uni-ball Signo 207: Fraud-Resistant Gel Pen Guide
The uni-ball Signo 207 is a retractable, refillable gel pen from Mitsubishi Pencil of Japan. Its pigment-based Super Ink is sold as water-, fade- and fraud-resistant, which makes it a common pick for signing checks. It comes in 0.38, 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 mm, measures about 142 mm long, and takes the UMR-87 refill in 0.7 mm.
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Product facts
- Product
- uni-ball Signo 207 Retractable Gel Pen (0.38 / 0.5 / 0.7 / 1.0 mm; UMN-207)
- Brand
- uni-ball
- Brand origin
- Japan
- Made in
- Japan*
- Material
- Translucent PC/PP plastic barrel, rubber grip, stainless steel clip, chrome-finished plastic tip cone
- Price range
- $under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)
Notes on these facts
- Made by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.. Made in Japan: OnTimeSupplies gives country of origin Japan (JP) for the 0.7 mm black 8-pack and a 0.5 mm 4-pack. uni-ball UK and Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese pages don't state it. Source. Price: example listing.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
- Four ball sizes: 0.38, 0.5, 0.7 mm Medium and 1.0 mm Bold; uni-ball UK lists a tungsten carbide ball for the 0.7 mm.
- uni-ball UK lists the 0.7 mm Signo 207 (UMN-207) at 142.1 mm (5.6 in) long and 11.5 mm across the body.
- The 0.7 mm refill is the UMR-87; US office suppliers sell it as 70207PP (black) and 71207PP (blue) 2-packs.
- Unlike the later Signo 307, the 207 has a stainless steel clip and a chrome-finished tip cone; the 307 has a plastic clip and a black cone.
- US business-supplier spec sheets list Japan as the country of origin.
What is the uni-ball Signo 207?
The Signo 207 is uni-ball’s retractable, refillable gel pen, made by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. of Japan and sold in the US mostly in multi-packs. Its selling point is the ink: uni-ball’s pigment-based Super Ink, which the maker markets as resistant to water, fading and fraud such as check washing.
US packaging often shortens the name to “uni-ball 207” or “uniball 207”. Outside the US the same pen is the Signo 207 or Signo RT, model UMN-207. Office distributors tag it a best seller, and The Pen Addict has reviewed it in several sizes since 2011.
In Japan it’s no longer current: Mitsubishi Pencil’s Japanese refill page notes that the Signo 207 body (UMN-207-05) is no longer made, though it still lists refills for it. US packs remain on sale.
uni-ball Signo 207 specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. (Japan), brand uni-ball |
| Model | UMN-207 |
| Type | Retractable gel pen, pigment-based Super Ink |
| Ball sizes | 0.38 · 0.5 · 0.7 mm Medium · 1.0 mm Bold |
| Length | 142.1 mm (5.6 in), per uni-ball UK; 14.21 cm, per Stationery World |
| Diameter | 11.5 mm body, 15.4 mm across the clip, per uni-ball UK |
| Weight | 13.5 g (uni-ball UK) or 10.6 g (Stationery World), 0.7 mm |
| Ball | Tungsten carbide, per uni-ball UK |
| Refill (0.7 mm) | UMR-87; US 2-packs 70207PP (black), 71207PP (blue). Japan’s 0.5 mm UMN-207-05 took the UMR-85N |
| Clip and tip cone | Stainless steel clip; chrome-finished plastic cone |
| Made in | Japan (per US supplier spec sheets) |
The two weights don’t agree, and neither source says whether it weighed the pen with its packaging. We use uni-ball UK’s 142.1 mm length for our drawing.
Is the Signo 207 good for signing checks?
Yes, it’s one of the pens most often recommended for checks, because uni-ball sells its ink as fraud-resistant. Check washing uses solvents to lift ink so a check can be rewritten. uni-ball UK calls Super Ink tamper-proof, and US retailers such as Staples sell the 207 as having fraud-resistant ink.
That is the maker’s claim; we haven’t tested it. Avoid erasable pens such as the Pilot FriXion Clicker for checks altogether.
Which Signo 207 size should you choose?
Pick 0.7 mm for everyday writing and signatures, 0.5 or 0.38 mm for small handwriting, and 1.0 mm for bold signatures.
- 0.38 mm: the finest line, for small handwriting and planners.
- 0.5 mm: a crisp line for notes and planners.
- 0.7 mm Medium: the standard 207, with the most colors and the easiest refills to find.
- 1.0 mm Bold: the darkest, wettest line, sold in the US in dozens such as item 1790895.
The size is the ball diameter; the line on paper is usually a little finer than the number suggests.
What refill does the Signo 207 use?
The 0.7 mm Signo 207 takes the UMR-87 gel refill. In the US, office suppliers sell 2-packs as 70207PP (black) and 71207PP (blue), listed as fitting the Signo 207, 207 Premier and Gel RT. In Japan, Mitsubishi Pencil’s refill page lists only the 0.5 mm UMN-207-05, with the UMR-85N refill at ¥88 (about US$0.60) including tax.
Unsharpen notes that uni-ball upgraded the refill to the UMR-87E, used in the Signo 307 and the 207 Plus+, and retailers list the UMR-87E as fitting the UMN-207 too.
What is the difference between the Signo 207 and 307?
The Signo 307 is a later update of the 207 with a plastic clip in place of the 207’s steel one and a black tip cone in place of its chrome-finished one.
| Signo 207 | Signo 307 | |
|---|---|---|
| Clip | Stainless steel | Plastic |
| Tip cone | Chrome-finished plastic | Black plastic |
| Sizes | 0.38 · 0.5 · 0.7 · 1.0 mm | Mainly 0.5 and 0.7 mm |
| Refill | UMR-87 (or UMR-87E) | UMR-87E |
Mitsubishi Pencil announced the 307 for Japan in a March 3, 2016 press release, with the UMR-87E refill. The Pen Addict called the 307 an upgrade in its July 2015 review. Choose the 207 if you want the steel clip or the 0.38 and 1.0 mm sizes.
How does the Signo 207 compare to other gel pens?
The 207 is the gel pen to pick for security; the Pilot G2 has more colors and the Pentel EnerGel dries faster.
| uni-ball Signo 207 | Pilot G2 | Zebra Sarasa Clip | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ink | Pigment gel (Super Ink) | Gel | Pigment gel |
| Sizes | 0.38 to 1.0 mm | 0.38 to 1.0 mm | 0.3 to 1.0 mm |
| Fraud-resistance claim | Yes | No | No |
| Made in | Japan | Japan | Japan |
The Zebra Sarasa Clip also uses pigment ink and adds a binder clip. If you want uni-ball’s Super Ink in a ballpoint that dries almost instantly, see the uni-ball Jetstream RT. Our best gel pens roundup names the 207 as its pick for checks.
Where is the uni-ball Signo 207 made?
US business-supplier spec sheets list the Signo 207 as made in Japan. OnTimeSupplies gives country of origin JP for the 0.7 mm black 8-pack and a 0.5 mm 4-pack. uni-ball UK and Mitsubishi Pencil’s Japanese pages don’t state it.
How much does a Signo 207 cost?
It falls in our lowest price band, $ (under $5 per pen), in a typical US multi-pack. Single pens and large color sets cost a little more or less per pen, and refills are sold in 2-packs.
Frequently asked questions
Is the uni-ball Signo 207 good for signing checks?
It's one of the pens most often recommended for checks. uni-ball markets its pigment Super Ink as fraud-resistant, meaning it resists check washing, and also water- and fade-resistant. We haven't run a check-washing test ourselves.
What refill does the Signo 207 use?
The 0.7 mm pen takes the UMR-87 gel refill. In the US, office suppliers sell it in 2-packs as item 70207PP (black) and 71207PP (blue), listed as fitting the Signo 207, 207 Premier and Gel RT.
What is the difference between the uni-ball 207 and 307?
The Signo 307 is a later, near copy of the 207 with a plastic clip instead of a steel one and a black tip cone instead of a chrome-finished one. It comes mainly in 0.5 and 0.7 mm, while the 207 also has 0.38 and 1.0 mm.
How long is the uni-ball Signo 207?
uni-ball UK lists the 0.7 mm Signo 207 (UMN-207) at 142.1 mm, about 5.6 in, retracted. It's 11.5 mm across the body and 15.4 mm measured across the clip.
Is Signo 207 ink waterproof?
uni-ball calls Super Ink water-resistant rather than waterproof. The ink is pigment-based, so once dry it should hold up to a spill better than dye-based gel ink, but we haven't tested it.
Where is the uni-ball Signo 207 made?
US business-supplier spec sheets list Japan as the country of origin for several Signo 207 packs. The uni-ball brand belongs to Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. of Tokyo.
What sizes does the Signo 207 come in?
Four ball sizes: 0.38 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm (Medium) and 1.0 mm (Bold). The 0.7 mm is the standard size and the one most multi-packs and colors come in.
Sources
- ゲルインクボールペン替芯 (Mitsubishi Pencil Japan gel refill page, read in full: Signo 207 UMN-207-05 body no longer made; UMR-85N and UMR-87E at ¥88)
- ユニボール シグノ 307 (Mitsubishi Pencil press release, March 3, 2016: Signo 307 with UMR-87E refill)
- uni-ball UK: Signo 207 UMN-207 (0.7 mm, 11.5 × 15.4 × 142.11 mm, 13.542 g, tungsten carbide ball, stainless steel clip, Super Ink)
- Stationery World (Singapore): uni-ball Signo gel pen 0.7 mm UMN-207F (14.21 cm, 10.6 g)
- OnTimeSupplies: Signo 207 gel pen, 0.7 mm black 8-pack (country of origin JP)
- Staples: uni-ball 207 retractable gel pens, medium point, 4-pack (fraud-resistant ink)
- Walmart: uni-ball Signo 207 0.7 mm (Super Ink, translucent ink window, stainless steel tip)
- Walmart: uni-ball Signo 207 Bold 1.0 mm, black, dozen (1790895)
- OnTimeSupplies: Refill for Signo Gel 207, 0.7 mm black, 2-pack (70207PP)
- OnTimeSupplies: Refill for Signo Gel 207, blue, 2-pack (71207PP; fits 207, 207 Premier, Gel RT)
- Stationery World (Singapore): uni refill 0.7 mm UMR-87 (for UMN-207/152)
- OfficeMax NZ: Signo UMR-87 refill for 207
- Unsharpen: uni-ball UMR-87 refill (UMR-87E upgrade used in the 307 and 207 Plus+)
- Unsharpen: uni-ball 207 vs uni-ball 307 (metal vs plastic clip; chromed vs black tip)
- The Pen Addict: uni-ball Signo 307 review (July 6, 2015; Super Ink in the 207)
- The Pen Addict: uni-ball Signo 207 0.38 mm black review (August 19, 2011)
- The Pen Addict: uni-ball Signo 207 Bold review (April 27, 2012)
- Unsharpen: The best gel pens (Signo 207 archival ink)
- Kurtz Bros: uni-ball brand page (Signo Gel 207 tagged best seller)