THE STYLE GUIDE
PEN QUEST ONE PERSON’S SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT PEN
SPACES CREATE THAT VINTAGE FEEL IN YOUR WORK SPACE
APPEAL DON’T BE UNDERSOLD BY A CHEAP BUSINESS CARD
PROMOTION HOW TO IMPRESS THE NEW BOSS WITHOUT BROWNOSING
S PA C E S
THEY DON’T MAKE THEM LIKE THEY USED TO Throwing some vintage items into the mix now and then can suddenly transform an office into something fresh & new. It’s all in the all in the accesories Throwing some vintage items into the mix now and then can suddenly transform an office into something fresh & new. Occaborum lantus, simende rataque des ipsum fugiam as arciis doluptatur aligenimus sitem volo id mod que que nonserorNam conet vitatib erorrum delenturit ate plique nos invel esciisTia volorer emolupta ipsandigenda qui custio.
Throwing some vintage items into the mix now and then can suddenly transform an office into something fresh & new. Occaborum lantus, simende rataque des ipsum fugiam as arciis doluptatur aligenimus sitem volo id mod que que nonseror
2 − FEBRUARY
Wall Clock
Desk Chair
Tape Dispenser
Throwing some vintage items into the mix now and then can suddenly transform an office into something fresh & new. Occaborum lantus, simende rataque des ipsum fugiam as arciis doluptatur aligenimus sitem volo id mod que que nonserorUgit exerio. Ulla dionsequibus nullabo reptatur, ipici dem raere plic tendignatest et postia nullaccullut evelicid quam, quam fuga. Xernatur,
Throwing some vintage items into the mix now and then can suddenly transform an office into something fresh & new. Occaborum lantus, simende rataque des ipsum fugiam as arciis doluptatur aligenimus sitem volo id mod que que nonserorErumqui ommolecum quaerro dolo bero essi debit fugiantecab in repere, volupta quasit aut volest explamentet, aperum aute
Throwing some vintage items into the mix now and then can suddenly transform an office into something fresh & new. Occaborum lantus, simende rataque des ipsum fugiam as arciis doluptatur aligenimus sitem volo id mod que que nonserorOfficiasit apelitisti coresequatur reperis voluptissume voluptatur, sitatempori di aut re pa vidi necab inverore quidit duciation ratur mi, omnia
APPEAL
A BETTER BUSINESS CARD There is nothing worse than making that new contact only to be undersold by your own generic business card. If you’re not a designer
PAY SOMEONE TO DESIGN YOUR CARD
Color adds interest, but the contrast of black and white can be exactly what you needed, at a saving also. Demolupt aeperum dolor restiis etusap
Chances are you had the kid at Kinkos design your cards. Or maybe you went with pre-made cards from a “discount” website. DON’T BE A CHEAPO! If you want to look good and stand out, invest the time and money that your personal brading deserves. Design isn’t cheap, but it’s worth it.
Remember
Talk to your printer, look at his paper samples and ask about cost and options for different prints and finishes.
·Less is more ·Design isn’t cheap, but it’s worth it ·Invest in getting the best for your personal brand
If you keep the design to one side the price will be considerably cheaper.
4 − FEBRUARY
SIZE
2”
S TA ND A R D
3.5”
Pen
Quest I really thought I needed therapy to stop obsessing about good pens. I am a pen fanatic. It was my obsession to find and keep the perfect pen, but after years of searching I was afraid it might not exist. Words by Toof Dockir
S
ometimes I had panic attacks. I’d be in the middle of a perfect thought and reach for Pen to write it down. But Pen would be GONE! A frantic search & rescue operation always ensued with couch cushions and papers scattered in my wake. I’ve submitted assignments late because I couldn’t finish writing without Pen. And it was worth it. For years I thought I was the only person that was nuts (or obsessed) with finding the perfect pen. My wife, family, and friends are all aware of this quirk of mine and have grown to accept it. I like the smoothness of gels however I always hated how some of them bled through or were inconsistent with the ink flow. People in my office sometimes will use my pen and ask “what kind of pen is this” they love how smooth it writes while how comfy it feels in their hands. Once of the ladies in the office loves her gel pens and used mine to sign some documents, she later told me that she thought she was using a gel pen but when she look at the pen closer she was shocked that it was a ballpoint. You can find the pen at about any store except Walmart. I can writes for hours and hours and because the pen is balanced and comfy it does not hurt my wrist or hand. I’ve tried every pen I could find over the years, If you have great handwriting, and don’t write with a heavy iron hand, these pens write beautifully. I go through dozens every year, and am able to provide everyone I know with moderately used pens once the tip loses its sharpness. As a 30-year graphic designer by profession, I don’t believe there is a better writing combination I really thought I needed therapy to stop obsessing about good pens. I am left-handed, so fast drying is critical.
