Paper Mate Flair: Felt Tip Sizes & Point Guard
The Paper Mate Flair is a capped felt tip pen with water-based ink, sold since 1966. It comes in three point sizes: Ultra Fine 0.4 mm, Medium 0.7 mm (the standard Flair) and Bold 1.2 mm. Paper Mate says its Point Guard keeps the tip from fraying. Current US packs list Mexico as the origin.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pen (Ultra Fine 0.4 mm / Medium 0.7 mm / Bold 1.2 mm)
- Brand
- Paper Mate
- Brand origin
- United States
- Made in
- Mexico*
- Material
- Plastic body, metal clip, felt tip
- Released
- 1966
- Price range
- $under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)
Notes on these facts
- Made by Newell Brands. Made in Mexico: Giant Food Stores' listing for the Medium black 2-pack says Made in Mexico. Distributors ADI Global (noting origin is subject to change) and OnTimeSupplies also list Mexico. Paper Mate's own site blocked our reader, so we couldn't check it there. Source. Price: example listing.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
- Points run from 0.4 mm to 1.2 mm, so the Bold tip is three times the width of the Ultra Fine; the 0.7 mm Medium sits between them.
- The Flair dates from 1966, and Paper Mate's About page presents it as the brand's felt tip debut.
- Paper Mate brand: owned by Newell Brands since Newell Rubbermaid bought Gillette's stationery division in 2000.
- ASINsight estimates the 24-count assorted Flair pack sold about 30,000 units a month on Amazon in July 2026.
- US distributor and grocery listings give Mexico as the country of origin.
What is the Paper Mate Flair?
The Paper Mate Flair is a capped felt tip pen: it writes through a porous point with water-based ink, like a small marker sized for handwriting. Distributors list it as a “porous point pen”.
Wikipedia dates the Flair to 1966, and Paper Mate’s About page presents it as the brand’s felt tip debut with a design kept since. Paper Mate is owned by Newell Brands, the same company behind the Sharpie S-Gel.
It is still one of the best-selling pens on Amazon: ASINsight estimates the 24-count assorted pack sold about 30,000 units a month in July 2026. That’s a third-party estimate, not Amazon or Paper Mate data.
Paper Mate Flair specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Paper Mate (Newell Brands, US) |
| Type | Capped felt tip (porous point) pen |
| Point sizes | Ultra Fine 0.4 mm · Medium 0.7 mm · Bold 1.2 mm |
| Ink | Water-based; Paper Mate says it is quick-drying and won’t bleed through paper |
| Tip | Point Guard, which Paper Mate says prevents fraying |
| Introduced | 1966 |
| Made in | Mexico (per US distributor listings) |
Point sizes and ink claims come from Paper Mate’s product copy as carried by Walmart and Newell’s product-content pages. Paper Mate doesn’t publish the pen’s length or weight in the sources we found.
What do the Flair point sizes mean?
The size is the width of the felt point: 0.4 mm Ultra Fine, 0.7 mm Medium and 1.2 mm Bold. Paper Mate gives point sizes, not measured line widths; pressure and paper change the line a little.
- Ultra Fine 0.4 mm: for small handwriting, planners and a mini composition book.
- Medium 0.7 mm: the standard Flair and the size in most multipacks.
- Bold 1.2 mm: headings, labels and signs that need to be read from a distance.
What does Point Guard do?
Point Guard is Paper Mate’s name for the Flair’s tip design, which the company says stops the felt from fraying or spreading.
That is a maker claim. We haven’t measured how a Flair tip wears yet.
Does the Paper Mate Flair bleed through paper?
Paper Mate says the Flair’s water-based ink won’t bleed through paper, but felt tips put down a lot of ink, so the paper matters. Thin, absorbent paper is the most likely to show writing from the back.
If you write in a notebook with thin pages, such as a Moleskine Classic, try a line on the last page first. The Ultra Fine puts down the least ink.
How does the Flair compare to other felt tip and fineliner pens?
