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Home > What are Technical Pens?

What are Technical Pens?

2nd May 2023
What are Technical Pens?
Broad Canvas

Originally, technical pens were mainly used to draw very precise science or architecture diagrams and designs. These days they are mostly produced using CAD (Computer Aided Design), but there's still a need to use technical pens in more artistic fields. As the pens are versatile and very well made, artists, designers and modelmakers have adopted the pens to create works of art and design in creative unique ways.

A technical pen has many more features than a standard pen, so we'll help to show you just what sets them apart.

If you need any other information, our dedicated team will be more than happy to help you out, just get in touch.

technical pen nib width

Technical pens provide a consistent flow of ink so you can create with much cleaner lines than you would with a standard fibre tipped pen. A good pen will conform to ISO standards to keep everything to a high standard of quality, safety and efficiency.

The line widths of your technical pen come in the following sizes: 0.10, 0.13, 0.18, 0.25, 0.35, 0.50, 0.70, 1.0, 1.4, and 2.0 mm.

Generally, the tips on technical pens will be metal so that they can be used against rulers without suffering damage. You do need to be mindful of putting too much pressure on the technical pen as you draw, as this might bend the thin nib.

Image: Lucasbosch
technical pen nib width

What do you need to use techincal pens for? Well they are very good for anything technical (of course) such as schematics and diagrams, crosshatch shading, fine details and lettering - lending crisp edges to serifs and flourishes. The ink is highly pigmented and is also waterproof, with inks usually coming in black and blue.

Try them for yourself! We stock techincal pens such as the Rotring Rapidograph Technical Drawing Pen, the Rotring Isograph Technical Drawing Pen. See our full range including ink refills and nibs here: