There are different types of modern pens that can be categorized by the kind of writing tip or point. A ballpoint pen dispenses ink by rolling a small hard sphere made of brass, steel, or tungsten carbide. The ink dries almost immediately on contact with paper. Some ballpoint pens are designed as a 2 color pen, where you twist the pen one way and one color is available, such as black, and twist it the other way and another color, such as red, can be used.

A ballpoint pen is generally inexpensive and reliable. It has replaced the fountain pen as the most popular instrument for everyday writing. The fountain pen uses water-based liquid ink delivered through a nib. The ink flows from a reservoir through a “feed” to the nib and then through the nib, due to capillary action and gravity. The nib has no moving parts and delivers the ink through a thin slit to the writing surface. The ink reservoir of a fountain pen can either be refillable or disposable.