Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pen Review

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 Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pen Review. An unsponsored review and pen test of the Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pens. Did they pass my lefty smear test?

This post is not sponsored. I bought one pack myself on a whim and, in the interest of full disclosure, I ordered a second pack with even more colors using my quarterly Michael’s VIP Program Gift Card (which is a no-strings-attached program). ? Grab a set of these fun InkJoy Gel Pens!

Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pen Review

I take my youngest daughter to Sylvan Learning four days a week right now, which leaves me with an hour to kill each time. 

Sometimes, I take my laptop and work while she’s in her sessions. Sometimes, I shop! Luckily, it’s close to a number of stores.

And I couldn’t resist grabbing a pack of these bright colored gel pens while browsing the aisles. They’ve quickly become my go-to pen, even as a lefty. Did they pass my pen smear test?

Read on to find out!

Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pen Test

For the color swatches, I couldn’t find anywhere that listed exact colors, so I just called them colors that seemed the most obvious.

Test Paper

For the main tests and color swatch samples, I used a Rhodia Dot Pad which is smoother than most notebooks and copy paper.

For the bleed-through test, I used a Leuchtturm 1917. (Side note: You can read my Leuchtturm 1917 Review and Test here.)

Nib

Ballpoint Pen Nib. I purchased the 0.7mm Medium Point because it’s my personal preference, but these also come in a 0.5mm Fine Point option.

Smoothness

The InkJoy Gel Pens glide on paper super well, which is one of the things I love most. It’s not scratchy and doesn’t catch on the paper at all.

Note: While I haven’t had this issue with these pens yet, gel pens are known for “drying out”…except they’re usually not dried out. So, if your ink flow stops sooner than expected, try using a hot blower dryer on the tip of the gel pen or leaving it nib down in a cup of hot water for 5 minutes or so. Good as new!

Smear Test at One Second Intervals

Smear Test

I didn’t have high hopes for the smear test for two reasons: I’m a lefty and, as I mentioned, the Rhodia Dot Pad is silky smooth paper.

Imagine my surprise when the ink barely smeared after one second of dry time. The two-second test had barely perceptible smearing (if any!). And by three seconds, it was 100% dry.

I had the same results using the Leuchtturm 1917 journal.

Where they failed was coated cardstock. Even after 30 seconds, I had major smearing. To be fair, I wouldn’t ever really use gel pens on coated cardstock anyhow, though!

Ink 

The gel pen ink flows well, dries quick, and the colors are rich and vibrant.

My only complaint would be that the pink and magenta pens are so close in color you can barely tell them apart.

Bleed-Through Test

In my test, there was no ghosting or bleed through on normal weight papers. Yay! I cannot stand when pens ghost through my journal or planner pages.

Grip

A comfort grip surrounds the pen and it really is comfortable to hold in your hand. I tend to put a death grip on my writing utensils!

I also liked that the grip made the pen easy to hold on to when my hand began to sweat a bit. Sorry, I know that’s gross but if you’re a death-grip pen holder like me, sometimes that means your palms get a bit sweaty!

Looks

For me, looks matter. I want my pens to be functional but I also want them to be pretty. I love how these colorful pens look sitting in a pen holder on my desk.

Where to get the Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pens

You can find these on Amazon and in stores like Michaels, Walmart, Target, and more. 

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