Angelika Unverhau Pen lady has collected more than 220,000 ball-point pens (excluding duplicates) from 146 countries. She has been collecting unusual pens since childhood,
8 − FEBRUARY
I also work in a lab and where we used to have forms printed, most are now generated in house and printed on copy/inkjet paper. I assume that some of my dislike of pens lately is due to the paper. Even expensive pens skip and are inconsistant. Sometimes the cheapest ones from the dollar store and hotel rooms write better. I’m cheap, and have a pretty high degree of tolerance for some irritation, to a point. Cheap, well-writing pens are hard to find, but out there. Paper Mate’s Write Brothers Stick used to be my favorite at about 10 cents each, but the quality seems to have changed in the last fifteen years. Still pretty good, and I can tolerate the imperfections of the occasional loop-drawing to get it started. Above average, but not like they used to be.a The pen represents something of a commodity item, utilised daily in almost every facet of daily home and work life. Comparable to a fine suit or stunning watch, a pen can represent a mix of agendas. I HAD my perfect pen. I loved it. Just loved it. It was an extension of my arm; a smooth, light, firm appendage with a fine tip and perfect ink flow that never smudged. My pen never failed me. I am ridiculusly picky about the grip, balance and ink flow of pens. And it wouldn’t hurt if they come in a good variety of colors. (It’s very helpful for note taking, design schematics drafts, Over the years, I buy lots of different pens. Some good, some bad. Some are just plain awful. In this blog, I’ll review the pens, rate them by my personal taste and also describe them in full detail so you can judge for yourself. First of all, it’s hard to find paper thick enough that you can write on both sides with a fountain pen. I ended up buying printing paper and I’m still taking notes . ]The lack of lines to “guide” your writing isstrangely liberating, the paper is thick enough and not expensive either. Then there’s the problem with hand-writing. Mine is not very cursive, so it’s not optimized for a fountain pen. And I found out the hard way that fountain pens are not built to write mathematical symbols. My wrist hurt so much after the first week that I actually had to abandon them, my cute little fountain pens! I’m still obsessed about them though and if I have to write a lot of English texts, I’d still choose fountain pens. I myself am a pen fanatic. I tend stick anything resembling the shape of a pen behind my ear, and find at the end of most days, I’ve acquired a new pen of unknown origin. Recently, on a bus ride home from a city named Busan (living in South Korea at the moment), I was writing with a Bic Atlantis, and realized, without a doubt, it was the most comfortable and pleasing pen I had ever used. It’s a ballpoint, which ordinarily I saved for quick jots and carbon copy paper writing. But this thing is amazing. I’m almost positive I brought it in my backpack from the states over here, and I hope and pray everyday that Bic still makes these little gems. I have some fascination for good writing implements. My family ran a commercial office supply business and I managed to experience many different pens. so I go through pens at a rapid rate. The great thing about these pens is that you can buy refills, saving money. I also prefer ballpoint to ink as it won’t smudge. So when I’m doing homework or taking notes, I don’t have to wait and blow on the ink to avoid smudges. The ink flow is also excellent. None of that scribbling on a piece of paper to get the ink flowing again. The line it
