuscripts, which were created via the labour-intensive process of hand copying, were valuable possessions.[64]Despite this protectiveness, many libraries loaned books if provided with security deposits (usually money or a book of equal value). Lending was a means by which books could be copied and spread. In 1212 the council of Paris condemned those monasteries that still forbade loaning books, reminding them that lending is "one of the chief works of mercy."[65] The early libraries located in monastic cloisters and associated with scriptoria were collections of lecterns with books chained to them. Shelves built above and between back-to-back lecterns were the beginning of bookpresses. The chain was attached at the fore-edge of a book rather than to its spine. Book presses came to be arranged in carrels (perpendicular to the walls and therefore to the windows) in order to maximize lighting, with low bookcases in front of the windows. This "stall system" (i.e. fixed bookcases perpendicular to exterior walls pierced by closely spaced windows) was characteristic of English institutional libraries. In European libraries, bookcases were arranged parallel to and against the walls. This "wall system" was first introduced on a large scale in Spain's El Escorial.Also, in Eastern Christianity monastery libraries kept important manuscripts. The most important of them were the ones in the monasteries of Mount Athos for Orthodox Christians, and the library of the Saint Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt for the Coptic Church.RenaissanceReading room of the Laurentian LibraryFrom the 15th century in central and northern Italy, libraries of humanists and their enlightened patrons provided a nucleus around which an "academy" of scholars congregated in each Italian city of consequence. Malatesta Novello, lord of Cesena, founded the Malatestiana Library. Cosimo de Medici in Florence established his own collection, which formed the basis of the Laurentian Library.[66] In Rome, the papal collections were brought together by Pope Nicholas V, in separate Greek and Latin libraries, and housed by Pope Sixtus IV, who consigned the Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana to the care of his librarian, the humanist Bartolomeo Platina in February 1475.[67]Also the Hungarian Bibliotheca Corviniana was one of the first and largest Renaissance Greek-Latin library, established by Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary between 1458 and 1490. In 1490, the library consisted of about 3,000 codices or "Corvinae". Beatrix of Aragon Queen of Hungary encouraged his work with the Bibliotheca Corviniana. Lots of Corvinaes made in Florence and inspired Lorenzo Medici to found his own Greek-Latin library. The Turkish invasion of Hungary in the 16th century destroyed the codices.In the 16th century Sixtus V bisected Bramante's Cortile del Belvedere with a cross-wing to house the Apostolic Library in suitable magnificence. The 16th and 17th centuries saw other privately endowed libraries assembled in Rome: the Vallicelliana, formed from the books of Saint Filippo Neri, with other distinguished libraries such as that of Cesare Baronio, the Biblioteca Angelica founded by the Augustinian Angelo Rocca, which was the only truly public library in Counter-Reformation Rome; the Biblioteca Alessandrina with which Pope Alexander VII endowed the University of Rome; the Biblioteca Casanatense of the Cardinal Girolamo Casanate; and finally the Biblioteca Corsiniana founded by the bibliophile Clement XII Corsini and his nephew Cardinal Neri Corsini, still housed in Palazzo Corsini in via della Lungara. The Republic of Venice patronized the foundation of the Biblioteca Marciana, based on the library of Cardinal Basilios Bessarion. In Milan Cardinal Federico Borromeo founded the Biblioteca Ambrosiana.This trend soon spread outside of Italy, for example Louis III, Elector Palatine founded the Bibliotheca Palatina of Heidelberg.These libraries don't have as many volumes as the modern libraries. However, they keep many valuable manuscripts of Greek, Latin and Biblical works. After the invention of the printing press, many Renaissance libraries began to collect printed texts as well as valuable manuscripts. This shift in collection materials took place within a hundred-year period- from 1550 to 1650- where the collection of texts shifted between luxury collectibles to printed texts filled with useful information. The transition of collections during the Renaissance was not just a shift exclusively from manuscripts to printed texts, although this did categorize the shift, but from books as expensive luxury artifacts both in print and in manuscript form to an expenditure on multiple copies of printed texts which held valuable, intellectual practicality.[68] This shift can be seen as one from a textually aesthetic point of view to one where texts held intellectual usefulness. One example is the library at the Ducal Palace in Urbino, Italy. The collection of the Ducal Palace library of Urbino is evidence of two different economies of collecting: luxury and intellectual. The older library served to collect texts which served primarily to memorialize the history of the Duke of Urbino's relations and show his magnificence, while the new library served primarily as an information retrieval system for contemporary scholars to research with and discuss.[69] In addition to manuscripts and information based texts, the Ducal library also housed what we would consider now as archival materials. This included a collection of Renaissance newsletter manuscripts, diplomatic, engineering, military, and other political and moral documents.[70]Tianyi Chamber, founded in 1561 by Fan Qin during the Ming Dynasty, is the oldest existing library in China. In its heyday it boasted a collection of 70,000 volumes of antique booEnlightenment era libraries[edit]Thomas Bodley founded the Bodleian Library in 1602 as an early public library.The 17th and 18th centuries include what is known as a golden age of libraries;[71] during this some of the more important libraries were founded in Europe. Francis Trigge Chained Library of St. Wulfram's Church, Grantham, Lincolnshire was founded in 1598 by the rector of nearby Welbourne.[72] Thomas Bodley founded the Bodleian Library, which was open to the "whole republic of the learned", Norwich City library was established in 1608[73] and the British Library was established in 1753. Chetham's Library in Manchester, which claims to be the oldest public library in the English-speaking world, opened in 1653.[74] Other early town libraries of the UK include those of Ipswich (1612), Bristol (founded in 1613 and opened in 1615), and Leicester (1632). Shrewsbury School also opened its library to townsfolk.[75]The Bibliothèque Mazarine was initially the personal library of cardinal Mazarin (1602–1661), who was a great bibliophile. His first library, arranged by his librarian, Gabriel Naudé, was dispersed when he had to flee Paris during the Fronde. He then began a second library with what was left of the first, assisted by the successor to Naudé, François de La Poterie. At his death he bequeathed his library, which he had opened to scholars since 1643, to the Collège des Quatre-Nations which he had founded in 1661. The Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève was also founded in Paris, the Austrian National Library in Vienna, the National Central Library in Florence, the Prussian State Library in Berlin, the Załuski Library in Warsaw and the M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin State Public Library in St Petersburg.[76]But this golden age was not just some prosaic period of great expansion to the number and accessibility of the libraries of Europe; it was also a period of great conflict. The Reformation did not just inspire a redistribution of power but also a redistribution of wealth and knowledge. While the Thirty Years War (1618–1648) decimated the population of Europe (from 21 million at the beginning of the conflict to 13 million by the end) it also aided in the redistribution of this wealth and knowledge.[61]:116Often the plunder of this conflict included the recovery of books from looted monasteries and libraries.[61]:116 Given the large cost associated with the creation of the codex it should come as little surprise that books would be seen as a prize of both pecuniary and scholastic wealth, enough that a Bavarian noble sent the captured contents of the Palatine Library of Heidelberg to the Vatican as a trophy to the Pope.[61]:118–119 On the other side of the conflict, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden specifically targeted Jesuit schools and seminaries and had wagon loads of loot (seized books and manuscripts) returned to the libraries of his home.[61]:118 Large volumes of books changed hands during the Thirty Years War and eventually found their way across Europe where new libraries sprang up to house these redistributed treasures.In addition to stores of knowledge being shuffled around as spoils of war, the printing press created economies of scale that allowed for the exchange of books to become more commonplace.[61]:119–120 Book fairs were the most merchants most common choice of sale and catalogs were their most common choice of organization.[61]:120The collectors of this period helped shape the 'form' of libraries. We can see echoes of many of their innovations in the tropes of today's libraries. As noted previously, influenced by the ideals of Gabriel Naude, Cardinal Jules Mazarin proclaimed his library "open to everybody without exception".[61]:122 Also, possibly inspiring a trope, Sir Robert Bruce Cotton organized his library with the placement of busts of ancient Romans at the tops of his shelves and cataloged his contents alphanumerically based on the name of the shelf (bust) and the books physical position on the shelf (by number of books preceding it).[61]:123–124At the start of the 18th century, libraries were becoming increasingly public and were more frequently lending libraries. The 18th century saw the switch from closed parochial libraries to lending libraries. Before this time, public libraries were parochial in nature and libraries frequently chained their books to desks.[77] Libraries also were not uniformly open to the public.[78]Even though the British Museum existed at this time and contained over 50,000 books, the national library was not open to the public, or even to a majority of the population. Access to the Museum depended on passes, of which there was sometimes a waiting period of three to four weeks. Moreover, the library was not open to browsing. Once a pass to the library had been issued, the reader was taken on a tour of the library. Many readers complained that the tour was much too short.[79]Subscription librariesMain article: Subscription libraryThe British Museum was established in 1751 and had a library containing over 50,000 books.At the start of the 19th century, there were virtually no public libraries in the sense in which we now understand the term i.e. libraries provided from public funds and freely accessible to all.[80] Only one important library in Britain, namely Chetham's Library in Manchester, was fully and freely accessible to the public.[80] However, there had come into being a whole network of library provision on a private or institutional basis.The increase in secular literature at this time encouraged the spread of lending libraries, especially the commercial subscription libraries. Many small, private book clubs evolved into subscription libraries, charging high annual fees or requiring subscribing members to purchase shares in the libraries. The materials available to subscribers tended to focus on particular subject areas, such as biography, history, philosophy, theology, and travel, rather than works of fiction, particularly the novel.Unlike a public library, access was often restricted to members. Some of the earliest such institutions were founded in late 17th century England, such as Chetham's Library in 1653, Innerpeffray Library in 1680 and Thomas Plume's Library in 1704. In the American colonies, the Library Company of Philadelphia was started in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia, PA.The increasing production and demand for fiction promoted by commercial markets led to the rise of circulating libraries, which met a need that subscription libraries did not fulfil. William Bathoe claimed that his commercial venture was 'the Original Circulating library', opening doors at two locations in London in 1737.[81][82] Circulating libraries also charged subscription fees to users and offered serious subject matter as well as the popular novels, thus the difficulty in clearly distinguishing circulating from subscription libraries.