# Rotring

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Technical writing and drawing instruments company

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Rotring Formerly Tintenkuli Handels GmbH (1928) Type Private (1928–98) Subsidiary (1998–) Industry Stationery Area served Worldwide Products Technical pens, fountain pens, mechanical pencils, inks Owner Newell Brands[1] Parent Sanford L.P.[2]

A box of technical pens

Rotring 600

**Rotring** (stylized **rOtring**) is a [manufacturer](/source/Manufacturing_company) of [technical drawing tools](/source/Technical_drawing_tool) and [writing implements](/source/Writing_implement). Established in Germany in 1928 as a [fountain pen](/source/Fountain_pen) manufacturer, Rotring went on to be acquired by [Newell Brands](/source/Newell_Brands) in 1998.[3][1] The name "Rotring" directly translates to "red ring", which refers to the company's signature: a red band placed around the barrel of the pen. The company's name was changed to Rotring in the early 1970s to match the trademark.

Since the Rotring factory and headquarters in [Hamburg](/source/Hamburg) were shut down, production has been handled and distributed by [Japanese](/source/Japan) manufacturer Holbein and other manufacturers.[4]

## History

Rotring mechanical pencils

The company was established in 1928 as "Tintenkuli Handels GmbH".[2] The company's first product was the "Tintenkuli", a type of [pen](/source/Pen) with a narrow steel tube instead of a conventional [nib](/source/Nib_(pen)). While [fountain pens](/source/Fountain_pen) were already common in America, they had not been previously marketed in Europe.

In 1934, Rotring launched the "Multipen", a [mechanical pencil](/source/Mechanical_pencil) that allowed the variation of colors, with four of them contained on each pencil. Although stylographs never overtook fountain pens for use in writing, by 1953 the Rotring "Rapidograph" model became the prototypical [technical pen](/source/Technical_pen) of its age, establishing the Rapidograph Inc. in the [United States](/source/United_States) one year later. Its technology virtually replaced the [ruling pen](/source/Ruling_pen) and greatly simplified technical drawing.[2]

A second generation of technical pens, the "Variant" and "Varioscript" models, were launched in 1958, with commercial success. In 1967, the company introduced its first drawing set, that consisted of [compass](/source/Compass_(drawing_tool)), technical pens, templates, inks, [scale ruler](/source/Scale_ruler) and other tools. One year later, the "Micronorm" was added to the technical pens line. In 1971, Rotring acquired writing instrument manufacturer Adolf Waldmann KG of [Pforzheim](/source/Pforzheim).[2]

Rotring expanded operations, establishing branches in Europe and the United States, in 1974. The "Isograph" technical pen was launched in 1976. That same year Rotring launched its first [drawing board](/source/Drawing_board), and the "Tikky" mechanical pencil was released in 1979. The "Art Pen", a fountain pen suitable for [calligraphy](/source/Calligraphy), was launched in 1984. During the decade, Rotring set new subsidiaries in other European countries, while the "600" mechanical pencil was introduced in 1989. New releases came in 1995 with the "Xonox", a variation of the Tikky model in form of a [marker pen](/source/Marker_pen) with a needlepoint tip.[2]

The advent in the 1990s of [computer-aided design](/source/Computer-aided_design) (CAD) saw the partial demise of the technical drawing pen. To combat this, Rotring diversified its range of graphic pens, pencils and markers.

In 1998 Rotring was taken over by [Sanford](/source/Sanford_L.P.), an American company specialising in graphic products and part of [Newell Rubbermaid](/source/Newell_Rubbermaid) (currently, [Newell Brands](/source/Newell_Brands)) since 1992.[5]

During the first decade of the 2000s Rotring released some lines of fountain and ballpoint pens, the "Skynn" (2003) and the "Newton" (2005). In 2014, the brand introduced the "800+", a *hybrid* mechanical pencil that could be used on both mediums, paper and [touchscreens](/source/Touchscreen). It was advertised with the slogan "Think on paper + Think on digital".[2][6] The Rotring 600 ballpoint pen was re-introduced in 2018 alongside the Rotring 800 ballpoint, which was the re-release of the 600 Gold ballpoint pen.[7]

## Products

Rotring "Rapidograph" (above) and "Isograph" (below), 0.35mm technical pens models

Brand Range of Products Rapidograph, Isograph Technical pens, refill inks Art Pen Calligraphy fountain pens, refill inks Rapid Pro Mechanical pencils, leads 300, 400, 500, 600, 800, 800+ Drafting mechanical pencils 600, 800 Ballpoint Pens Tikky Ballpoint pens, markers, mechanical pencils, leads, refills, erasers Precision Compasses, geometry squares, lettering and circle stencils, protractors, rulers

### Rapidograph and Isograph

Rotring's Rapidograph and Isograph are visually very similar. The primary difference between these models is the ink reservoir. Whereas the Isograph has a refillable reservoir, the Rapidograph can be loaded with disposable capillary ink cartridges (which are themselves capable of being refilled).

