Best Pens and Other Writing Implements for Journaling

[ysabetwordsmith]

Having offered journals and planners to buy or to print at home, it seems useful to cover related supplies. This post covers pens, markers, pencils, inks, and a few extras. Understand that the physical experience of writing is a big appeal with recordkeeping on paper, so pay attention to the handfeel of what you use. Also, many people in this activity are highly visual, with an interest in color-coding and/or using a set of symbols to store information. For this reason, they often want multiple colors. Another reason for variety is when you do different things in your journal -- writing, drawing, filling in areas of color, etc. A good handwriting pen may not excel at coloring in spaces and vice versa, so you might need different ones for each task.


Theory

Bullet Journaling 101: Choosing Your Pens

Choosing Ink and Pens for Watercolor: Guide For Beginners

Color Coding: Planner Friend or Foe?

Colored Pencil Drawing Tips: How to Choose the Right Red

A Guide to Pens & Markers for Journaling (basic types)

How to Choose Your Journal Pen -- Beth Foreman

How to Choose a Pencil: Ultimate Guide (2024)

How to Choose the Right Fountain Pen Ink

How To Organize Pens, Pencils, & Markers At Home

Is it Better to Journal in Pen or Pencil?

Let's Talk Acrylic Inks and How-to Use them in our Projects

Luxury Gift Pen Buyer's Guide
When you want to pamper yourself or a fellow stylophile, especially if you also invest in high-quality journals.

Markers: A Buying Guide for Beginners and Artists!

Pencil Guide: How to Choose a Pencil You'll Love -- The Paper Mouse
A page with multiple articles about pencil traits.

Types of Fountain Pen Inks: Get to Know the Options for Your Pens

Types of Pencils and Pencil Lead: Finding the Best Pencil for Writing

Ultimate Bullet Journal Pen Smudge Test
A methodical experiment that you can duplicate at home with whatever pens you wish to compare.

The Ultimate Guide To Fountain Pen Ink Cartridges (2025)

Using Dip Calligraphy Pens in Your Art Journal

Using Ink in Your Journal Work

What kind of pen is best for lefties?


Pens

The 4 Best Pens For Lefties

10 Best Glitter Pens November 2024

The Beginner's Guide to Fountain Pens (By a True Beginner)

Best Fountain Pens for High-Maintenance Inks
These pens can stand up to inks with pigment, shimmer, sheen, etc.

Best Fountain Pens, Inks, and Notebooks for Bullet Journal

Best Pens for Bullet Journals (2024) -- GTD-With

The Best Pens (And Other Accessories!) For Your Best Journaling Experience Ever

Best Pens For Lefties: Left Handed Pens That Don't Smudge!

Best Pens for Writing -- Day Spring Pens

The Best Pens for Writing in Planners -- Overstuffed Life

Best Pens for Writing in Planners: the ULTIMATE Pen Review

DIP PENS PART 1: SOME BASICS

Dip Pens Part 2: Ink and Watercolour

Gelly Roll Stardust Clear
A glitter pen with clear fluid for adding sparkly accents without color.

Metallic Match-Up: Which Metallic Pen is the Best?

http://www.sprinkledwithglitter.com/blog/sparkle-pens-comparison-and-review-spectrum-noir-sparkle-pens-zig-wink-of-stella-glitter-brush-markers

What Are The Best Pens for Art Journaling?


Markers

6 Best Silver Paint Markers for Art

Bullet Journal Markers -- The Organized Mom

Choosing the Best Watercolor Marker

The Epic Marker Review Part 1: The Metallics (bronze, copper, gold, silver)

The Epic Marker Review Part 2: The Colors,/a> (black, blue, red, white)

Markers You Need to Try if You Love Journaling

Sparkle Pens Comparison And Review: Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pens & Zig Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush Markers


Pencils

The 7 Best Pencils for Writing (in Notebooks & on Paper)

The Best Colored Pencils For Layering

The Best Watercolor Pencils for Beginners

Best Watercolor Pencils to use in your Bullet Journal

Fancy Mechanical Pencils: Luxury Pencils for Writing -- The Pleasure of Writing

A Guide to the Best Colored Pencils for Artists

I Tested Every Colored Pencil to Find the BEST ONE!


Inks

13 Best Fountain Pen Inks [2024]

Best Black Inks to Use with Watercolor and Why

Best Selling Fountain Pen Inks

Best shading inks in every color family -- Ask a Planner Nerd

Exploring the luxurious world of gold calligraphy inks

Hottest Inks of 2024!

The Prettiest Metallic Inks for Calligraphy

Quick & Easy Projects: Ink for Planners (stamp pads)

Stamp Inks for Bullet Journals -- Natasha Miller Creat

What Are The Best Fountain Pen Inks For Bullet Journaling?


Mixed Media

7 Tools to Make Your Art Shine With Metallics

The 11 Best Pens, Markers and Highlighters for Planners

The Best Metallic Gold Inks, Paints, and Other Options to use with Alcohol Inks (My Top 5)

The BEST Mixed Media White Pencils, Paint Pens & Inks for Creating Dazzling Highlights!

Best Pens And Markers For Art Journaling You’ll Absolutely Love

The Best Pens And Pencils For Black Paper

Metallic Inks, Paints & Markers

Must Have Mixed Media Supplies for the Art Journal

The Ultimate Guide to Bullet Journal Supplies

The Ultimate List of Art Journal Supplies

The Ultimate Planner Supplies Guide


Additional Tools and Supplies

Adaptive Handwriting Tools & Aids

Adaptive Writing Aids

Braille Writing Supplies

BULLET JOURNAL STAMPS -- Carefully Crafted

Buy Adaptive Writing Tools For Adults & Children

Correction Supplies -- KCDA

Correction Supplies & Eraser Products -- For My Desk

Identification, Writing and Organizing Categories -- Vision Forward Store
Line and dot pens, raised stickers, and other textural elements for visually impaired or tactile-oriented people.

Journaling and Planning -- Le Pen Store

Luxury Desk Accessories -- The Pleasure of Writing
Pen cases, pen holders, pencil lead tubes, etc.

The Paper Mouse
Arts and crafts, stationery, writing tools and supplies.

Planner Stamps

Planning / Bullet Journaling Stamps -- The Ink Blot Shop

Writing Accessories -- Townsends
Historical materials including quills, slates and slate pencils, sealing wax, etc.

Writing Pens, Ink & Tools -- Levenger