[83]Biblioteka Załuskich, built in Warsaw in the mid 18th century.Subscription libraries were democratic in nature; created by and for communities of local subscribers who aimed to establish permanent collections of books and reading materials, rather than selling their collections annually as the circulating libraries tended to do, in order to raise funds to support their other commercial interests. Even though the subscription libraries were often founded by reading societies, committees, elected by the subscribers, chose books for the collection that were general, rather than aimed at a particular religious, political or professional group. The books selected for the collection were chosen because they would be mutually beneficial to the shareholders. The committee also selected the librarians who would manage the circulation of materials.[84]In Britain there were more than 200 commercial circulating libraries open in 1800, more than twice the number of subscription and private proprietary libraries that were operating at the same time. Many proprietors pandered to the most fashionable clientele, making much ado about the sort of shop they offered, the lush interiors, plenty of room and long hours of service.[81] "These 'libraries' would be called rental collections today."[85]Private libraries[edit]The Linen Hall Library was an 18th-century subscription library. Pictured in 1888, shortly before its demolition.Private subscription libraries functioned in much the same manner as commercial subscription libraries, though they varied in many important ways. One of the most popular versions of the private subscription library was a gentleman's only library. Membership was restricted to the proprietors or shareholders, and ranged from a dozen or two to between four and five hundred.[86]The Liverpool Subscription library was a gentlemen only library. In 1798, it was renamed the Athenaeum when it was rebuilt with a newsroom and coffeehouse. It had an entrance fee of one guinea and annual subscription of five shillings.[87] An analysis of the registers for the first twelve years provides glimpses of middle-class reading habits in a mercantile community at this period. The largest and most popular sections of the library were History, Antiquities, and Geography, with 283 titles and 6,121 borrowings, and Belles Lettres, with 238 titles and 3,313 borrowings.[88][89]Circulating library and stationery shop, Gulgong, Australia 1870.Private subscription libraries held a greater amount of control over both membership and the types of books in the library. There was almost a complete elimination of cheap fiction in the private societies.[90] Subscription libraries prided themselves on respectability. The highest percentage of subscribers were often landed proprietors, gentry, and old professions.[91]Towards the end of the 18th century and in the first decades of the nineteenth the need for books and general education made itself felt among social classes created by the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution.[92] The late 18th century saw a rise in subscription libraries intended for the use of tradesmen. In 1797, there was established at Kendal what was known as the Economical Library, "designed principally for the use and instruction of the working classes".[93] There was also the Artizans' library established at Birmingham in 1799. The entrance fee was 3 shillings. The subscription was 1 shilling 6 pence per quarter. This was a library of general literature. Novels, at first excluded, were afterwards admitted on condition that they did not account for more than one-tenth of the annual income.[86]National libraries[edit]Main article: National libraryOrigins[edit]The Lindisfarne Gospels is but one of the treasures collected by Sir Robert Cotton.The first national libraries had their origins in the royal collections of the sovereign or some other supreme body of the state.One of the first plans for a national library was devised by the Welsh mathematician John Dee, who in 1556 presented Mary I of England with a visionary plan for the preservation of old books, manuscripts and records and the founding of a national library, but his proposal was not taken up.[94]In England, Sir Richard Bentley's Proposal for Building a Royal Library published in 1694 stimulated renewed interest in the subject. Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet, of Connington, a wealthy antiquarian, amassed the richest private collection of manuscripts in the world at the time and founded the Cotton Library. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, many priceless and ancient manuscripts that had belonged to the monastic libraries began to be disseminated among various owners, many of whom were unaware of the cultural value of the manuscripts. Sir Robert's genius was in finding, purchasing and preserving these ancient documents.[95] After his death his grandson donated the library to the nation as its first national library. This transfer established the formation of the British Library.[96][97]National libraries[edit]Sir Hans Sloane's collection of books and manuscripts was bequeathed to the British Museum.The first true national library was founded in 1753 as part of the British Museum. This new institution was the first of a new kind of museum – national, belonging to neither church nor king, freely open to the public and aiming to collect everything.[98] The museum's foundations lay in the will of the physician and naturalist Sir Hans Sloane, who gathered an enviable collection of curiosities over his lifetime which he bequeathed to the nation for £20,000.[99]Sloane's collection included some 40,000 printed books and 7,000 manuscripts, as well as prints and drawings.[100] The British Museum Act 1753 also incorporated the Cotton library and the Harleian library. These were joined in 1757 by the Royal Library, assembled by various British monarchs.[101]The first exhibition galleries and reading room for scholars opened on 15 January 1759,[102] and in 1757, King George II granted it the right to a copy of every book published in the country, thereby ensuring that the Museum's library would expand indefinitely.Montagu House, seat of the British Library, founded in 1753.Anthony Panizzi became the Principal Librarian at the British Library in 1856, where he oversaw its modernization. During his tenure, the Library's holdings increased from 235,000 to 540,000 volumes, making it the largest library in the world at the time. Its famous circular Reading Room was opened in 1857. Panizzi undertook the creation of a new catalogue, based on the "Ninety-One Cataloguing Rules" (1841) which he devised with his assistants. These rules served as the basis for all subsequent catalogue rules of the 19th and 20th centuries, and are at the origins of the ISBD and of digital cataloguing elements such as Dublin Core.As librarian of the Bibliothèque Mazarine, Jacques Auguste de Thou transformed it into the largest library in the world at the time.In France, the first national library was the Bibliothèque Mazarine, which evolved from its origin as a royal library founded at the Louvre Palace by Charles V in 1368. At the death of Charles VI, this first collection was unilaterally bought by the English regent of France, the Duke of Bedford, who transferred it to England in 1424. It was apparently dispersed at his death in 1435.[103][104] The invention of printing resulted in the starting of another collection in the Louvre inherited by Louis XI in 1461.[105] Francis I transferred the collection in 1534 to Fontainebleau and merged it with his private library.The appointment of Jacques Auguste de Thou as librarian in the 17th century, initiated a period of development that made it the largest and richest collection of books in the world.[104] The library opened to the public in 1692, under the administration of Abbé Louvois, Minister Louvois's son. Abbé Louvois was succeeded by the Abbé Bignon, or Bignon II as he was termed, who instituted a complete reform of the library's system. Catalogues were made which appeared from 1739 to 1753 in 11 volumes. The collections increased steadily by purchase and gift to the outbreak of the French Revolution, at which time it was in grave danger of partial or total destruction, but owing to the activities of Antoine-Augustin Renouard and Joseph Van Praet it suffered no injury.[104]The library's collections swelled to over 300,000 volumes during the radical phase of the French Revolution when the private libraries of aristocrats and clergy were seized. After the establishment of the French First Republic in September 1792, "the Assembly declared the Bibliotheque du Roi to be national property and the institution was renamed the Bibliothèque Nationale. After four centuries of control by the Crown, this great library now became the property of the French people."[103]Expansion[edit]In the newly formed American republic, James Madison first proposed instituting a congressional library in 1783.[106] The Library of Congress was established on 24 April 1800, when president John Adams signed an act of Congress providing for the transfer of the seat of government from Philadelphia to the new capital city of Washington. Part of the legislation appropriated $5,000 "for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress ..., and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them...." Books were ordered from London and the collection, consisting of 740 books and 3 maps, was housed in the new Capitol.[107]The Załuski Library of Poland was taken by Russia after the country's partition, and the collection formed the nucleus of the Russian Imperial Public Library, established in 1795.The Imperial Public Library was established in 1795 by Catherine the Great, whose private collections included the domestic libraries of Voltaire and Diderot, which she had purchased from their heirs. Voltaire's personal library is still one of the highlights of the collection. The plan of a Russian public library was submitted to Catherine in 1766 but the Empress did not approve the project for the imperial library until 27 May [O.S. 16 May] 1795, eighteen months before her death. The cornerstone of the foreign-language department came from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the form of Załuski's Library (420,000 volumes), nationalized by the Russian government at the time of the partitions.[108] The Polish-language books from the library (numbering some 55,000 titles) were returned to Poland by the Russian SFSR in 1921.[109]Although Germany was only constituted as a state in 1871, the first national library was set up in the context of the German revolutions of 1848. Various booksellers and publishers offered their works to the Frankfurt Parliament for a parliamentary library. The library, led by Johann Heinrich Plath, was termed the Reichsbibliothek ("Reich library"). After the failure of the revolution the library was abandoned and the stock of books already in existence was stored at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg.[110] In 1912, the town of Leipzig, seat of the annual Leipzig Book Fair, the Kingdom of Saxony and the Börsenverein der Deutschen Buchhändler (Association of German booksellers) agreed to found a German National Library in Leipzig. Starting 1 January 1913, all publications in German were systematically collected (including books from Austria and Switzerland).Modern public libraries[edit]United Kingdom[edit]James Silk Buckingham led the campaign for public libraries in the mid 19th century.Although by the mid-19th century, England could claim 274 subscription libraries and Scotland, 266, the foundation of the modern public library system in Britain is the Public Libraries Act 1850. The Act first gave local boroughs the power to establish free public libraries and was the first legislative step toward the creation of an enduring national institution that provides universal free access to information and literature. In the 1830s, at the height of the Chartist movement, there was a general tendency towards reformism in the United Kingdom. The Capitalist economic model had created a significant amount of free time for workers, and the middle classes were concerned that the workers' free time was not being well-spent. This was prompted more by Victorian middle class paternalism rather than by demand from the lower social orders.[111] Campaigners felt that encouraging the lower classes to spend their free time on morally uplifting activities, such as reading, would promote greater social good.