Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. (Head office: Kita-ku, Tokyo; President: Junichi Fukushima) is a Japanese brand of contemporary design pens that combine Japanese technology and sensibility. The company will release five new colors of the cap-type water-based gel ballpoint pen “ZOOM L1” (product name/price: 4,400 JPY (4,000 JPY excluding tax)), which was released in 2023. The new colors will be rolled out to major stationery stores nationwide starting November 19th.

smoke blue, smoke green, smoke copper, urban silver, frost blue

ZOOM L1 Design
This product offers a new form for the ever-popular cap-type pen.
The body features a dual structure: an outer barrel and a central barrel. The outer barrel is made of translucent engineering plastic* with a frosted glass-like finish, while the central barrel is made of vapor-deposited aluminum pipe that emits a rich luster in five colors. This dual structure creates an optical illusion of the pen’s silhouette and color. In bright environments, light passes through the outer barrel, highlighting the color of the central barrel and slimming the silhouette. In dim light, the outer and central barrels merge to create a deep luster and contour. The ever-changing body is the unique character of the ZOOM L1.
*DURABIO™ (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), a plant-based bio-engineered plastic used in automotive interiors and exteriors.

【Water-based gel ballpoint pen refill 0.5 mm/BN-ZKE】
Ballpoint pen refill BN-ZKE is a newly developed product that has been specifically tuned for this product. The ball seat inside the tip has been reduced to 93% compared to our previous model in order to ensure writing lines that have the intonation of a fountain pen. Since the seat is narrow, the ball is not on the seat surface when the writing lowered down, so the amount of ink discharged is increased. For this reason richly expressive writing is made possible by tilting the writing angle or slowing down the writing speed to thicken the writing line. The ink is a highly permeable water-based gel ink and has been tuned so that writing with both strength and beauty can be obtained in a synergistic effect with the tip mechanism. It also dries quickly.

The gradation created by the curve that tightens toward the tail and the color that changes depending on the light and the angle of view are alluring features.

the cap-type water-based gel ballpoint pen “ZOOM L1”
Body colors ： smoke blue, smoke green, smoke copper, urban silver, frost blue
Tip sizes：0.5 mm tip
Ink colors ：black, blue black
Release date：November 19th, 2025
Price： ¥4,400（¥4,000 before tax）
Body size： maximum width 18.3mm/body maximum diameter 13.3mm, grip diameter 10.3mm(at narrowest point), cap diameter 13.3mm (excluding clip)/total length 140.0mm /weight 22.0 g (including refill)
Specifications：　Body: DURABIO™ (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), a plant-based bio-engineered plastic; Cap: Aluminum; Ring: ABS plastic; Clip: Diecast zinc; Grip: Elastomer; Tail cap: ABS plastic
*DURABIO™ is a bio-engineered plastic. Along with features such as high transparency and excellent optical properties, it has excellent scratch resistance and impact resistance. It is also used as an alternative to glass.

ZOOM L1　lineup

smoke blue, smoke green, smoke copper, urban silver, frost blue, full black（already released）

ZOOM, a writing instrument brand dedicated to creative writing, underwent a complete rebranding in 2023. Aiming to create “contemporary design pens made in Japan,” the brand offers a free and new style of writing instrument that combines Japanese technology and sensibility.