From the Egyptian pyramids to Shakespeare’s plays, history has always had a form of writing exist in it. For each person, an important part of education is learning how to write. While technology makes it easier to communicate without the need to write, writing checks or signing documents still happens. The occasional handwritten letter is also another way to flex the writing skills. During these instances, this is why it is important to use the right pen color.

The best pen color to use is black. Black shows off one’s ability to know what they want. Using a black pen is not bending rules and being straightforward. No one goes wrong when writing in black. Anyone who sees black handwriting will not have an issue. There are no variations of black. There can only be one color of black.

Another good pen color is blue. It is similar to black, and it is never controversial to use. It stands out while not drawing too much attention. The hard part is there can be different variations of blue. While light blue and dark blue are different, the dark blues can also vary. One might look at the outside of the pen and think it is a certain shade of blue, and then realize after writing it is a different shade. Not a fun problem to have.

Red is another option for a pen color, but it should only be used in certain instances. Using it on formal documents is not recommended, and red may bring up memories of being corrected by teachers in one’s youth. Too many red marks on the assignment never gave anyone happiness. Red projects power, and that might make things uncomfortable. Using the power of red must be used sparingly, but a nice red stroke on paper looks good.

Any color outside of these three colors is zany. Orange? Zany. Green? Zany. Pink? Are you out of your mind? It is hard to use these colors on certain documents because these loud colors make it hard to be taken seriously. The subtleness of black and blue work much better. When using brighter colors, the writers make a choice. They want their writing to be noticed.

Every grammatical error and every swipe made with the pen will be noticed more than ever. It is a bold choice for one to make and to live with. One must tread lightly when using bright colors.

Whenever you sit down next to write, keep in mind what color you want to choose. Do you want to be zany or do you want to be subtle? It is an important choice to make. Pens are important, and colors matter.

Sean Dengler is a writer, comedian, farmer, and host of the Pandaring Talk podcast who grew up on a farm between Traer and Dysart. You can reach him at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com.