[112]In 1835, and against government opposition, James Silk Buckingham, MP for Sheffield and a supporter of the temperance movement, was able to secure the Chair of the Select Committee which would examine "the extent, causes, and consequences of the prevailing vice of intoxication among the labouring classes of the United Kingdom" and propose solutions. Francis Place, a campaigner for the working class, agreed that "the establishment of parish libraries and district reading rooms, and popular lectures on subjects both entertaining and instructive to the community might draw off a number of those who now frequent public houses for the sole enjoyment they afford".[113] Buckingham introduced to Parliament a Public Institution Bill allowing boroughs to charge a tax to set up libraries and museums, the first of its kind. Although this did not become law, it had a major influence on William Ewart MP and Joseph Brotherton MP, who introduced a bill which would "[empower] boroughs with a population of 10,000 or more to raise a ½d for the establishment of museums".[114] This became the Museums Act 1845.The turn of the 20th century witnessed a tremendous expansion in the provision of public libraries in the English-speaking world. Pictured, the Peter White Public Library built in 1905.The advocacy of Ewart and Brotherton then succeeded in having a select committee set up to consider public library provision. The Report argued that the provision of public libraries would steer people towards temperate and moderate habits. With a view to maximising the potential of current facilities, the Committee made two significant recommendations. They suggested that the government should issue grants to aid the foundation of libraries and that the Museums Act 1845 should be amended and extended to allow for a tax to be levied for the establishment of public libraries.[115][116][117] The Bill passed through Parliament as most MPs felt that public libraries would provide facilities for self-improvement through books and reading for all classes, and that the greater levels of education attained by providing public libraries would result in lower crime rates.The earliest example in England of a library to be endowed for the benefit of users who were not members of an institution such as a cathedral or college was the Francis Trigge Chained Library in Grantham, Lincolnshire, established in 1598. The library still exists and can justifiably claim to be the forerunner of later public library systems. The beginning of the modern, free, open access libraries really got its start in the UK in 1847. Parliament appointed a committee, led by William Ewart, on Public Libraries to consider the necessity of establishing libraries through the nation: In 1849 their report noted the poor condition of library service, it recommended the establishment of free public libraries all over the country, and it led to the Public Libraries Act in 1850, which allowed all cities with populations exceeding 10,000 to levy taxes for the support of public libraries.Salford Museum and Art Gallery first opened in November 1850 as "The Royal Museum & Public Library", as the first unconditionally free public library in England.[118][119] The library in Campfield, Manchester was the first library to operate a free lending library without subscription in 1852.[120] Norwich lays claims to being the first municipality to adopt the Public Libraries Act 1850 (which allowed any municipal borough with a population of 100,000 or more to introduce a halfpenny rate to establish public libraries – although not to buy books). Norwich was the eleventh library to open, in 1857, after Winchester, Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, Kidderminster, Cambridge, Birkenhead and Sheffield.Another important act was the Education Act 1870, which increased literacy and thereby the demand for libraries. By 1877, more than 75 cities had established free libraries, and by 1900 the number had reached 300.[121] This finally marks the start of the public library as we know it. And these acts influenced similar laws in other countries, such as the US.United States[edit]The first tax-supported public library in the United States was Peterborough, New Hampshire (1833) first supported by state funds then an "Act Providing for the Establishment of Public Libraries" in 1849.[122] The Peterborough Town Library was proposed by Reverend Abiel Abbot as a central collection of books that would be owned by the people and be free to all of the town's inhabitants.[123] The original collection was bought by Reverend Abbot and the library trustees and was housed in Smith & Thompson's general store, which also acted as a post office.[123]Andrew Carnegie played an important role in financing public libraries across the English-speaking world.The year 1876 is key in the history of librarianship in the United States. The American Library Association was formed, The American Library Journal was founded, Melvil Dewey published his decimal-based system of classification, and the United States Bureau of Education published its report, "Public libraries in the United States of America; their history, condition, and management." During the post-Civil War years, there was a rise in the establishment of public libraries, a movement led chiefly by newly formed women's clubs. They contributed their own collections of books, conducted lengthy fund raising campaigns for buildings, and lobbied within their communities for financial support for libraries, as well as with legislatures and the Carnegie Library Endowment founded in the 20th century.[124] They led the establishment of 75–80 percent of the libraries in communities across the country.[125]Philanthropists and businessmen, including John Passmore Edwards, Henry Tate and Andrew Carnegie, helped to increase the number of public libraries from the late 19th century. Carnegie alone built over 2000 libraries in the US, 660 Carnegie Libraries in Britain, in addition to many more in the Commonwealth.[126]African American libraries[edit]Exactly where and when the first publicly supported library for blacks was established is still a question in need of an answer, the history of African Americans and libraries in the United States is one with a rich heritage. The earliest established library started by and for African Americans in the United States was the Philadelphia Library Company of Colored Persons. By 1838, its collection included 600 volumes, as well as pamphlets and maps. Members could read independently, or they could follow a scheduled course of study.Dr. William E. B. Du Bois attributed the movement for Negro libraries to the "natural desire (of the race) for books".[127] The philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie had a tremendous impact upon the ability of "Colored Library Associations" being able to gain access to funding in order to build libraries in and for their communities.South Africa[edit]Beginning in 1910, South Africa's public libraries grew in importance to the country's English settlers. During World War I, South Africa had a total of seventy-one subscription libraries, all governed by the English government.[128] Afrikaners had less libraries at the time with only seven libraries.[128]In 1928, two librarians were appointed by the Carnegie Corporation in New York to survey library resources in South Africa.[129] Their top two concerns were the lack of library use by Afrikaners and creating library provisions and school library services for non-Whites, with the recommendation that they not share the same buildings as White patrons.[129]During the apartheid years (1948–1994), progressive libraries such as the Durban Library, opened branches in Indian and Colored communities, despite government pressure to not do so.[130] The years of apartheid began with the Natal Indian Congress, founded by Gandhi, which called upon the Durban City Council to end the restriction of non-Europeans by opening the library to all sections of the community.[130] The pressure put on the city council by the Natal India Congress forced the council to start a travelling service for non-European patrons.[130]The Afrikaans government during apartheid passed several discriminatory legislative measures including the Separate Amenities Act of 1953, forcing councils to provide separate amenities and services for each race.[130] If the councils were unable to provide these amenities and services to all races, they focused solely on Whites.[131] During this time the Afrikaans government became responsible for Black library provisions while the provinces became responsible for Colored, Indian and White library provisions, a fact that took two years for the South African Library Association to find out.[132]20th century[edit]Wolfsburg Municipal Library by Alvar Aalto, built 1958-62In the 20th century, many public libraries were built in different Modernist architecture styles, some more functional, others more representative. For many of these buildings, the quality of the interior spaces, their lighting and atmosphere, was becoming more significant than the façade design of the library building. Modernist architects like Alvar Aalto put great emphasis on the comfort and usability of library spaces. The Municipal Library he built 1958–62 for the German city of Wolfsburg features a great central room for which he used a series of specially designed skylights to bring in natural light, even though all the walls are covered with books.21st century[edit]In the 21st century libraries are changing and evolving to match modern society. Lots of libraries are facing financial issues and crises.[133] But are finding ways to adapt to people's needs. Such as providing digital services to patrons at home, and creating more user friendly places.As you can see libraries have been around for a very long time. Hope this information, is what you were looking for.

Everything I Know About StencilsBy Chuck Stephens in Art36,79857023Featured3 More ImagesBy Chuck StephensMore by the author:About: Huur... derrr. More About Chuck Stephens »(Note- I recently started writing notes about stencil techniques for a workshop at our maker space. When I saw the Paint contest and the Epilog Laser contest, I decided to do a short Instructable about stencils, since I use a variety of paints to create them and a laser cutter would help me take my stencil art to the next level. What started as a short how to turned into a full week of designing, cutting, painting and writing about stencils. Turns out I knew a lot more than I thought I did!)I learned to make simple symmetrical stencils in 5th grade. I was amazed that I could fold a piece of paper, draw half of a spider, cut it out and trace it with a marker. Stars, hearts, rocket ships, people- my bilateral stencil empire grew rapidly. I moved on to other artistic pursuits, but stencils remained a part of my graphic arsenal. My interest was rekindled in the early 90's when a friend acquired a broken KISS pinball machine. He realized that the pictures of the band members on the side panel of the machine were stenciled on. He copied the stencils and soon Ybor City's alleys were populated by Gene Simmons and crew. A few of us jumped on the bandwagon and the seeds of Tampa's hipster street art scene were planted.Fast forward to the early 2000's and I was living in Waikiki doing multicolor stencils onto full sized adhesive labels and putting them up around town. I made 'friends' in the street sticker scene. I'd put up a sticker and then someone else would put one next to it. I began to recognize tags and styles and even perceived rivalries by the placement of other artist's work in relation to mine. One guy would always cover my stuff and leave others alone. It became a surreptitious social network of people I never actually met, all linked by stencils and street art.I like stencils because they are repeatable but unique. Due to slight variations in alignment, over/under spray and shading, no two stencils are exactly the same. This gives stencil art and posters a chaotic and primitive feel.Stencils are great for posters, invitations, t shirts, art, advertising, packaging and anywhere else you want repeatable art or images.This is a comprehensive overview of how I use stencils, spray paint and common household materials to create bold art and posters. I'll cover everything from image selection and processing to alignment and painting techniques. We'll start by creating a few stencils and then we'll learn cool ways to apply them and other techniques.You will need a few basic supplies to get started--a hobby knife- I find the standard Xacto knife to be ideal for cutting stencils. Keep plenty of sharp blades on hand. Blades don't have to be disposable! A cheap set of sharpening stones from Harbor Freight and a can of oil will save you a lot of money down the road.