Which is the best pen for fast handwriting is a question that is often asked. Improving your handwriting speed has many advantages, and using the right pen type is undoubtedly one of the most critical factors in helping you write faster.
However, if you want to become a faster writer, several other things must be considered.
Such as your handwriting technique, posture, and the type of paper you write on.
In this guide, we will help you become a faster writer, explain what makes a pen faster or slower to write with, and give our top recommendations for the best pens for quick writing.
Table of Contents
1. The Best Pens for Fast Handwriting
When finding the best pens for fast handwriting, you need a pen with smooth-flowing, quick-drying ink, and its nib glides effortlessly across the paper.
To do this, we need to understand the writing characteristics of each type of pen.
1.1. Ballpoint Pens
Ballpoint point pens use a viscous oil-based ink that is quick-drying but thicker than other pen types. This means they require more pressure to write with and are better suited to smooth paper.
Some ballpoint pens use hybrid ink, which has added lubricants in the ink that make the ball roll smoother.
As you can see, standard ballpoint pens are not the best pen to write fast with, although their ink is quick-drying.
Due to their thicker ink and requiring more pressure, cheap ballpoint pens are manufactured from inferior materials, and the ball does not rotate smoothly in its housing, making it scratchy to write with.
As we said, some ballpoint pens use a hybrid ink and combine the quick-drying properties of a ballpoint pen and the smooth writing characteristics of a gel pen.
These hybrid ink pens are, without a doubt, the best ball pen for fast writing.
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There is one hybrid ball pen we recommend for writing fast with and especially for left-handed writers due to its smooth writing properties and quick-drying ink, and that is Uni Jetstream Ballpoint Pens.
Most exams require a ballpoint pen, making Jetstream the best pen for writing fast.
For more details, check out our guide on the best exam pens.
1.2. Gel Pens
Gel Pens use water-based pigmented ink combined with other chemicals to thicken it into a gel-like paste.
It makes gel pens much smoother to write with than a ballpoint pen, and the ink dries quicker than with a rollerball pen.
We recommend gel ink pens as the best pens to write fast with. However, not all gel pens are created equally.
Stay away from cheap budget packs online or in Walmart as they will have similar issues to cheap ballpoint pens, with the ball not rolling smoothly and being prone to smudging.
Although gel ink dries quicker than a rollerball pen, it can sometimes smudge, however, some gel pens have extremely quick-drying ink.
This is the case of our top two recommended pens to write quickly with.
The Pentel Energel RTX and Zebra Sarasa Rapid Dry gel pens are also excellent choices for left-handed writers.
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The Pentel Energel RTX is my favorite and my number one recommendation for the best pen for fast handwriting.
I prefer a pen with a wider barrel, and the ink is silky smooth to write with. It is super-fast drying, and I have never had a problem with smudging.
I would go as far as to say that it could be the world’s fastest writing pen. If there is a quicker pen to write with than this, I have not come across it yet.
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Another great choice is the Zebra Sarasa Rapid Dry X20 gel pens. They are a bit more functional-looking, but they are high-quality pens and much cheaper than the Pentel Energel RTX pens. So if you are on a tight budget, these are ideal.
1.3. Rollerball Pens
Rollerball Pens use a water-based ink that is extremely smooth to write with.
The downside is that the ink is very wet and therefore takes longer to dry than a ballpoint or gel pen, so it is generally not ideal for left-hand writers.
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If you can live with the longer drying times, then a rollerball pen is quick to write. Our top recommendation for this type of pen is the Pilot Precise V5.
Introduced In 1983 with its patented ink delivery system and needlepoint tip, this is another personal favorite to write with.
This pen glides effortlessly across the paper, and the needle tip writes a fine 0.3mm line.
1.4. Fountain Pens
Fountain Pens use free-flowing water-based ink, but the quality of the nib and the skill of the person using the pen are the main factors in determining how well or fast you can write with them.
Also, fountain pens can bleed through paper, so it is best to use high-quality paper where possible.
I am sure people reading this post who can write incredibly fast with a fountain pen will disagree with me.
However, enjoyable fountain pens are to write with, and for this guide, I recommend using a fast-drying gel pen over a fountain pen if you want to write as fast as you can.
2. Benefits of Fast Handwriting
Once you have chosen a pen that is good for fast handwriting, it is worth taking time to think about the benefits of writing fast.
It is generally accepted that whatever you are writing, you should always aim for quality over quantity.
However, being able to write fast is a skill that has its uses.
If you are a student, then being able to write fast during lessons or at lectures allows you to spend more time listening to the teacher/lecturer and absorbing the information they are trying to impart.
We have all been in a situation where someone struggles to keep up with their note-taking and continually asks the teacher/lecturer to pause or repeat.
This means that they cannot properly focus on what is being taught.
Being able to write faster means that you can produce many more words in a shorter time.
Take your note writing to the next level with our guide, The Top 5 Techniques to Take Notes Quickly.
If you are in a time-critical situation such as an exam, this gives you an added advantage as it helps a little to relieve the stress of the imposed time constraints.
School homework is another situation where fast handwriting is highly beneficial.
There are so many other distractions in life that sometimes homework can be a bit of a chore.
The faster that you can write, the less of your precious free time is taken up, allowing you to spend more time doing things that are far more enjoyable.
There is a school of thought that faster writing speeds help novelists and professional writers to express themselves more easily.
The idea is that when they are writing fast, they get into a flow of writing, and their thoughts and words tumble onto the pages much more effortlessly as they are not overthinking. They can then go back and edit and revise this first draft and develop their characters and scenarios.
3. What is The Fastest Handwriting Speed?
We have already discussed the benefits of fast handwriting, but what is the fastest speed you can physically write at?
The average typist can type 40 words a minute, with fast typists reaching speeds of 60 words per minute.
However, handwriting is far slower; for example, a person who writes quite quickly can write around 20 words a minute, and the fastest speed is 30 words per minute.
However, most people write slowly, 10 – 15 words a minute.
4. Factors Affecting Handwriting Speed
You must practice daily and develop good handwriting techniques to improve your handwriting speed.
1. Ensure you have a good posture and sit straight with both feet on the floor.
2. Hold your pen with a soft grip and normal pressure. This reduces fatigue.
3. The more you practice writing, the faster it trains your muscle memory and helps you become a writer.
4. Use the correct type of pen. If you are writing with a pen that is scratchy and not smooth writing, then this will slow you down
5. Cheap paper with a rough surface will also affect your writing speed. The pen needs to glide across the paper’s surface to write fast. Wherever possible, use a better quality paper to write on.
You may also be interested in our guide Speed Writing Essentials How to Choose The Perfect Pen, where we deep dive into what makes a good pen for faster handwriting.
I looked into studying shorthand to write faster, but it sounds like a huge pain, almost like learning another spoken language.
bring more facts about writing style.