--- title: "Sun-Star dot e pen: The Square Marker for Pixel Art" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sun-star-dot-e-pen/" description: "The Sun-Star dot e pen pairs a 0.5 mm fineliner with a square marker that stamps 3 mm dots. Colors, prices, a tip-size conflict and tips for grid notebooks." category: "Pens" type: "Fineliner and marker" published: 2026-10-31 updated: 2026-11-01 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 3 products: - name: "Sun-Star dot e pen square marker and 0.5 mm fineliner" brand: "Sun-Star" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Water-based ink; square body and cap with an inner round cap (Getnavi, Yoseka)" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Sun-Star Stationery Co., Ltd. (Japan)" model: "dot e pen (JAN 4901770697222 for the gray)" gtin: "4901770697222" url: "https://yosekastationery.com/products/sun-star-dot-e-pen-square-marker" --- # Sun-Star dot e pen: The Square Marker for Pixel Art > The Sun-Star dot e pen is a two-ended pen: a 0.5 mm fineliner at one end and a square marker at the other that stamps a solid square dot when pressed straight down. A Japanese review measures the square at 3 mm. It comes in 16 colors and is made for pixel art and grid notebooks. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sun-star-dot-e-pen/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-31 - Updated: 2026-11-01 ![A heart made of red 3 mm squares beside a Sun-Star dot e pen](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/sun-star-dot-e-pen-illustration-16x9.png?v=d17426f7) *A heart of 3 mm squares at 1 mm = 12 px with the pen drawn by eye; no length is published.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Sun-Star dot e pen square marker and 0.5 mm fineliner | Sun-Star (by Sun-Star Stationery Co., Ltd. (Japan)) | Japan | Not stated | Water-based ink; square body and cap with an inner round cap (Getnavi, Yoseka) | – | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Sun-Star dot e pen square marker and 0.5 mm fineliner): Not stated. Gizmodo Japan, Getnavi and Yoseka don't give a country of manufacture, and we couldn't read a Sun-Star page. ### Sun-Star dot e pen square marker and 0.5 mm fineliner colors - Ink colors (16 standard, 0 special edition): Gray; Black; Brown; Beige; Fluorescent Yellow; Fluorescent Green; Green; Mint; Light Blue; Blue; Violet; Fluorescent Pink; Pink; Red; Orange; Yellow. - Per Yoseka Stationery (https://yosekastationery.com/products/sun-star-dot-e-pen-square-marker), checked 2026-10-31. Sixteen ink color names as Yoseka lists them; we have no color chips, so no swatches are shown. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - A Japanese review (Getnavi) lists a 3 mm square marker and a 0.5 mm fineliner, in 16 colors at ¥200 (about US$1.30) before tax; Gizmodo Japan lists ¥220 (about US$1.40) each. - Sun-Star sold two four-pen sets at ¥880 (about US$5.60) each, one of warm colors and one of cool colors, per Gizmodo Japan. - Yoseka calls the marker tip 2 mm, not 3 mm; we found no Sun-Star page to settle it. - A double cap keeps the ink from drying, but Getnavi found it tight and said ink can reach your hand if you force it. - Yoseka listed it on November 6, 2025 in our $ band, with all 16 colors in stock on October 31, 2026. ## What is the Sun-Star dot e pen? **It is a twin-ended pen with a square marker tip you press down like a stamp, and a fine pen on the other end.** Sun-Star Stationery of Japan makes it, and Gizmodo Japan introduced it in December 2022 as the pen that lets anyone draw pixel art by pressing. Getnavi says earlier stamp-style markers, from Tombow and Kuretake, made round dots, so a square dot is rare. Sun-Star is better known for pencil cases, like the [UFO flat pouch](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sun-star-ufo-flat-pouch/). ## dot e pen specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Sun-Star Stationery (Japan) | | Marker end | Square tip, 3 mm (Getnavi) or 2 mm (Yoseka) | | Pen end | 0.5 mm fineliner (Getnavi, Yoseka) | | Ink | Water-based (Yoseka) | | Colors | 16 | | Body | Square barrel and cap, inner round cap (Getnavi) | | Price | ¥220 (about US$1.40) each with tax per Gizmodo Japan; $ band at Yoseka | ![Two squares to scale, 3 mm and 2 mm, beside a 0.5 mm line, showing the conflict over the dot e pen marker size](https://stationerytimes.com/images/sun-star-dot-e-pen-tip.svg?v=757be00e) *The two sizes sources give for the marker tip, drawn at 1 mm = 30 px. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.* ## How big is the square dot? **Getnavi says 3 mm; Yoseka says 2 mm; we couldn't read Sun-Star's own page to decide.