-a cutting board- I use old scraps of mat board from my friend's frame shop. The purpose of a cutting board is to protect the work surface and to protect the blade. A hard surface will quickly break the point of your knife. A piece of cardboard on top of a stiff board is good for a start.-stencil material- My favorite stencil material is x ray film. I used to work in a hospital and stocked up on used films from the recycling bin, but with modern technology, actual film is getting harder to come by. I also use acetate film for larger pieces, but it can be expensive. Over time your paint will build up on your stencil. It can get so bad that it clogs smaller holes and details. One of the main advantages of plastic stencils is that the built up paint will flake and peel off if you flex the stencil. To get started, manilla file folders, cereal boxes, standard printer card stock or any thin, flat, easily cut material will work.-masking tape- I like the green Frog tape from Home Depot if I'm taping a painted surface and 3M Blue tape for everything else, but most any masking tape will work.-paint- While you can adapt almost any paint or pigment to use with stencils, I prefer to work with spray paint. I use a variety of paints ranging in price from $1-12 per can. I suggest starting out with mid- quality paint like Rustoleum Painter's Choice from Home Depot as it has good coverage and a wide variety of fun colors. Krylon is another good option, but I prefer the spay tips on the Rustoleum paint. Start off with white, black, grey and a few basic colors. There's nothing wrong with the cheap off brand paint from discount stores, they just don't offer the coverage or variety of colors that Rusto or Krylon offer. Eventually you will want to try every brand and type of paint you can find. Spray paint is a good way to start but I'll also explain how to use other pigments and tools later.-newspaper- Use it to cover work surfaces, mask areas you don't want to paint, sop up spills and many other uses.-texture and pattern materials- We'll go into more detail later, but these are things like lace, screen, net, mesh and anything with a pattern of holes or cut out shapes that I use to create patterns when spraying paint.-letters and shapes- I use craft foam adhesive letters and shapes for painting letters and simple images.-basic tools- screwdrivers, hammer, stapler, marker, pencil, ruler, tape measure, etc. Nothing fancy, but a CNC laser cutter would save you a lot of time (so please vote for me in the Epilog laser contest!).-common household products- We'll use a few common items like dish soap, salt, glue and recycled materials that you may have lying around or are easily obtainable.-eye and lung protection- Always wear some kind of mask when you are spraying paint. Safety glasses are a good idea also if you are doing a lot of spraying.You don't need to spend a lot of money and you probably already have most of what you need (or a suitable substitute). This is about concepts and ideas, not exact formulas or rules.Check out each section and be sure to read the notes on the photos. Mostly just have fun!Step 1: What Is a Stencil and How Do I Get Started?3 More ImagesWhat is a stencil? Basically, stenciling is a printing technique. Instead of using a cut image to put ink onto a surface like a stamp, we use a cut image to selectively block ink or paint being sprayed onto a surface. Some of the earliest human art was created by people placing their hands on a cave wall with their fingers spread and blowing natural ground pigments onto the walls. The urge to use stencils to create graffiti is an ancient instinct!What we think of as a stencil these days is the opposite of what our caveman ancestors did. Instead of using the 'stencil' (a caveman hand) to block the image letting the 'paint' define the negative space, modern stencils have the image cut out of a flat sheet so the the paint defines the positive space of the image. We will cover some specific concepts in the next step when we create a simple one color stencil silhouette.Stenciling takes many cues from the world of printmaking. Like other printing techniques, stenciling allows for an image or message to be reproduced many times. Stenciling also allows for multicolor images to be painted with several stencils sprayed in order. Multicolor stencils need to be aligned, or registered, to insure that the separate color layers line up. Like with traditional printmaking, stenciling requires a clean work space and a well planned assembly line process to allow for creating and drying multiple prints.The best way to learn what stencils are and what they can do is by playing around with them.Setting up a Work SpaceI can cut stencils almost anywhere. I use a 24"x18" Masonite board with poster board or mat board taped to the top. I usually prop it in my lap leaned against the edge of my workbench or some other convenient surface. I keep an old coffee can handy to throw the cut out pieces in. When you start doing detailed stencils it can get really messy with little bits of paper or film all over the place. Adopt clean work practices early to avoid messes! When you're just starting out, a desk, coffee table or kitchen table will work fine. Just be careful not to ruin the surface! Keep your work space free of clutter. Make sure there is enough room to rotate the stencil and cutting board to any position. Remember- it's much easier to rotate the work to match the angle that you can comfortably hold the knife than to contort your hand to cut an odd angle. When I'm cutting fine details I rest my elbow on the cutting board for stability. I use my fingers and wrist to move the knife. I move and rotate the film while my hand stays reasonably still. Having my elbow on the work surface reduces wrist strain quite a bit. When i cut longer lines I hold my hand above the work with my pinkie finger dragging the surface for stability. I make the cuts with one fluid motion of the arm and wrist. Find what's comfortable and safe for you. Always be aware of where the knife would go if it suddenly had no resistance (i.e. slipping off of the paper or if the tip breaks). If it would end up in you change your grip or your body position to avoid the danger. I'm somewhat ambidextrous and can cut and paint with either hand. Try it- it saves a lot of time not having to reposition the film as much. Planning your cuts also saves time. When I'm cutting text or geometric designs where I have lots of straight lines to cut, I'll use a steel ruler and do every cut on the x axis then rotate the film and do all the y axis cuts. Work smart- not hard!For painting, find a well ventilated space with a table or flat work surface. Your surface should have room for the piece you are painting as well as your paint cans, rags and other tools. I use an old drafting table that has the advantage of being tiltable. I also have a few folding side tables to hold tools and other materials so my main work space doesn't get cluttered. I keep my paint in milk crates sorted by color- blues. greens, reds, yellows and browns, pinks and purples, black and whites and specialty paints. I also have a number of flat pieces of mesh, expanded metal, screen, perforated sheet metal and other flat panels for creating spray patterns and textures. I keep these leaning in stacks against the wall for when I need them. If you are doing more than a few prints you will need to consider space for drying. I like the Rubber Maid white plastic covered wire shelving. It comes in 10' sections and a variety of widths. I use three shelving sections placed across two standard metal folding chairs- one across the rungs, one across the seats and one across the backrests. This gives me 30' of drying area that stacks out of the way when I'm not using it. Another option is a clothesline and clothes pins. Make sure your drying area is far enough away from your paint area that you don't get over spray on your drying prints, but close enough that it doesn't interrupt your work flow. Stenciling can get messy. Use plenty of newspaper and change it frequently to reduce paint accumulation. Be careful not to set prints or spray cans in wet paint. Wear old clothes and shoes, wear a hat or bandana and keep some rags around to wipe your hands. I use GoJo hand cleaner and Scotch Brite scouring pads to clean my hands but my hands are scarred and calloused anyway. A thin layer of Vaseline rubbed into the hands before spraying will keep paint from sticking, but it makes your hands a little greasy. The best soap for spray paint is time. I always have a little paint on my hands somewhere. I consider it my artist's union card.Step 2: Let's Make a Simple One Color Sillhouette Stencil.18 More ImagesHere I will use a photograph of a bird to create a decorative silhouette stencil. Rather than give step-by-step instructions I'll just give an overview of what steps I take with image processing software to create a stencil-ready image. The specific commands may vary from platform to platform but the basic ideas carry over from Gimp to Photoshop to Paint.This is a great way to create simple decorative stencils for textiles, furnishings and interior design. These techniques can be used to create any single color image or even text. When you've mastered silhouettes you can try more complex single color images by adjusting the brightness/contrast on more complex images. Also experiment with 'posterize' and 'cutout' effects. With patience you can get a lot of detail from a single color stencil.Image SelectionImage selection is important. Of course you can feel free to draw something, but I will focus on working from photographs and computer based imaging. While we can use software to manipulate an image, it's easiest to start with something close to what you want your stencil to look like. In this case a pelican flies with the sun behind him making him very dark against a bright sky. This gives me a lot of contrast to work with.Another thing to avoid is 'islands'. On this stencil the dark part of the image will be cut out of the stencil material. The bright part will be the part that is covered by the stencil material. An island is what we call it when a bright area is completely surrounded by the darker color. This means a piece of stencil material that is not connected to the main body of the stencil. This can be addressed in one of four ways- either the island is left out of the final image or 'bridges' are added to the image to connect the bright spot to the rest of the main stencil. If neither of those solutions is acceptable you could always create another layer- we'll get into that later. Finally, for images where an island is necessary and the other methods won't work, risers can be attached to the island and the main body of the stencil and connected above the paint surface with thin, stiff wire that won't leave a visible bridge.For this first stencil it's probably a good idea to just choose an image without any islands.Computer BitsFirst open the image in your software of choice. Crop it down to the general size of the final stencil.If you are starting with a nice dark image on a bright background, a quick brightness/contrast adjustment is all we'll need. Convert your image mode to greyscale. Now adjust the contrast all the way up so you have a black and white image. Now adjust the brightness until your image looks good. Click OK and save the image.You could also use tools like magnetic lasso or the wand to select an area for your silhouette and the paint bucket to fill it in if the contrast method doesn't work for you. The work path isn't important- we just want a sharp black and white image to print or trace.Trace and CutNow that the image is ready we can cut the stencil. There are many options available, so use what fits your needs and resources best. What I do is I paint an x ray film with a quick coat of Kilz spray primer. After this dries I tape the stencil to the wall and use a cheap digital projector to project the image onto the primed film. I use a Sharpie to trace the stencil and cut it out with an Xacto knife. A projector comes in really handy later when we do multicolor stencils and it allows us to make large stencils.Another technique is to print the image onto card stock and cut it out with a hobby knife. This is a cheap and quick way to get a stencil but the paper doesn't last as long as film. You can also print the image onto overhead projector transparency sheets. This material holds up a bit better and accumulated paint comes off easily but it is an expensive option and you're limited to standard desktop printer sizes. The price of a case of transparencies will cover a used low resolution projector. If you have an old overhead projector the film can be used to project your image onto larger sized materials, but aligning the image by hand is almost impossible if you are using multiple colors. I did it for years and I don't miss it at all. I absolutely love my digital projector and won't go back to cave man tools ever again.Just for contrast here's what I did in my pre-computer days. Blah Blah White Out, Xerox... Sharpie, hand-drawn, yadda-yadda, Olpha, rubylith, CARBON PAPER !