produces is very uniform. The design of the pen is also very elegant. It’s slim and simple. The grip is not padded but I prefer my pens without that. The retractable feature is also very nice as dealing with caps annoys me. I use this with the matching mechanical pencil and both are an essential addition to my pencil bag. I’ve been using this pen for 4 years and I haven’t switched yet! I write a ton of progress notes in the medical record and I have always appreciated pens that have a fine point and have ink that doesn’t soak through the page. Let me first admit to a fountain pen bias. But that doesn’t mean that there is not a rollerball that has won my heart. Nothing off the shelf writes more beautifully and smoothly, and I have tried literally hundreds of fountain pens. Heck, I own literally hundreds of fountain pens All of that said, I will tell you what I am using every day, and have no likelihood of giving up in the near future I have a copper and a silver version, and each lays down a line so interesting that writing is simply a huge pleasure. I HAD my perfect pen. I loved it. Just loved it. It was an extension of my arm; a smooth, light, firm appendage with a fine tip and perfect ink flow that never smudged. My pen never failed me. Sometimes I had panic attacks. I’d be in the middle of a perfect thought and reach for Pen to write it down. But Pen would be GONE! A frantic search & rescue operation always ensued with couch cushions and papers scattered in my wake. I’ve submitted assignments late because I couldn’t finish writing without Pen. And it was worth it For years I thought I was the only person that was nuts (or obsessed) with finding the perfect pen. My wife, family, and friends are all aware of this quirk of mine and have grown to accept itI like the smoothness of gels however I always hated how some of them bled through or were inconsistent with the ink flow. People in my office sometimes will use my pen and ask “what kind of pen is this” they love how smooth it writes while how comfy it feels in their hands. Once of the ladies in the office loves her gel pens and used mine to sign some documents, she later told me that she thought she was using a gel pen but when she look at the pen closer she was shocked that it was a ballpoint. You can find the pen at about any store except Walmart. I can writes for hours and hours and because the pen is balanced and comfy it does not hurt my wrist or hand. I’ve tried every pen I could find over the years, If you have great handwriting, and don’t write with a heavy iron hand, these pens write beautifully. I go through dozens every year, and am able to provide everyone I know with moderately used pens once the tip loses its sharpness. As a 30year graphic designer by profession, I don’t believe there is a better writing combination I really thought I needed therapy to stop obsessing about good pens. I am left-handed, so fast drying is critical. I also work in a lab and where we used to have forms printed, most are now generated in house and printed on copy/inkjet paper. I assume that some of my dislike of pens lately is due to the paper. Even
expensive pens skip and are inconsistant. Sometimes the cheapest ones from the dollar store and hotel rooms write better. I’m cheap, and have a pretty high degree of tolerance for some irritation, to a point. Cheap, well-writing pens are hard to find, but out there. Paper Mate’s Write Brothers Stick used to be my favorite at about 10 cents each, but the quality seems to have changed in the last fifteen years. Still pretty good, and I can tolerate the imperfections of the occasional loop-drawing to get it started. Above average, but not like they used to be. a The pen represents something of a commodity item, utilised daily in almost every facet of daily home and work life. Comparable to a fine suit or stunning watch, a pen can represent a mix of agendas. I HAD my perfect pen. I loved it. Just loved it. It was an extension of my arm; a smooth, light, firm appendage with a fine tip and perfect ink flow that never smudged. My pen never failed me. I am ridiculusly picky about the grip, balance and ink flow of pens. And it wouldn’t hurt if they come in a good variety of colors. (It’s very helpful for note taking, design schematics drafts, etc.) Over the years, I buy lots of different pens. Some good,
PEN FACTS 1. On average, 100 people choke to death on ball point pens every year. 2. More than 2 billion pens are manufactured in the United States annually. 3. There are 5 main kinds of pens used worldwide; ballpoint, fountain, soft-tip. rolling-ball and specialty pens. 4. The first fountain pen was invented by L.E. Waterman in 1883, and had it patented in 1884. 5. The first ballpoint pen was invented by Hungarian journalist Laszlo Biro in 1938, but the first patent belonged to John J. Loud in 1888.
