In the 90s—when butterfly hair clips, Tamagotchis, and gel pens were at their peak—a new pen design captured the hearts of students and professionals alike. Yes, we’re talking about multi-ink pens. With four ink colors contained in a single pen, doodling daydreamers could take their pen art to new heights, while the success-focused students could color-code their notes and schedules. Today, it still reigns as a popular purchase at book fairs, as well as a powerful promotional gift that customers can’t help but hold onto. But where did this classic pen come from? Today, we’re taking a deep dive into the history of these always-popular pens.
Pens with multiple colors were first released in France by BIC® in 1970. It came in four colors: red, blue, green, and black. The advertising message was simple: “3 francs for 4 colors.” While different varieties were later released, including a popular version with neon ink, these four basic ink colors remained the standard for most multi-colored ink pens.
The ink colors aren’t the only thing that has remained from the original multi-colored ink pens. The mechanism behind the pen has remained the same since it was first released! An article by Innovation and Plastics Magazine goes so far as to call it an “industrial secret,” and claims that few people go into the BIC factory in Paris where it is manufactured. Still, other businesses (like us at Pens.com) now offer their own multi-ink pens.
After its initial release, the multicolor pen captured audiences quickly. Many professionals who grew up using multicolor pens are still deeply attached to using them today, like New York Times writer Rick Marin. He describes his BIC multi-ink pen like this:
“Bic’s four-color ballpoint is the organizing principle of my day-planner diary: blue for work-related entries; red for personal; black for illness, public appearances and acts of God; green for miscellaneous ‘creative projects.’ Much more than just a pen, it’s my Palm Pilot.”
The convenience of multi-ink pens have made them popular with nurses and students, allowing them to organize notes and charts with ease. It remains an iconic item at book fairs, student events, and more.
Promoting with the multi-ink pen has more benefits than just having four ink colors in one pen. Here are some of the top reasons businesses today are turning to multi-colored ink pens to promote their brand:
When choosing a promotional product, it’s important to keep your audience in mind. Here are a few industries that can benefit from gifting or using multi-colored ink pens:
Nurses: Nurses work with many patients in a single day, often even in a single hour! This makes it important for them to be able to stay organized and efficient when taking notes or updating charts. Share multi-ink pens with nurses and medical professionals in your area to keep your logo close to the action at all times.
Teachers: Teachers and students can both benefit from multi-colored ink pens. Teachers can use the red pen for marking papers, blue and black for notes and paperwork, and green for their own personal use. They can also share your promotional pens with their students for more organized note taking during class.
Sales Professionals: Anyone who works in sales has to keep notes on prospective leads, while also juggling their own contracts and paperwork. BIC multi-color pens are a great gift for these professionals to help them stay organized with more ink options in a single pen.
Office Workers: If you work in an office, taking notes and setting up schedules are an essential part of your day. This becomes easier with the flexibility offered by multi-ink pens. These pens make great gifts for office employees and customers who enjoy staying organized, or just need a little more color in their doodles.
Party Guests: Multi-ink pens aren’t just for work. Party guests can also enjoy the many options offered by these whimsical pens. For parties, find pens that feature more exciting colors, or features, such as our Mineral Soft Touch Lucina 4-Ink Stylus Pen. Use them as party favors, or as part of a drawing party game!
Ready to customize your own multi-ink pens? Here are some of our favorites!
The classic BIC multi-ink pen that started it all, complete with its traditional white barrel, lanyard loop, and four ink colors. Customize your own and share your version of what is often referred to as the national pen of France!
The Lucina Pen is our own take on a well-known classic. These multi-colored ink pens come in stylish mineral colors, with a soft touch rubberized coating and comfort grip. But these pens have more than just multiple colors of ink! They also include a stylus for writing and swiping on touchscreens, giving you five ways to write with just one pen.
Another of our popular Lucina Pens, this pen features all the same benefits as its Mineral version. In addition, you get bold and professional barrel color options and a full color custom imprint. This gives excellent brand visibility and fits in well in offices, schools, and more.
For those who love only having to carry one pen, imagine not having to carry a pencil, either! From the popular pen brand, Pilot®, this pen features the classic four colors of black, blue, red, and green ink, plus an additional built-in mechanical pencil and concealed eraser.
Multi-ink pens are perfect for writing notes in book margins, editing papers, and more. But your brand can lean into that functionality more with an additional built-in highlighter! This pen features all the classic colors, plus a highlighter colored to match the pen’s trim. Share with students, teachers, bible study groups, and more!
Want to add some shine to your promotions? This stylish metallic-colored pen offers excellent visibility for your custom logo. Choose from several shiny barrel colors to highlight your custom logo printed in full color on the barrel. It also features a stylus at the top, perfect for touchscreens.
Whether you’re shopping for yourself or others, our multi-ink pens are a great way to share your brand alongside a popular nostalgic pen. Create your own from our custom multi-color pens selection!
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