@#@- being limited to images from books and magazines, making friends with people just because they had a copier, Geotype rub off letters- you get the point. That's the over 40 graphic artist's version of walking to school in the snow uphill both ways. Long story short- computers are awesome!Paint ItNow that we have a stencil let's paint. Find a place outside where a little over spray or dripping won't matter. Avoid windy spots. Make sure your paint only goes where you want it to go. Find something flat to make a test spray on. I use scrap paper and packaging when I'm testing out a new stencil. These no use wasting good materials until we're sure we like the image. Lay a piece of newspaper under your work area and change it often to keep your work clean. The first rule of stencils is that what you think is enough paint is probably way too much! Go light on the paint. Do your test stencils on light colored backgrounds. Remember- when you see the stencil image as you are spraying it you are seeing it by itself. When you remove the stencil you will see the image color in contrast to your background color. This makes it appear much more even and filled in. Keep the can moving when you're painting so it doesn't pool or run. When filling larger areas it's a good practice to move back and forth in even lines moving down 1/2 the width of the spray on each pass. Practice spraying an even coat until you get the feel of it. Keep in mind also that pigment settles so shake your can well and often (make sure to keep your paint mixed, too;)). Cheap paint has less pigment so you may require two coats to get a good cover. Experiment until you are happy with your results. Keep in mind that part of the charm of the stencil esthetic is the slight variations and imperfections inherent in the process.When you are happy with your image spray it onto something. Decorate an old dresser, make a personalized gift box, make a set of unique thank you cards, make a border in the bathroom- whatever you can imagine. If you are stenciling an item that's bigger than your stencil you will have to mask it to protect the surface from over spray. Lay a piece of news paper along one edge of your stencil and attach it with masking tape. Add paper to each side until the rest of the item to be painted is protected. This makes your final product much neater and professional looking.Whenever you use spray paint wear appropriate breathing and eye protection. Don't skimp on safety gear. If you are only using spray paint occasionally a disposable dust mask in a well ventilated area will suffice but if you plan to use spray paint frequently buy a respirator mask. Make sure you get a mask that's rated for organic solvents and change the filters regularly.Step 3: Let's Make a Multicolor Stencil15 More ImagesI like old advertising characters. I've done stencils based on the Morton Salt girl, Mr. Spray (an old brand of spray paint), Hello Kitty, Care Bears and other pop culture mascots. This style is defined by bold line work balancing with solid fields of color. It creates a cartoonish look. I often alter the images in some way to create a visual jokeor thematic juxtaposition.Image SelectionFor this project I chose to make a stencil of the mascot 'Rocky' from the Durham's Water Putty package. He has a classic look with bold black outlines and solid colors. This stencil will be done in five layers in order to accommodate all the colors and details. I will not use the words on his chest so his tank top will be solid red.Notice that the tan, red and white areas make nice, solid blocks of color. These will be easy to cut as stencils.(A note to the fine folks at Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty- I am a long time user of your product for casting aculptures and filling gaps. My use of this logo is for non-commercial artistic and educational purposes only.)Computer BitsProcessing this image is just a matter of opening it in your software, isolating the image from the background, using your wand tool to select each color individually and using the fill tool to save each color to a separate layer. The first layer will be black and it will be the entire area of the figure, or the entire positive space of the image. Use the lasso tool to cut the background out of the image. As you will see below, I will also save the facial features and muscle bulges on his legs as a separate layer. By creating another layer that is solid white, we can change the layer order and display only one color layer at a time for printing or projecting.In order to get the black outlines, we will make the black layer first. This layer will be the entire shape of the image, or the positive space, and we will paint it black. The color layers will be painted on top of this black layer one at a time, leaving the black edges as an outline. For the tan, red and white layers I created a new layer for each color. Using the wand tool I highlighted each color and used the paint bucket to fill in the area on a new layer. Name each layer 'layer 1 black', 'layer 2 tan' etc. to keep everything organized. That covers the first four layers but what else is there?If we look closely at the character's face and legs we'll see that there are islands created by his muscle bulges and features. In this case creating bridges would look weird so I'll just make another black layer that has the facial features and bulges. Since his teeth are surrounded by his black lips, we'll save the white layer for last. This image will be painted black, then tan, then a second black, red and finally white.Line It UpThat's the easy part. How do we keep all those layers straight while we print, trace, draw, cut and/or spray them? Alignment, or registration, is the most important issue with a multicolor stencil. There are two points in the process where registration is critical- when tracing the image onto the stencil material and when spraying the individual layers.If you are using a printer all of your layers should line up nicely. If you are using a projector you will have to do this yourself. Here's what I do. First I prime enough sheets of x ray film for each color layer. The film comes in standard sizes so lining it up is easy. I tape the first layer to the wall and align the projector until the image is centered on the sheet of film. At this point it is very important that the projector is in a place where it won't be moved or bumped until all the layers are done being traced! Drag your white layer to the top and then bring the first color layer on top of it, in this case the black outline of the entire image. Carefully trace it. Now align a new sheet of film over the first sheet. When it is lined up exactly tape it down firmly. Now in your software, drag the first layer behind the white layer and drag color layer two to the top. Repeat these steps until each color layer is traced in a nice lined up stack. Now that the edges all line up we can take them apart and cut them knowing that they will line up again later.Cut ItCut your first layer. You will quickly find the most comfortable way to hold the knife and pull your cuts. Work gently like a surgeon to avoid hand strain, errant cuts and injuries. Never 'force' the knife, let the blade do the work. When the first layer is done take it out to your paint area for a test print. Be very careful with the hobby knife! Always be aware of where it is pointed and replace the cap when you're not using it. I once had an uncapped hobby knife roll off my workbench and land blade down in my foot, sticking straight up.Use a cutting board and a mat. This protects your work surface from scratches and prolongs the life of your blades. Cut with just enough force to go through the stencil material and into the mat just slightly. Excessive force will dull the blades quicker and risk snapping the tip of the blade.Paint ItWe want to do test prints as we go to see how each layer lines up and to make any adjustments. Find a scrap board or piece of stiff cardboard that is larger than the stencil area. Lay your first stencil layer on the board. I use a thin strip of scrap mat board and tape it to the board along the left edge of the image. I tape another strip to the board along the bottom edge of the stencil. These two strips of mat board make aligning each layer as easy as laying it down and sliding into place along the edge of the strips. When your strips are in place, align a sheet of paper with the strips and lay the first stencil on top. Line it up and spray the black layer. Wait about thirty seconds and carefully remove the stencil without dragging it through the fresh paint. This takes some practice. Removing the stencil before the paint is dry prevents the paint from gluing the paper and the stencil together as it dries. The thirty second waiting time isn't hammered in granite, so paint brand, humidity, temperature and paint thickness all play a role. Experiment and be patient and it will make sense eventually. Also keep in mind that minor flaws and imperfections are part of the charm of stencils- if it looks too perfect you may as well have printed it!Since the mat board strips align the paper as well as the stencil, we can remove the paper and paint another sheet. Set the first test print aside on a flat surface and print a few more http://sheets.It's a good rule of thumb to have a separate test print for each color layer. If a mistake or a change is made, you'll want to make a new test on a fresh sheet. After you have painted the test sheets go cut the next layer while they dry.Repeat the above registration procedure for each layer aligning the paper and the stencil to the mat board strip carefully. Make sure your prints and your stencils have plenty of room to dry. I have a clothes line and pins along the side of my shop to hang wet stencils. Make sure they are dried completely before you stack them. Since they get sprayed each time you use them they build up a lot of paint and therefore take a longer time to dry. Take good care of them and they will last a long time. I have stencils on film stored flat in pizza boxes that are over ten years old.So What's Next?In the next section we'll see how to turn this stencil into a cool textile pattern.Step 4: Creating a Decorative Pattern With Stencils6 More ImagesOK so now we have a cool stencil, but what do we do now? If you thought 'Textile pattern!' then you're right (and a little weird). A textile pattern is one that repeats regularly, usually printed on fabric or wallpaper. Do an image search for 'William Morris' to see some great examples of repeating textile patterns. Morris was a genius who's influence is still felt today. While not nearly as ornate as his work, by using a little bit of geometry we can turn our muscle man into a wall of muscle men that can be stenciled on fabric or paper or even directly to a wall!The first step in creating a textile pattern is to determine how you will arrange your stencil or stencils. Take another look at William Morris' work, paying special attention to how and where his patterns repeat for some ideas. I decided to arrange the stencils so that the guys in one row were standing on the upraised hands of the row below and holding up the row above. In order to keep the stencils aligned I determined the points at which the stencils would touch and plotted a grid that would describe these points. Since my wall of Rockys will touch left foot to right hand, and right foot to left hand diagonally, I decided to use the point of the left boot and the crook of the right hand as a connection point. I sprayed one stencil in the center of the paper and after it dried I drew a line that intersected the tip of the left boot and the crook of the right hand continuing on to the edge of the paper in either direction. For this demonstration I drew the line with a Sharpie, but for any real project I would want an 'erasable' line. This is when I use a chalkline. A chalkline consists of a spool of string in a box of colored chalk powder. When the string is unrolled and stretched out along a straight line and gently 'snapped' with the fingertips it leaves a bright line of chalk dust on the surface being marked. This dust can be painted over and any unpainted chalk can be easily