The Rapidograph nibs were manufactured in several versions:

- **Rapidograph:** They were manufactured "for drawing and lettering on tracing paper and line board".[8]

- **Rapidograph F:** Rapidograph F nibs contain a hard metal tip. They were manufactured "for drawing and lettering on matt drafting film".[9]

- **Rapidograph J:** Rapidograph J nibs contain a jewel tip. They were manufactured "for drawing and lettering on matt drawing film, tracing paper, and line-board"[10] and were therefore more durable than the Rapidograph F nibs.

## See also

- [Faber-Castell](/source/Faber-Castell)

- [Staedtler](/source/Staedtler)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-new_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-new_1-1) [Rotring](https://www.newellbrands.com/our-brands/rotring) on Newell Brands website

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-herit_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-herit_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-herit_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-herit_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-herit_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-herit_2-5) [Heritage](https://www.rotring.com/us/heritage) on Rotring website, 25 Nov 2019

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Rotring Trademark, serial #73689855](https://trademark.trademarkia.com/rotring-73689855.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["製図・筆記具ブランド「ロットリング」がプロに選ばれる理由|ホルベイン オフィシャルウェブサイト"](https://www.holbein.co.jp/product/rotring.html). *www.holbein.co.jp* (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-04-09.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Newell Rubbermaid history"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110714172535/http://www.newellrubbermaid.com/Images/UploadedDocument/DOC000269.pdf) (PDF). Newell Rubbermaid. 10 June 2011. Archived from [the original](http://www.newellrubbermaid.com/Images/UploadedDocument/DOC000269.pdf) (PDF) on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Sunderland, Mitchell (2014-05-17). ["The rOtring 800 Series Could Change the Future of Paper"](https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-rotring-800-could-change-the-future-of-paper/). *Vice*. Retrieved 2024-04-09.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Rotring 600 Ballpoint"](https://unsharpen.com/pen/rotring-600-ballpoint/). *Unsharpen.com*. Retrieved 31 January 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Rapidograph original box.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Rapidograph F original box.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Rapidograph J original box.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Rotring](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Rotring).

- [Official website](http://www.rotring.com/)

v t e Newell Brands Inc. Divisions Newell Custom Writing Instruments1 Rubbermaid Commercial Products Brands Appliances Mr. Coffee Sunbeam Hurst Performance Baby Graco Food storage Rubbermaid Sistema Home fragances Yankee Candle Outdoor recreation Campingaz Coleman Marmot Writing Dymo Elmer's X-Acto Mr. Sketch Paper Mate Parker Prismacolor Reynolds Rolodex Rotring Sharpie Waterman 1formerly, "Sanford L.P." Category Commons

v t e Pen manufacturers and brands Ballpoint Ballograf Berol Bic Caran d'Ache Conway Stewart Cross Deli Graf von Faber-Castell Herlitz Kaweco Kokuyo Camlin Lamy M&G Stationery Maped Monami Montblanc Ohto Paper Mate Parker Pelikan Pierre Cardin Pilot Reynolds Sailor Sakura Sheaffer Stabilo Scripto Staedtler Tombow TOZ Penkala Uni-ball Yard-O-Led Zebra Brush pens Kuretake1 Pentel1 Dip nibs Esterbrook Gillott Kaweco Leonardt Macniven and Cameron Josiah Mason Perry Hunt (Speedball) Zebra Fountain Aurora Berol Bic Pierre Cardin Cartier Caran d'Ache Chelpark Conway Stewart Cross Curtis Deli Dunhill Esterbrook Eversharp Faber-Castell Graf von Faber-Castell Guy Laroche Hermès Hero Kaweco Koh-i-Noor Kokuyo Camlin Lamy Luxor Maped Monami Montblanc Montegrappa Namiki Ohto OMAS Onoto Parker Pelikan Penkala-Edmund Moster & Co. Pentel Pilot Reynolds Rotring Yves Saint Laurent Sailor Sheaffer Speedball Stabilo S.T. Dupont TOZ Penkala Tombow Visconti Waterman Yard-O-Led Gel Bic Crayola Deli M&G Stationery Maped Monami Muji Ohto Paper Mate Pentel Pilot Reynolds Sakura Sharpie Stabilo Uni-ball Zebra Markers Berol Caran d'Ache Copic Crayola Deli Herlitz Koh-i-Noor Kokuyo Camlin Kuretake M&G Stationery Maped Monami Pentel Pilot Sakura Sharpie Stabilo Staedtler Tombow Uni-ball Zebra Rollerball Caran d'Ache Conway Stewart Pierre Cardin Deli Graf von Faber-Castell Kaweco Kokuyo Camlin M&G Stationery Monami Ohto Pentel Pilot Reynolds Sakura Sharpie Sheaffer Stabilo Staedtler Uni-ball Technical Rotring Staedtler Ink Bril Carter Conway Stewart Chelpark Kaweco Koh-i-Noor Kokuyo Camlin Kuretake Pelikan Penkala-Edmund Moster & Co. Rotring Staedtler TOZ Penkala Winsor & Newton Related Birmingham pen trade Calligraphy Cartooning Comics Ink wash painting Lettering List of types, brands and companies Narayam Pencil mechanical pencil Victoria Works 1 Only brush pens with refillable ink cartridges are listed. Category Commons

[Portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals):
- [Companies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Companies)

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