FEBRUARY − 9
I HAD my perfect pen. I loved it. Just loved it. It was an extension of my arm; a smooth, light, firm appendage with a fine tip and perfect ink flow that never smudged. My pen never failed me. I am ridiculously picky about the grip, balance and ink flow of pens. And it wouldn’t hurt if they come in a good variety of colors. It’s very helpful for note taking, design schematics drafts, etc. Over the years, I buy lots of different pens. Some good, some bad. Some are just plain awful. In this blog, I’ll review the pens, rate them by my personal taste and also describe them in full detail so you can judge for yourself. First of all,it’s hard to find paper thick enough that you can write on both sides with a fountain pen. I ended up buying printing paper and I’m still taking notes on them. The lack of lines to “guide” your writing is strangely liberating, the paper is thick enough and not expensive either. Then there’s the problem with hand-writing. Mine is not very cursive, so it’s not optimized for a fountain pen. And I found out the hard way that fountain pens are not built to write mathematical symbols. My wrist hurt so much after the first week that I actually had to abandon them, my cute little fountain pens! I’m still obsessed about them though and if I have to write a lot of English texts, I’d still choose fountain pens. I myself am a pen fanatic. I tend stick anything resembling the shape of a pen behind my ear, and find at the end of most days, I’ve acquired a new pen of unknown origin. Recently, on a bus ride home from a city named Busan (living in South Korea at the moment), I was writing with a Bic Atlantis, and realized, without a doubt, it was the most comfortable and pleasing pen, It’s a ballpoint, which ordinarily I saved for quick jots and carbon copy paper writing. But this thing is amazing. I’m almost positive I brought it in my backpack from the states over here, and I hope and pray everyday
that Bic still makes these little gems. I have some fascination for good writing implements. My family ran a commercial office supply business and I managed to experience many different pens. so I go through pens at a rapid rate. The great thing about these pens is that you can buy refills, saving money. I also prefer ballpoint to ink as it won’t smudge. So when I’m doing homework or taking notes, I don’t have to wait and blow on the ink to avoid smudges. The ink flow is also excellent. None of that scribbling on a piece of paper to get the ink flowing again. The line it produces is very uniform. The design of the pen is also very elegant. It’s slim and simple. The grip is not padded but I prefer my pens without that. The retractable feature is also very nice as dealing with caps annoys me. I use this with the matching mechanical pencil and both are an essential addition to my pencil bag. I’ve been using this pen for 4 years and I haven’t switched yet! I write a ton of progress notes in the medical record and I have always appreciated pens that have a fine point and have ink that doesn’t soak through the page. Let me first admit to a fountain pen bias. But that doesn’t mean that there is not a rollerball that has won my heart. Nothing off the shelf writes more beautifully and smoothly, and I have tried literally hundreds of fountain pens. Heck, I own literally hundreds of fountain pens All of that said, I will tell you what I am using every day, and have no likelihood of giving up in the near future I have a copper and a silver version, and each lays down a line so interesting that writing is simply a huge pleasure. I had my perfect pen. I loved it. Just loved it. It was an extension of my arm; a smooth, light, firm appendage with a fine tip and perfect ink flow that never smudged. My pen. Sometimes I had panic attacks. I’d be in the middle of a perfect thought and reach for Pen to write it down. But Pen would be GONE! A frantic search & rescue operation always ensued with couch cushions and papers scattered in my wake. I’ve
For years I thought I was the only person that was nuts (or obsessed) with finding the perfect pen. My wife, family, and friends are all aware this quirk of mine and have grown to accept it.
Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would Write in Space The problem of weightless writing was not solved by either Soviet central planning or good old American sub-contracting, but by a private investor and a good idea During the height of the space race in the 1960s, legend has it, NASA scientists realized that pens could not function in space. They needed to figure out another way for the astronauts to write things down. So they spent years and millions of taxpayer dollars to develop a pen that could put ink to paper 10 − FEBRUARY
without gravity. But their crafty Soviet counterparts, so the story goes, simply handed their cosmonauts pencils. This tale with its message of simplicity and thrift--not to mention a failure of common sense in a bureaucracy--floats around the internet hopping from in-box to in-box, and even surfaced during a 2002 episode of the West Wing. But, alas, it is just a myth. Originally, NASA astronauts, like the Soviet cosmonauts, used pencils, according to NASA historians. In fact, NASA ordered
34 mechanical pencils from Houston’s Tycam Engineering Manufacturing, Inc., in 1965. They paid $4,382.50 or $128.89 per pencil. the Fisher Pen Company, reportedly invested $1 million to create what is now commonly known as the space pen. None of this investment money came from NASA’s coffers--the agency only became involved after the pen was dreamed into existence. In 1965 Fisher patented a pen that could write upside-down, in frigid space station, price of