wiped off later. This line will be my guide for a diagonal row of 'Rockys'. I sprayed another Rocky on the upper right of the one I just painted. His left toe was carefully aligned with the crook of the previous stencil's hand and the crook of his right hand was align with the guide line. I sprayed another stencil to the lower left of the original creating a row of three Rockys.Next I created a new guide line perpendicular to the first by making a line that intersects the tip of Rocky's right toe and the crook of his left hand and continuing to the edges of the paper. Spray new stencils to the upper left and lower right corners of the first stencil. Now you can fill in the rest of the space by aligning new stencils with existing stencils and guide lines.This method works fine for medium sized areas but for larger areas you will need to construct a full grid to insure alignment.Once you master this method try making some curtains, a custom tabletop or a unique picnic blanket.Step 5: Creating Stencils From Photographs9 More ImagesSilhouettes and cartoon mascots are cool but what about photos? In this section I'll show you how I make stencils from photographs. This is a great way to make a memorable gift from a cherished snapshot.Image SelectionWith photo based stencils image selection is vital. You want to select an image that has plenty of contrast and a good balance of light and dark areas. Also, consider the composition of the final stencil image. Let's look at an example. Up top you'll find a picture of my dog, Monkey. I took this snapshot and cropped out everything but his face using the lasso tool. This creates an esthetically pleasing triangle shape. (There's the big secret- throw implied triangles into your art and people will love it. Shhh.) When doing facial portraits I try to find a source image that has a defined 'line' between the face and the neck. In this case the dog's chin and jaw line create a natural edge for the bottom of the image. Simply cutting the image and leaving a neck stump makes a portrait look like a severed head. Make your images look natural and avoid neck stumps.Next I convert the image to greyscale and adjust the brightness and contrast. I'm doing this in three shades- dark, medium and light. This allows us to paint the stencil in any color range as I'll demonstrate later. Think of your stencil as a black and white photo. Some areas will be black, some will be grey and some will be white. In this image most of the dog's head will be in the light shade, the darker areas will be the medium shade and the dark shade will be used to define details. You can design your stencil with as many shades as you want. I've done paintings with friskets using black, white and 8 shades of grey!I'd also like to point out that the amount of detail is proportional to the size of the stencil. Small stencils need to be simpler just because smaller details are much harder to cut and because natural under spray will destroy details if they are too small. Look closely at the lines created by the edge of your stenciled image. You will notice that it may vary from a reasonably sharp line to a very fuzzy line. This is due to paint mist getting under the stencil through tiny gaps. With very fine details this under spray makes the image hard to see. Sometimes small weights (coins, washers, fishing sinkers, etc.) can be placed around the edge of the 'hole' in your stencil to close any gaps and create a sharper image, but I like my stencils to be kind of raw so I rarely use them.Computer BitsI opened the image in my software, cropped and resized it. Next I cut out Monkey's head with the lasso and eraser tools. Then I converted the image to greyscale and adjusted the brightness and contrast. Next we want to convert the image into three separate color layers. There are several ways to accomplish this. The simplest way is to use the posterize settings in you image editor. You may have to readjust the brightness/contrast a few times until you get satisfying results. For a little more control of the final image you can use the cutout filter or something similar. For the best results and highest detail I create each layer individually with adjustments to the brightness/contrast settings across multiple layers and edit them together.I made three copies of the greyscale image to start. Since the majority of the image is the lighter shade, I made the first layer white. Like layer 1 in the previous section, this stencil will include all of the positive space of this image.The second layer will be the medium shade. I pulled one of the greyscale images to the top, opened the brightness/contrast controls and played with the settings until I had something looked good. The midtone image is good for defining contours and dimensionality of your image. Here it defines the snout and eyes a little better and gives the ear some depth. There were some islands, but I decided to draw in some bridges. I also ran the layer through cutout to smooth it.The third layer is black and contains most of the detail. I pulled up a fresh version of the greyscale image and adjusted the brightness/contrast as usual but I ran into a problem. I got really good eye detail at one setting, but the nose wasn't very defined. When I adjusted it to bring the nose into 'focus' the eye detail faded. The only solution was to create two separate layers and cut and edit them together.To preview my stencil, first I created a duplicate image. I converted it to an RGB color image. I created a new layer in red. I brought layer 1 to the top and colored it white. Next I brought layer 2 to the top. I colored it grey and cut the rest of the image. Now I had the white dog head outline with the grey area on a red backgound. Next I brought the third layer to the top, selected the black parts and cut the rest. This provided a preview of how the final stencil would look and allowed me to make any adjustments.Tracing, Cutting and PaintingTracing, cutting and painting are pretty much the same as before. I used a projector to trace the layers. I used mat board strips as alignment guides. The main difference here is in the color selection. Although I used the colors black, grey and white as an example, what I really did was create shades. Instead of using black, grey and white you could use three shades of a color, like sky blue, medium blue and deep blue. See the above examples. This allows us a great deal of creative freedom.What's Next?Try incorporating several elements into the same stencil with different color ranges. Try a portrait of a friend. Mix it up with odd color combos. Combine this technique with the frisket technique in the next section to create detailed art images. Have fun and explore!Step 6: Let's Get Frisky With Friskets!12 More ImagesFriskets are basically adhesive stencils. They have their pros and cons, but for some applications they are the best approach. Friskets are a bit more advanced than the previous techniques we've covered so we'll have a bit more background before we get to the actual project.First let's look at the good points of friskets--Friskets give a sharp, bold line. Since the frisket is adhesive, it gently sticks to the surface so there is less chance for gaps or underspray. Friskets are good for commercial signage or anywhere that a clean, 'professional' look is desired.-Friskets give far more detail than a standard stencil. Since there is no underspray, fine details remain sharp. -Friskets allow islands. Since the material is adhesive the stencil doesn't have to be in one piece. This allows for greater detail and a more realistic approach.-Friskets give a very smooth finish. Friskets are great for adding graphics to smooth surfaces like auto finishes, instruments or glass.-Friskets can be borderless. Since friskets don't rely on the stencil itself for support, A frisket can be made of many disconnected pieces. This allows you to do detailed scenes that cover an entire surface. This allows for very realistic effects.-Friskets are ideal for precise designs. The sharp lines, fine detail and ease of cutting makes the frisket process great for geometric and precise work. I use adhesives for laying out maze designs, checkerboards and even text.-Friskets allow for a wider variety of paints and techniques. Acrylic paint applied with rollers, craft paints applied with stencil brushes, water colors dabbed with sponges, acids and oxidants applied with a damp rag and even adhesive rubber masks and a sandblaster- friskets apply to a wide variety of pigments, tools and processes.And now the bad news about friskets--Friskets are single use. Since they are adhesive and usually quite detailed, friskets are almost impossible to reuse. All the extra work may not be justified for the project you have planned. I tend to save friskets for 'fine art' applications or for special circumstances such as sign work or back painting glass.-Friskets give a sharp, bold line. Wait a minute, I thought that was a pro? Well, it is when you want a sharp line. Part of the charm of stencils is the imperfection of the process. The sharpness of friskets also calls for more developed knife skills. The bold lines amplify imperfections.-Friskets are much harder to register. The work cycle for a frisket is apply film, draw, cut, weed, paint, dry, peel, reapply film, draw next layer, cut, etc. etc.The frisket process is often done on material that makes traditional registration techniques difficult. If you use a projector it must remain set up and undisturbed for a long period, increasing the chance of accidental bumps. The greater detail possible with friskets also requires much tighter registration. Keep these issues in mind when designing a frisket project.-Friskets require much more planning. Due to the nature of the frisket process there isn't much room for error. You need to have all of your ducks in a row before you pick up your knife. Have all of your supplies and colors at hand. Make sure you have enough time to complete the project without rushing.-Friskets are time consuming. Between the detailed cutting and longer drying times friskets take forever. Make sure the extra work is worth it before you start. I have abandoned frisket projects half way through out of sheer boredom and frustration.MaterialsFrisket material needs to be sticky enough to stay in place while it's cut and painted but still easily removable. It should be waterproof and easy to cut.My favorite material for cutting friskets on smooth surfaces is called Glad Press-n-Seal wrap. It has some high tech adhesive gimmick that sticks to a variety of surfaces and materials without leaving any schmutz or residue, all while blocking paint very well. It cuts easily with very little pressure so there's a low risk of scratching the work surface. It actually cuts a little too easily. There's no resistance against the blade and the work surface is often hard and slick so it takes a little practice. It's also cheap and easily available. The only real drawback is that it's only about 12" wide so if your piece is wider you need to plan a seam. The outside 1/8" of the film doesn't have the adhesive, so to get a continuous seal it must be carefully folded back and creased before the second sheet is attached. That's a small price to pay for such an awesome material. When you spray the Press-n-Seal material it may wrinkle or buckle slightly. Just smooth it down gently before spraying another coat. Insider secret- every year at the end of December the holiday themed Press-n-Seal goes on sale super cheap. It works just as good with snowmen and holly printed on it.For heavy duty jobs I use Contact shelving paper. It comes in many patterns, colors and textures but the most useful ones are plain white and frosted clear. The white stuff is good for drawing and the clear lets you see the layer underneath for better registration. The frosted surface reflects projected light better than the clear version. Shelf liner is a bit harder to cut than other options, but it's heavy duty and stands up to more abuse. There's a similar product that's sold as a carpet protector for when you're doing home improvements. It comes in a roll about 3 feet wide and it's a bit thinner than shelf liner.Another valuable adhesive stencil material is masking tape. I keep several rolls of 3M blue tape in different widths. If I'm laying out designs with straight lines or big, blocky text I often just project the image and 'trace' it with tape. I use masking paper and tape to cover large area and spray it as is. I also use tape to create bold geometric patterns, mazes and backgrounds.Early in my exploration of friskets I used full-sheet printable paper labels. The advantage of these sheets is that you can print the image directly onto the frisket and then apply it. The cons are that it's really hard to register, it's limited to 8.5x11" and it can leave sticky residue that must be removed before it's painted.A final possibility is to have vinyl friskets custom made. Find a local sign shop with a Gerber vinyl cutting machine. This machine can make large custom cut vinyl stickers with a clear adhesive cover sheet that hold everything in place while you install it. They make special 'low adhesive' vinyl for use in masking and frisket processes, although it might take some searching to find someone who has the materials, knows how to handle them and is willing to do smaller orders. To use it you spray a smooth surface with slightly soapy water. Lay the cover sheet and vinyl frisket on the surface. The soapy water prevents the adhesive from sticking and allows you to slide the frisket into position. When it's in the right place you carefully squeegee out the water and air bubbles, making the vinyl stick to the work surface. With the vinyl in place gently pull the cover sheet back at a sharp angle and it will leave the vinyl behind on the work surface. Clean the soap residue, let it dry and paint it. This is a great way to do friskets but it's expensive. Save it for when your good enough to charge for it.ProcessHere's what I do to create a frisket--Apply the frisket material. Friskets work best on smooth surfaces. Spread your material lightly across the surface. I use a soft silicone spatula to gently smooth out the material and work out the air bubbles. When it's all smoothed out I go over it with a Speedball brayer, a hard rubber roller used in printmaking. This makes the frisket material stick very well.