The Flair is a colorful everyday writer; a pigment fineliner such as the Sakura Pigma Micron is for permanent, waterproof lines.
| Paper Mate Flair | Sakura Pigma Micron | Pilot FriXion Clicker | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point | Felt, 0.4 · 0.7 · 1.2 mm | Fiber, 0.15–0.70 mm line | Ball, 0.7 · 1.0 mm |
| Ink | Water-based | Water-based pigment | Erasable gel |
| Waterproof | Not claimed | Claimed by Sakura | No |
| Price band | $ | $ | $ |
The Flair’s oldest rival is the Pentel Sign Pen, a capped fiber-tip pen with water-based ink that Pentel launched in 1963.
Where is the Paper Mate Flair made?
US distributor and retailer listings give Mexico as the Flair’s country of origin. ADI Global lists several Flair items as made in Mexico and notes that origin is subject to change; OnTimeSupplies gives MX and Giant Food Stores says Mexico. Paper Mate’s own pages don’t state it in the sources we found, so check the pack.
How much do Paper Mate Flair pens cost?
Flair pens are in our lowest price band, $ (under $5 per pen), in typical 12-packs. Assorted-color multipacks are usually the cheapest per pen; single-color black packs sold by third-party sellers can cost noticeably more.
Frequently asked questions
What sizes do Paper Mate Flair pens come in?
Ultra Fine (0.4 mm) for small writing, Medium (0.7 mm) for most packs, Bold (1.2 mm) for labels.
What is Paper Mate Flair Point Guard?
Point Guard is Paper Mate's name for the Flair's tip design, which the company says keeps the felt point from fraying or spreading with repeated use. It is a maker claim we have not tested.
Do Paper Mate Flair pens bleed through paper?
Paper Mate says the Flair's water-based ink won't bleed through paper. Results depend on the paper; thin or absorbent sheets are the most likely to show the ink from the back, so test on your own notebook first.
Is a Paper Mate Flair a marker or a pen?
It sits between the two. The Flair has a felt (porous) point like a marker but is sized and sold as a writing pen; distributors list it as a porous point pen.
Are Paper Mate Flair pens waterproof?
Paper Mate describes the ink as water-based and smear-resistant, not waterproof. For waterproof, archival lines, a pigment fineliner such as the Sakura Pigma Micron is the usual choice.
Where are Paper Mate Flair pens made?
US distributor and grocery listings give Mexico as the country of origin, and one distributor notes that origin is subject to change. Check the back of the pack.
When did the Paper Mate Flair come out?
The Flair was released in 1966, according to Paper Mate's history as summarized by Wikipedia. Paper Mate's About page calls it the brand's felt tip debut and says the design has been kept since.
Sources
- Paper Mate: About us (Flair felt tip debut)
- Paper Mate (Newell Brands) product content: Flair Medium 0.7 mm, assorted, 12 count
- Paper Mate (Newell Brands) product content: Flair Bold 1.2 mm, assorted, 4 count
- Walmart: Paper Mate Flair Medium 0.7 mm, assorted, 12 count
- Walmart: Paper Mate Flair Ultra Fine 0.4 mm, assorted, 12 count
- Walmart: Paper Mate Flair assorted tips (0.4, 0.7 and 1.2 mm), 6 count
- Walmart: Paper Mate Flair Bold 1.2 mm, assorted, 16 count
- Walmart: Paper Mate Flair Medium 0.7 mm, black, 36 count (#1 Teacher Choice)
- Staples: Paper Mate Flair Medium, assorted, 4-pack (84044)
- ADI Global Distribution: Paper Mate Flair (country of origin Mexico)
- OnTimeSupplies: Paper Mate Flair Medium, 48-pen set (country of origin MX)
- Giant Food Stores: Paper Mate Flair Medium Black, 2 ct (origin Mexico)
- Wikipedia: Paper Mate (Flair released 1966; Newell Rubbermaid acquisition 2000)
- Well-Appointed Desk: From the Archives, Papermate Flair
- ASINsight: Best-selling Paper Mate Flair pens on Amazon (July 2026 estimates; 24-count at about 30,000 a month)
- JetPens: Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pen, Medium, Red (plastic body, metal clip)