How to Store Pens

Store pens either vertically or horizontally.

Store pens properly to ensure their long and productive life and to prevent messy leaks in your pen storage containers. With basic attention to pen storage, you can keep the ink in the pens ready to write.

1. Place caps on pens that have caps and close other pens to prevent leaking.

2. Store many pens vertically or horizontally, depending upon your preference. Basic ballpoint pens and felt-tipped markers store equally well, whether you place them in a pen jar or in a drawer. If you store ballpoint pens vertically, store them with the pen tip down to ensure the ink stays near the tip and the pen is ready to write when you need it. Vertical storage options include a pen jar, a coffee mug, a clean soup can or a small flowerpot.

3. Store gel pens and specialty markers horizontally to keep the ink from leaking out of the end of the pens. Horizontal storage will also keep the ink from drying as fast inside the pen. Horizontal storage options include a desk drawer, a plastic container (some come with drawers) or a pen box.

Tip

Consult the packaging of your pens when you purchase them to see if the manufacturer recommends vertical or horizontal storage and follow these directives for best results with your pens. If you do not have packaging from specific pens, try finding this information from the manufacturer’s website. If the website does not have storage recommendations, find contact information for the manufacturer on the website and call or email the manufacturer to inquire about proper pen storage. If you have a large collection of pens, organize the pens into like groups for storage to enable you to find the specific pen you need in a specific color.