** Getnavi describes a 3 mm square marker core that leaves a 3 mm square dot, and a 3 mm line when dragged. Because Getnavi measured against 3 mm grid paper, we lean toward 3 mm, but the difference matters if you plan a picture. Check the dot on your own grid before you start. A 3 mm dot also fits a paperback's line spacing, as Getnavi notes. ## How do you stamp a clean square? **Press straight down with even pressure, a little firmer than a tap.** Getnavi found that a light pat leaves an uneven dot, and that pressing the whole face flat gives a crisp square. Stack dots to build a picture. Getnavi suggests copying a cross-stitch chart, since each stitch maps to one dot, and plotting positions with grid coordinates. Check each chart site's terms of use first. ## What colors and sets are there? **Sixteen colors, including three fluorescents, sold singly or in two four-pen sets.** Yoseka lists gray, black, brown, beige, fluorescent yellow, fluorescent green, green, mint, light blue, blue, violet, fluorescent pink, pink, red, orange and yellow. Gizmodo Japan reports set A in warm colors and set B in cool colors, ¥880 (about US$5.60) each with tax. Getnavi wished for a pale orange for skin tones, so portraits take mixing colors. ## Is it only for pixel art? **No: Yoseka also pitches it for filling grid cells and ticking off to-do lists.** Getnavi adds that the 3 mm width is just right for underlining a paperback, so the marker end doubles as a small highlighter, and three fluorescent colors help here. The 0.5 mm end handles ordinary notes. If you use the marker on planner pages, test it on a spare corner first, because we don't know whether the ink shows through thin paper. For roundups of highlighters see our [best highlighters that don't bleed](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-highlighters-that-dont-bleed/). ## Does the cap dry out or smear? **The inner cap protects the ink, but it makes the cap tight.** Getnavi found a square cap warps more easily than a round one, so Sun-Star put a round cap inside it to keep air out. The price is a stiff fit. Getnavi warns that yanking the cap off can put ink on your hand. Open it slowly, and store the pen with the cap fully seated. ## Where is it made, and what does it cost? **We couldn't find a country of manufacture on Gizmodo Japan, Getnavi or Yoseka.** Check the pack. Yoseka listed each pen in our $ band (under $5) on October 31, 2026, with all colors in stock. Gizmodo Japan lists ¥220 (about US$1.40) with tax, and Getnavi ¥200 (about US$1.30) before tax. For other grid-friendly tools see our [dot grid vs lined vs grid](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/dot-grid-vs-lined-vs-grid/) guide and [best fineliners](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-fineliners/). Sun-Star's [Ninipie](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sun-star-ninipie-pen-and-marker/) puts a 0.5 mm needle pen and a highlighter on one tip. ## Frequently asked questions ### How big is the dot the dot e pen stamps? Getnavi measures a 3 mm square. Yoseka says the marker tip is 2 mm, so the two sources disagree. ### What colors does the dot e pen come in? Sixteen, per Gizmodo Japan, Getnavi and Yoseka, including three fluorescent colors. ### Does the dot e pen draw lines as well? Yes. The other end is a 0.5 mm fineliner, and Getnavi says the marker also draws a 3 mm line. ### What paper suits the dot e pen? Getnavi used 3 mm grid paper, which makes a pixel picture easy to plan. A 5 mm grid notebook also works for check marks. ### Is the dot e pen ink waterproof? We couldn't confirm it. Yoseka says the ink is water-based, and we found no waterproof claim from Sun-Star. ### Is the dot e pen cap hard to open? Getnavi found the cap tight because of its inner round cap, and warned that forcing it can get ink on your hand. ### How much do dot e pens cost in Japan? Gizmodo Japan lists ¥220 (about US$1.40) each with tax, and ¥880 (about US$5.60) for a four-pen set. ## Sources - [Gizmodo Japan (Japanese): sunstar dot e pen, December 5, 2022 (16 colors, ¥220 (about US$1.40) each, two four-pen sets at ¥880 (about US$5.60), promo video November 28, 2022; read October 31, 2026)](https://www.gizmodo.jp/2022/12/sunstar-dot-e-pen.html) - [Getnavi (Japanese): dot e pen review (square body and cap, 3 mm square marker, 0.5 mm fineliner, 16 colors, ¥200 (about US$1.30) before tax, double cap; read October 31, 2026)](https://getnavi.jp/stationery/834734) - [Yoseka Stationery: Sun-Star dot e pen Square Marker (0.5 mm needle tip, 2 mm marker tip, water-based ink, 16 colors, listed November 6, 2025; read October 31, 2026)](https://yosekastationery.com/products/sun-star-dot-e-pen-square-marker)