-Draw your art. Draw or trace your design onto the frisket material. Ultra fine Sharpies work good with most materials and allow for higher detail. If you are backpainting, be sure to reverse your image.-Cut it out. Use a very soft touch when cutting friskets. You want to cut through the frisket material without marring the surface underneath or sliding off of the line. Channel your inner surgeon. Keep your blade extra sharp.-Weed it. Since the frisket material is adhesive, we have to remove the cut out parts of the design. This is called 'weeding'. I use a thin, flexible palate knife to gently peel the excess frisket material from the work surface. Be very careful when weeding a frisket! Make sure you are removing the right parts- it can get confusing and it's easy to ruin a layer at this stage. Be patient and alert.-Paint it. Give the piece a final check for loose edges. Take it to the paint area and give it a light coat. Don't worry about covering it completely- you'll want to do this in 2-3 thin coats.-Peel it. When the paint is dry completely I carefully remove the rest of the frisket material. I find the palate knife to be quite useful here. Be careful. Paint can build up at the edges of the frisket material and make it hard to peel up, potentially marring the piece. When painting friskets, it's important to use the least amount of paint possible to avoid excess build up and ensure a smooth finish.-Rinse and repeat. Apply another layer of frisket material and repeat the draw/cut/weed/paint process. Using a frosted clear frisket material makes registration a lot easier. Adapt the principles of registration and alignment that we've already covered to the material and piece you're painting.Image SelectionI have an image I made from a holiday snapshot I took in Hawaii. After a few days on Waikiki beach I became disappointed by the lack of frosty tropical drinks served in a pineapple shell. I decided I had to have one, so we went to Star Market for pineapples, rum, juice and crazy straws. We made our drinks, garnished them with plumerias from the hotel and went down to the jetty for sunset. I was super stoked when some of the other tourists asked us where we got the cool drinks. DIY or die! Anyway when we got back to the hotel we took turns posing with the remaining pineapples for some pinup shots. This is one of my favorite stencils ever!I used this image as a frisket with some stenciled plumerias in the background on canvas board. This makes the image sharp while the background is softer.Computer BitsBlah, blah, blah... contrast/brightness... yadda yadda yadda. You know the drill.Trace, Cut and PaintSee above. You know all this stuff by now. Just keep in mind that excess paint build up may cause peeling when you remove the frisket material. Use thin coats and let it dry completely between colors. Keep a light knife hand, weed carefully and everything will work out fine.What's Next?Go try more friskets. Put your name on a book bag, add a decorative element to your window or do a custom motorcycle tank. Go nuts!Step 7: Paint and Tools2 More ImagesThere is a mind boggling variety of paints and application tools available. Here's an overview of the ones I've used and how I've used them. Your mileage may vary.Spray PaintMost of my stencil work is done with common spray paint. I use Rustoleum Painter's Choice mostly with a few specialty paints thrown in. Spray paint has a lot going for it- large color palate, quick drying time, ease of use, wide availability, low price and versatility. You can get smooth fades and gradients, grainy effects and dirty speckled finishes. Modern spray paint is durable and doesn't fade or flake. Breathing protection is a must when you're using spray paint! Get a decent respirator if you get serious about stencils. The biggest drawback to spay paint is the empty cans. They can't be placed in curbside recycling. the only way to get rid of them is to throw them in the regular trash or completely empty them, cut them up and take them to a scrap dealer.Water Based PaintsWater based paints can also be used for stencils and friskets. There are special stencil brushes available, but I use cheaper alternatives. Basically a stencil brush is wide and stubby. It's used to dab the paint through the stencil. One of my favorites is an old fat round makeup brush that my wife gave me. It was a little too soft at first but it got stiffer the more I used it. Another way to apply water based paints is with a roller. This works especially well with friskets to produce a smooth finish. Special rollers can be bought or made to create textures as they roll. Water based paints can be thinned and sprayed through spray guns, but I find it less than ideal. Diluting water based paints affects their adhesion and finish. Water based paints are super easy to clean up and abundant. The main drawback to water based paints is that they tend to soak into paper and make it warp and sag. I use it mostly on board and walls.Acrylic paints can be mixed with textile medium for washable stencils on fabric. After it dries it can be set with a hot iron for a high quality garment.Water ColorsWater colors can be used with stencils and friskets in several ways. They can be thinned and sprayed through an airbrush for detailed shading. It can be applied with small pump sprayers for mist effects. It can also be applied lightly with sponges and rags as well as dry brushed for all kinds of textural effects. It can also be applied and then sprinkled with salt for cool marbling effects. Water colors are good for subtle effects and soft, muted colors. The main drawbacks of water colors is that the colors don't mix well on the canvas (they work best when colors are mixed on the palate) and they take a while to dry.Lacquers and Oil Based PaintsLacquers and oil based paints are the choice for metal and automotive work. There are many high tech finishes out there, but for most of us DIYers these will cover all our needs. Lacquers and oils work best when sprayed onto properly prepped and primed surfaces. Like spray paint, these are harmful if inhaled in excess so breathing protection is a must. Solvents are needed to clean tools and spray equipment. Oils and lacquers are messy but they come in a wide variety of colors and finishes and give awesome results.Inks and DyesI don't use inks and dyes much, but if your working with fabric, sprayable inks and dyes designed for airbrushing give permanent, vivid colors. Check out the line from Createx- they've been around forever.Chemistry For The Win!There's more to stencil art than just paint and pigments. Here are a few other ideas to get your creativity flowing--You can stencil with bleach. Use standard laundry bleach in a pump sprayer with a stencil on dark fabric. Try gelled bleach applied with a roller or squeegee with friskets. Bleach pens are great for accents and details. Bleach stencils on black t shirts have a cool, organic look. Bleach takes some experimentation to get the timing down. If the bleach isn't rinsed in time it can burn holes through a t shirt!-When metal reacts with oxygen it rusts. When we block the oxygen from the metal surface, we protect it from rusting, or oxidizing. By using a waterproof frisket material on fresh metal and dipping it in salt water or vinegar we can create images in rust. If you use stronger acids they will actually eat away the exposed metal to create a raised design. This is how printing plates are made and also how the copper designs are etched on a circuit board.-UV rays make soft woods turn silver over time. Attach a foil stencil to a piece of fresh, light colored fir or pine and leave it in a window sill where it can get plenty of sun. Forget about it for as long as possible. With enough time the stencil image will appear lightly in the wood.-A thin metal stencil can also be used with a blow torch as a heat shield on soft wood to burn an image. Make a Jesus or Mary stencil, singe it lightly into some publicly visible wooden surface or some random toast and watch the circus.-You can also make a solution of the stuff they clean soldering irons with to chemically burn images in soft woods. It evaporates under a heat gun and leaves behind an acid that burns the wood. Google it.-There are all kinds of fun and creative uses for Rustoleum's NevrWet hygrophobic finish. Make messages that only show up in the rain. Use tape or a frisket to create a maze on a piece of acrylic. Paint it with NevrWet and tilt it back and forth to move a drop of water through the maze.-There's a DIY electroluminescence kit that contains conductive paint, dialectric and phosphor coating to create DIY glowing displays on a metal substrate. I'm eager to try this to make glowing stencils.-It's not really chemistry (unless you're using an old camera), but tiny stencils taped over your camera lens will cause all unfocused light in the shot to create tiny, glowing versions of the stencil. Google 'bokeh lens' for more info.-Finally, try using stencils for making temporary body art. Small stencils or shapes placed on your skin before laying in the sun will 'tan' an image into your skin, like reverse branding. Want a tramp stamp? Try it before you buy it!Tools and Useful ThingsLet's look at some tools and gear that may be useful. Since we're focusing on spray paint I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the pistol grip spray can handles made by Zinzer and Rustoleum. These plastic handles snap onto a spray can to provide a convenient grip and trigger to control the paint. They allow better pressure control and may be more comfortable for you than just holding a can.Spray tips can get clogged so always save a few spares from empty cans. They sell fancy tips through art suppliers that produce different widths of spray, from fine lines to wide fills. I keep a few on hand to use once in a while, but I don't find them particularly necessary.When you're using water based paints you'll want a collection of brushes, rollers and other tools. I use foam covered 6" rollers for smooth finishes. These foam rollers can also be carved to produce interesting textures. My stencil brushes are nothing fancy. I use old makeup brushes, disposable chip brushes, foam brushes and old art brushes. I also have a collection of sea sponges for creating textures. I keep a few old kitchen spatulas. Syringes are useful for measuring and transferring small amounts of paint. You will also need masking tape, newspaper, plastic bags and mixing cups.Small pump spray bottles are also useful. Spraying solvent from a polyethylene pump bottle onto a wet spray painted surface will cause it to run and sag. Water colors can be thinned and misted onto paper for subtle coloration. One of my favorites is called the Misto. It's designed for spraying herb infused oils onto food. It's like a little reusable low pressure spray paint can. It can be filled with a liquid and sealed. There's a built in pump that allows you to pressurize the contents. When you press the spray button on top it atomizes and sprays the liquid. It's