Compiled from 6 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
The Monami Essenti Soft is a slim Korean pastel highlighter with a 1.0–4.0 mm chisel tip and a clip-on clip on the cap. Monami makes it in 12 muted colors, from pastel yellow to gray and olive. JetPens lists it at 139 mm capped, 10 mm across and 9 g. Single pens sit in our $ band.
On this page11 sections
The Pastel Green Essenti Soft, 139 mm capped; the cap color matches the ink.
Plastic barrel and cap, felt chisel tip, water-based ink (JetPens)
Price range
$under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)
Ink colors
Pastel Yellow
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Notes on these facts
Made by Monami Co., Ltd.. Country of manufacture not stated: Monami's Korean and English Essenti pages and the JetPens spec sheet (both read in full on October 22, 2026) don't state a country of manufacture. Check the barrel or package. Price: example listing.
Colors: names per Monami Korea, checked October 24, 2026. The 12 Soft colors per Monami's Essenti Bright / Soft page, which lists the vivid Bright colors separately. Tints are Monami's own color chips. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
Monami lists 12 Essenti Soft colors, against 6 brighter Essenti Bright colors in the same body.
Monami gives the chisel tip as writing 1.0–4.0 mm, so one tip underlines or fills a whole line.
JetPens lists 139 mm (5.5 in) capped, 127 mm uncapped, 10 mm across and 9 g with ink.
The ink is water-based and the tip isn't replaceable or refillable, per JetPens.
Its most-reviewed JetPens color, Pastel Green, had 27 reviews on October 22, 2026.
What is the Monami Essenti Soft highlighter?
It’s a slim, single-ended pastel highlighter from Korea’s Monami, made to mark text without the glare of fluorescent ink. Monami’s Korean page sums it up as “soft colors that reduce eye fatigue,” and pairs it with the brighter Essenti Bright in the same body.
Journalers like it for the muted palette: gray, olive and brown sit beside the usual yellow and pink. JetPens sells the colors as single pens, and its Pastel Green had 27 reviews when we checked on October 22, 2026.
Monami Essenti Soft specs
Spec
Essenti Soft
Colors
12 pastels (Monami)
Tip
Felt chisel, writes 1.0–4.0 mm (Monami)
Length
139 mm (5.5 in) capped, 127 mm (5.0 in) uncapped, 154 mm (6.1 in) posted (JetPens)
Diameter
10 mm (0.39 in) (JetPens)
Weight
9 g with ink (JetPens)
Ink
Water-based, not refillable (JetPens)
Clip
Clip-on clip on the cap (Monami)
The three lengths JetPens lists, drawn to one scale.
What colors does the Essenti Soft come in?
Monami lists 12: pastel yellow, purple, orange, pink, green, blue, brown, cream orange, gold yellow, olive, blue celeste and gray. The Essenti Bright uses the same pen for 6 vivid colors: pink, orange, gold yellow, yellow, green and blue.
The gray and brown are the unusual ones. They work as quiet underlines or as a shadow under hand lettering, where a fluorescent color would shout.
How wide does the chisel tip write?
Monami gives the point size as 1.0–4.0 mm. Held flat, the chisel covers a full line of most planner text; turned on its edge, it draws a thin underline.
That range makes one pen do two jobs. Fixed-width twin pens such as the Zebra Mildliner split the same work between two tips instead.
How does the Essenti Soft compare to the Zebra Mildliner?
The Essenti Soft is the single-tip, clip-on option; the Mildliner is the double-ended one.
If you keep running past the end of a word, the uni Propus Window has a clear window in its chisel.
Monami Essenti Soft
Zebra Mildliner
Tips
One chisel, 1.0–4.0 mm
Chisel plus a fine bullet
Colors
12 pastels
Many more, in themed sets
Clip
Clip-on clip
None
Best for
Clipping to a planner, quick marking
Highlighting plus fine underlines
If you want the Essenti look with two tips, Monami’s Essenti Twin has 4.0 mm and 2.0 mm square tips and 16 pastel colors. Monami launched it in November 2021.
Does the Essenti Soft smear gel ink?
We haven’t tested it yet, and neither Monami nor JetPens publishes a smear test. Any water-based highlighter can drag fresh gel ink, so let gel writing dry before you highlight it.
On thin planner paper, test on the last page first. The pastel ink is lighter than fluorescent ink, which tends to hide any ghosting on the back of the page.
Which Essenti Soft color should you buy first?
Start with Pastel Yellow for classic highlighting and Pastel Gray for neutral underlines. Then add one accent color that matches your planner.
JetPens’ review counts suggest the greens lead: Pastel Green had 27 reviews and Pastel Olive 25 on October 22, 2026. For more choices, see our best highlighters that don’t bleed.
Where is the Essenti Soft made?
Monami doesn’t say. Its Korean and English pages and the JetPens spec sheet list no country of manufacture, so check the barrel or the package.
Monami itself is a Korean company, the maker of the Monami Plus Pen 3000 and the 153 ballpoint.
Frequently asked questions
How many colors does the Monami Essenti Soft come in?
Monami lists 12: pastel yellow, purple, orange, pink, green, blue, brown, cream orange, gold yellow, olive, blue celeste and gray. JetPens carries most of them as single pens.
Do Monami Essenti Soft highlighters bleed through paper?
The ink is water-based, which usually stays on the surface of ordinary notebook paper, but neither Monami nor JetPens publishes a bleed test. Try it on the last page of thin planner paper before a whole spread.
Is the Essenti Soft the same pen as the Essenti Bright?
It's the same slim body with the same clip-on cap. Monami fills the Bright with 6 vivid colors and the Soft with 12 muted ones meant to be easier on the eyes.
Can you refill the Essenti Soft?
No. JetPens lists the ink as not refillable and the tip as not replaceable, so it's a single-use pen.
Is the Essenti Soft good for Bible journaling?
It's a reasonable choice for muted color on thin pages, because the pastel ink is light; test it first, since Bible paper is far thinner than notebook paper and nobody publishes a bleed result for it.
What's the difference between Essenti Soft and Essenti Twin?
The Essenti Twin has two square tips, 4.0 mm and 2.0 mm, on one pen in 16 pastel colors; Monami launched it in November 2021. The Essenti Soft has a single 1.0–4.0 mm chisel.
