Why do gel pens feel smoother than ordinary oil-based ballpoint pens when writing?

The ink used in gel pens is a specially formulated water-based pigment ink, and its viscosity is precisely controlled within a range that is neither too thin nor too thick. This ink can flow out quickly and evenly when writing, and it is neither too thin to be difficult to control nor too thick to increase writing resistance. In contrast, the ink of oil-based ballpoint pens is often more viscous and has more oil stains, requiring greater pressure to push it to flow, thereby increasing resistance when writing. This characteristic of gel pen ink makes writing easier and smoother.
The nib design of gel pens has undergone many innovations, including bullet nibs, full needle tubes, and half needle tubes. These designs not only improve the accuracy and stability of writing, but also accurately control the amount of ink outflow through a fine internal structure. The bullet nib is suitable for fast writing, the full needle nib is suitable for fine writing, and the half needle nib takes into account the advantages of both. These designs allow gel pens to be more flexible in adapting to different writing needs and paper types when writing.
To further enhance the writing experience, gel pens add an appropriate amount of lubricant to the ink. This lubricant can reduce the coefficient of friction between the pen tip and the paper, reducing the resistance when writing. At the same time, the lubricant can protect the pen tip from wear and tear, extending its service life. This lubricating effect is particularly evident when writing for a long time or when a large amount of text needs to be written continuously.
The ink drying speed of the gel pen is carefully controlled within a moderate range. Too fast drying speed may cause poor writing or ink clumps, while too slow drying speed may cause stains and smears. The gel pen achieves a balance in ink drying speed by optimizing the ink formula and drying mechanism. This balance ensures that when writing, fingers or paper will not be stained due to wet ink, and the smoothness of writing will not be affected due to too fast drying of the ink.
The reason why the gel pen feels smoother than ordinary oil-based ballpoint pens is that it has been carefully designed and optimized in many aspects such as ink type and viscosity, pen tip design and structure, lubricant addition, and ink drying speed.