great for spraying water colors, water soluble inks and dyes.Spray guns are sometimes useful for stenciling. They come in different sizes for various applications. On the small end there are airbrushes. Airbrushes are good for painting smaller areas and details. Airbrushes use interchangeable paint cups, so switching colors on the fly is simple. There are even multi-gun units that allow you to work with several colors simultaneously. Airbrushes are affordable and can be used with a small compressor, a refillable tank or even 'canned' air, which comes in disposable aerosol containers. Airbrushes are a good way to experiment with spray equipment on the cheap.Next we have detail guns. These are used in the auto body industry for painting small areas. A detail gun needs more air pressure and volume, meaning a larger compressor, but it will also spray a larger volume of paint covering the work quicker than an airbrush. It's a good compromise between an airbrush and a larger spray gun.Larger spray guns can cover a large area quickly and evenly. They require even more pressure and volume so larger compressors are required. They hold more paint so they need to be refilled less often. They're also harder to clean and switch colors quickly.Airbrushes and spray guns both have their place in a well stocked shop. The beginner will find the airbrush easy to use and clean. Since colors can be switched out quickly and stored until they are needed they are almost as convenient as spray cans. Spray guns, on the other hand, can't be switched as quickly. When doing one stencil at a time this can be a pain but if you're producing many prints at a time it's not a problem. The main advantage of all spray equipment is that it gives you more control over color selection and paint formula than commercial spray cans.Compressors come in all sizes. The small tankless compressors are the simplest and cheapest, but they don't produce much pressure or volume. They're not useful for much more than small airbrushes. Larger compressors with tanks up to 5 gallons are reasonably cheap. They'll produce enough pressure for airbrushes and detail guns and even intermittent use of larger spray guns. Big shop compressors with tanks up to 50 gallons are great and will produce enough pressure and volume for all your painting needs but they're expensive and take up space. Shop sized compressors can be used for a variety of non-paint tools as well such as nail guns, sanders, air drills, die grinders, blow guns, plasma cutters, drills and cutters. Compressors present a noise issue. There are quiet compressors available, but they are pricey. Keep noise in mind when setting up your work area and position your compressor with courtesy in mind.If you are considering spray equipment, another useful air tool is the 'air eraser'. This is basically an airbrush sized sand blaster. When used in conjunction with rubber friskets it can be used to etch polished metal, stone and glass. This is a scaled down version of the way they make stone grave markers.Whatever tools you end up getting, you don't have to spend a lot. Pawn shops and yard sales are great sources for tools. All of my spray guns came from Harbor Freight. They are good spray guns and they were super cheap. Shop around and save your money for paint- you can never have enough.If It's Flat Paint ItMasonite, plywood, paper, fabric, glass, metal, concrete, walls, floors, furniture, books- the possibilities are endless. You can be fancy and paint on stretched canvas or paint on a piece of scrap wood. For commissions and 'nice' paintings I like to use canvas boards. I first cut a piece of Masonite or thin plywood to the size needed and sand the edges. next I cut a piece of thin canvas or musilin that's about 2-3" larger than the board all the way around. I paint the entire front of the board with a decent coat of thinned down white glue and carefully apply the canvas, being careful to smooth out any wrinkles and air pockets. Smooth the canvas completely and let it dry. Next, roll the edges of the canvas around the back and carefully glue it down, pay particular attention to making the corners neat. When all the glue has dried apply a couple of coats of primer and let it dry. These canvas boards look good and they provide a good surface for the paint to stick to. For frisket work, canvas coated board makes for a slightly softer work surface. This makes the cutting easier. On the other hand, stretched canvas is the worst material for applying friskets as the canvas is too easily cut and damaged.Try different materials and see what works best for you. Don't be fooled by the higher price=better quality mind set. awesome result can be achieved with dollar store paint and salvaged boards- it's all about the image.Step 8: Creating Textures36 More ImagesIn this section I'll show you how to create textures for backgrounds and such. Check out the pictures above and read the notes for more details. One of the simplest textures is a gradient where one color gently fades into another. This is an important skill and should be practiced until you get the hang of it.Another cool texture is a crackle effect. This happens when two different paints are applied one on top of the other. If the top layer is a paint formulation that dries faster than the bottom layer it shrinks and lets the bottom color show through the cracks. One way I accomplish this is to spray a good coat of regular paint and then put a quick, even layer of Rustoleum Flourescent over top and put it in front of the fan. If everything works out, the flourescent paint dries and cracks exposing the bottom layer. Spend some time playing with your paint and see what happens- you'll discover all sorts of cool effects and reactions.A silicone basting brush is great for dragging, texturing, swirling and mixing spray paint on the work surface. These brushes clean easily- just let the paint dry and stretch the silicone a little bit. The dried paint will fall right off. I have a few of these brushes. A flat rectangular brush is good for dragging waves and grain into paint. I have a round one that's good for stabbing and swirling paint. On every drug store toy aisle they sell kinky looking silicone inflatable toys and such with little tentacles all over them. Aside from being a little embarrassing for a grown man to buy, they make really cool paint brushes capable of creating cool textures. Play with stuff and see what happens!Marble like effects can be achieved by spraying a coat of paint on a surface and letting it dry completely. Next spray a new layer with a different color and quickly cover it with a loosely draped plastic bag. Gently smooth down the plastic and then peel it off. Try variations of pressure, paint thickness or other parameters for different effects.I create textures and patterns with things like mesh, lace, expanded metal, grates and other flat materials with holes in them. By spraying through something flat with holes, the pattern of the holes is transferred to the surface.3d effects can be created by spraying paint from two different flat angles. The edge of the stencil shields the work surface to let whatever color is below to show through. This technique will come in handy when we play with text later.One of my favorite effects is speckles. By barely pressing the spray button the paint will spit out droplets rather than a fine mist. By spraying many layers of speckles in a variety of colors, a cool 'static' effect is created. This is a messy process. Since the paint comes out at a lower pressure it doesn't atomize properly and tends to build up around the nozzle. If you don't wipe it regularly it will drip on your surface and ruin your work.If you're ever at an art fair and you see a crew of guys doing 'space art' with spray cans stick around and take notes. These guys do some awesome stuff. Above I share a little bit of what I've learned from watching them to create a space scene with a planet made with a stencil and some plastic bags.Play with stuff and use your imagination. Look around your house with fresh eyes and see what you can find to experiment with. Make something- even if it's just a mess.Step 9: Text Techniques to Get the Word Out.9 More ImagesNow we'll look at some ways to add text to your stencils. This comes in handy for making signs, cards, personalized items and many other wordy projects. Text can be hand cut as a stencil or a frisket. Choose your font carefully for ease of cutting and readability. There are plenty of stencil ready fonts available and many others can be easily modified to work as stencils. Sometimes you may want to use a font that has unavoidable islands. In this case I cut the stencil as normal and then carefully position the island. I use scraps of foam core to build up a riser on the island and a few on the main stencil. I use stiff wire to connect the island to the rest of the stencil across the tops of the risers. This allows the spray to flow around the wire and not affect the image. Outlines and drop shadow effects look really good. Create your text. Use the wand tool to select the text. Now create a new layer. Use the stroke setting to create an outline shape that is larger than the original text. Adjust the stroke settings until you get something cool looking. To create a drop shadow effect, drag the outline layer slightly down and to the side. This adds a dimension to the text. Trace and cut the outline layer and text layer onto separate sheets of film and spray like usual.Another way to create text in your stencil projects is to affix premade craft letter to a layer of tightly stretched mesh. I use adhesive foam letter from Michael's. they come in different sizes and fonts and they're reasonably cheap. Another bonus is that they're kind of thick, so if they're sprayed at two different angles you can get really cool drop shadows and highlights. One drawback with foam letters is that spray paint tends to shrink slightly as it dries. On a solid surface this slight shrinking insures a smooth finish. On foam letters it causes them to curl after a few uses.There are a wide variety of premade sticker letters available for scrap bookers and paper crafters. They can be affixed to stretched mesh just like foam letters. Sticker letters are stiffer and don't tend to curl like foam letters. They can be made a bit more permanent with a drop or two of glue on the mesh side.Adhesive frisket material or tape can be affixed to the mesh and gently rolled with a roller for a reusable,low tech screen print set up. Tape is particularly effective for creating bold fonts with straight lines. This is great for making small runs of T-shirts for bands or events.Another fun text effect can be achieved with uncooked alphabet pasta. To create a jumble of letters, first paint your surface black. When it is completely dry, scatter a handful of the pasta across the surface. Arrange it until it looks good. Now gently spray the entire surface with a contrasting color. Hold the can farther away as you paint so the pressure from the spray doesn't disturb the pasta. When all the visible black paint is covered, let the piece dry and then gently remove the pasta. This creates a cool random text effect.As long as we're talking about text I'll just add that traditional Sharpie pens and markers don't work well on spray painted surfaces but the new Sharpie paint pens are super awesome. They're great for signing your work on top of a wide variety of materials. Elmer's Painters paint pens are also decent and cheap.Go make a statement!Step 10: Putting It All Together- Design Ideas18 More ImagesEach technique and trick you learn or develop is like another color in your box of crayons. You could draw an entire world in one color like Harold and his purple crayon or you could use the whole box at once. Tastefully combining techniques can add a lot to the composition of an image. Every skill is another 'word' in the artistic vocabulary you use to express yourself.Back before the recession I had a large studio. I decided that while I had the space I'd make a limited edition folio of original stencil designs. I went through my stencil collection and selected my favorites. I planned the design for each page and took notes and made sketches to reproduce each page layout. I ended up with 40 total pages. I wanted 10 copies so I planned for 15 to allow room for mistakes. I planned out an assembly line process and started painting. It took 7 days of working and sleeping at the studio, but I ended up with 13 signed and numbered folios of my stencil work.Above you'll find pics of the pages from my folio with brief explanations of how I created the image. Have fun with stencils and everything else you do. The future is bright!