They paid $4,382.50 or $128.89 per pencil. the Fisher Pen Company, reportedly invested $1 million to create what is now commonly known as the space pen. None of this investment money came from NASA’s coffers--the agency only became involved after the pen was dreamed into existence. The problem of weightless writing was not solved by either Soviet central planning or good old American sub-contracting, but by a private investor and a good idea During the height of the space race in the 1960s, legend has
submitted assignments late because I couldn’t finish writing without Pen. And it was worth it. For years I thought I was the only person that was nuts (or obsessed) with finding the perfect pen. My wife, family, and friends are all aware of this quirk of mine and have grown to accept it. I like the smoothness of gels however I always hated how some of them bled through or were inconsistent with the ink flow. People in my office sometimes will use my pen and ask “what kind of pen is this” they love how smooth it writes while how comfy it feels in their hands. Once of the ladies in the office loves her gel pens and used mine to sign some documents, she later told me that she thought she was using a gel pen but when she look at the pen closer she was shocked that it was a ballpoint. You can find the pen at about any store except Wal mart. I can writes for hours and hours and because the pen balanced and comfy it does not hurt my wrist or hand. I’ve tried every pen I could find over the years, If you have great handwriting, and don’t write with a heavy iron hand, these pens write beautifully. I go through dozens every year, and am able to provide everyone I know with moderately used pens once the tip loses its sharpness. As a 30-year graphic designer by profession, I don’t believe there is a better writing combination I really thought I needed therapy to stop obsessing about good pens. I am left-handed, so fast drying is critical. I also work in a lab and where we used to have forms printed, most are now generated in house and printed on copy/inkjet paper. I assume that some of my dislike of pens lately is due to the paper. Even expensive pens skip and are inconsistant. Sometimes the cheapest ones from the dollar store and hotel rooms write better. I’m cheap, and have a pretty high degree of tolerance for some irritation, to a point. Cheap, well-writing pens are hard to find, but out there. Paper Mate’s Write Brothers Stick used to be my favorite at about 10 cents each, but the quality seems to have changed in the last fifteen years. Still pretty good, and I can tolerate the imperfections of the occasional loop-drawing to get it started. Above average, but not like they used to be. a The pen represents something of a commodity item, utilized daily in almost every facet of daily home and work life. Comparable to a fine suit or
stunning watch, a pen can represent a mix of agendas. I my perfect pen. I loved it. Just loved it. It was an extension of my arm; a smooth, light, firm appendage with a fine tip and perfect ink flow that never smudged. My pen never failed me. I am ridiculusly picky about the grip, balance and ink flow of pens. And it wouldn’t hurt if they come in a good variety of colors. (It’s very helpful for note taking, design schematics drafts, etc.) Over the years, I buy lots of different pens. Some good, some bad. Some are just plain awful. In this blog, I’ll review the pens, rate them by my personal taste and also describe them in full detail so you can judge for yourself. First of all, it’s hard to find paper thick enough that you can write on both sides with a fountain pen. I ended up buying printing paper and I’m still taking notes on them. The lack of lines to “guide” your writing is strangely liberating, the paper is thick enough and not expensive either. Then there’s the problem with handwriting. Mine is not very cursive, so it’s not optimized for a fountain pen. And I found out the hard way that fountain pens are not built to write mathematical Wsymbols. My wrist hurt so much after the first week that I actually had to abandon them, my cute little fountain pens! I’m still obsessed about them though and if I have to write a lot of English texts, I’d still choose fountain pens. I myself am a pen fanatic. I tend stick anything resembling the shape of a pen behind my ear, and find at the end of most days, I’ve acquired a new pen of unknown origin. Recently, on a bus ride home from a city named Busan (living in South Korea at the moment), I was writing with a Bic Atlantis, and realized, without a doubt, it was the most comfortable and pleasing pen I had ever used. It’s a ballpoint, which ordinarily I saved for quick jots and carbon copy paper writing. But this thing is amazing. I’m almost positive I brought it in my backpack from the states over here, and I hope and pray everyday that Bic still makes these little gems. I have some fascination for good writing implements. My family ran a commercial office supply business and I managed to experience many different pens. so I go through pens C
it, NASA scientists realized that pens could not function in space. They needed to figure out another way for the astronauts to write things down. So they spent years and millions of taxpayer dollars to develop a pen that could put ink to paper without gravity. But their crafty Soviet counterparts, so the story goes, simply handed their cosmonauts pencils. This tale with its message of simplicity and thrift--not to mention a failure of common sense in a bureaucraFEBRUARY − 11