30
The 45° angle position is ideal for use with fountain pens, but will work well with
most rollerball and fine point markers. The vertical position is more suited to
markers with fatter tips or writing instruments that require more downward pres-
sure. The vertical orientation is also the best choice when making plots that re-
quire you to swap pens – for example when making multicolor plots.
8.3 Inserting a pen
You can insert a pen – or other writing instrument that you are using – into the
pen clip and tighten it in place with the thumbscrew.
Take care to only apply gentle force with the thumbscrew: You need merely to
immobilize the pen; stop tightening it once you encounter moderate resistance.
If the vertical slide does not move freely up and down, the first thing to check is
to make sure that you aren’t holding the pen too tightly.
When using any ink-based pen (whether rollerball, fountain pen, or permanent
maker), it is helpful to “bleed” out the tip before writing. Try it by hand on a piece
of scratch paper, and make sure that ink is actually flowing.
Aside: Fragile or delicate pens: If you choose to use fragile pens (such as high-
end fountain pens with celluloid barrels), exercise great care when inserting
the pen. You may wish to wrap the barrel in a thin, soft cloth to avoid scratch-
ing, and use little or no pressure from the thumbscrew. Moderately priced
fountain pens, like the Lamy Safari or the Pilot Metro shown above, tend to
be quite tough, and require little special treatment.
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