--- title: "uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153: The White Gel Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-signo-broad-um-153/" description: "uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 explained: a 1.0 mm capped pigment gel pen, best known in white for black paper, plus gold and silver; size, refills and origin." category: "Pens" type: "Gel pen" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-24 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 7 products: - name: "uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 gel pen, 1.0 mm, white (UM153.1)" brand: "uni-ball" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Plastic barrel and cap, rubber grip; water-based pigment gel ink" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd." model: "UM-153" mpn: "UM153.1" gtin: "4902778588802" url: "https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/ballpoint_pens/gel/signo/signo_broad/um_153.html" --- # uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153: The White Gel Pen > The uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 is Mitsubishi Pencil's capped 1.0 mm pigment gel pen, best known in white for writing on black and dark paper. It is 13.9 cm long capped and about 13 g, and lists at ¥165 (about US$1.00) in Japan. Its UMR-10 refill comes in black, red, blue and blue-black, but not white. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-signo-broad-um-153/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-24 ![White uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 gel pen drawn to scale at 139 mm capped, with an inset of a white line on black paper](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/uni-ball-signo-broad-um-153-16x9.png) *The white Signo Broad, 139 mm capped (drawn at 1 mm = 5 px).* 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) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 gel pen, 1.0 mm, white (UM153.1) | uni-ball (by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.) | Japan | Japan | Plastic barrel and cap, rubber grip; water-based pigment gel ink | – | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 gel pen, 1.0 mm, white (UM153.1)): Japan. Ocado (UK) lists Japan as the country of origin for the gold, silver and white UM-153 3-pack, and Unsharpen gives Japan for the UM-153. Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese product page doesn't state a country. Source: https://www.ocado.com/products/uni-ball-signo-broad-um-153-gold-silver-white-645475011 ### uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 gel pen, 1.0 mm, white (UM153.1) colors - Ink colors (7 standard, 0 special edition): Black; Red; Blue; Blue Black; White; Gold; Silver. - Per Mitsubishi Pencil Japan (https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/ballpoint_pens/gel/signo/signo_broad/um_153.html), checked 2026-10-24. The seven 1.0 mm ink colors on Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese UM-153 page (names translated from its Japanese). The cap shows the ink color. Tints were sampled from Mitsubishi Pencil's product photos. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Mitsubishi Pencil sells the UM-153 only in 1.0 mm, in seven colors: black, red, blue, blue-black, white, gold and silver. - The white pen is code UM153.1, JAN 4902778588802, listed at ¥165 (about US$1.00) including tax in Japan. - JetPens and Unsharpen give 13.9 cm (5.5 in) capped, 14.8 cm (5.8 in) posted and about 13 g. - Mitsubishi Pencil's refill table lists the UMR-10 for the UM-153 in black, red, blue and blue-black only, so white, gold and silver pens are effectively single-use. - Unsharpen and Ocado list Japan as the country of origin. ## What is the uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153? **It is the broad, 1.0 mm member of uni-ball's capped Signo gel pen family, and its white version is one of the best-known white pens for black paper.** Mitsubishi Pencil describes it as a bold pen for addressing envelopes, filled with pigment ink that resists water and fading. The white is what most US buyers come for: card makers, journalers and illustrators use it for highlights on dark paper and for notes on black pages. Stamp and craft shops such as Simon Says Stamp stock it next to their inks. ## uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd., Japan | | Type | Capped gel pen, water-based pigment ink | | Ball | 1.0 mm only | | Colors | Black, red, blue, blue-black, white, gold, silver | | Length | 13.9 cm (5.5 in) capped; 14.8 cm (5.8 in) posted | | Weight | About 13 g (JetPens, Unsharpen) | | Refill | UMR-10 (black, red, blue, blue-black only) | | White pen code / JAN | UM153.1 / 4902778588802 | | Japanese list price | ¥165 (about US$1.00) | Colors, codes and prices are from Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese product page; lengths and weight from JetPens and Unsharpen. ## Why is the Signo Broad so good on black paper? **A 1.0 mm ball puts down a lot of opaque pigment ink in one pass.** Fine white pens tend to look grey on black paper because the layer is thin; the Broad's wide line covers better. ![Signo ball sizes at 100 times: UM-151 in 0.28, 0.38 and 0.5 mm, and the Signo Broad UM-153 at 1.0 mm](https://stationerytimes.com/images/uni-ball-signo-broad-um-153-ball-sizes.svg) *The Broad's ball is twice as wide as a 0.5 mm Signo's.* The trade-off is detail: for fine white lines, a 0.5 mm white Gelly Roll or a [Pilot Juice Up](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-juice-up/) 0.4 mm writes thinner. Our [best white gel pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-white-gel-pens/) roundup compares them. ## What colors does the Signo Broad come in? **Seven: black, red, blue and blue-black for writing, plus white, gold and silver for dark paper.** Mitsubishi Pencil lists all seven at the same ¥165 (about US$1.00) in Japan, each in 1.0 mm. Gold and silver are metallic pigment inks that also show on black paper, which makes the three light colors popular as a set for cards and envelopes. The dark colors are a bold everyday pen, in the same way as a 1.0 mm [uni-ball Signo 207](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-signo-207/). ## Can you refill the Signo Broad? **Only in the dark colors: Mitsubishi Pencil's refill table lists the UMR-10 for the UM-153 in black, red, blue and blue-black.** There is no white, gold or silver UMR-10 in the same table, so those pens are used up and replaced. Mitsubishi Pencil's online shop sells the UMR-10 at ¥88 (about US$0.60) and lists it at 128.5 mm long and 6.0 mm across. ## How should you use a white gel pen? **Store it tip down, start it on scrap, and write over color only once that color is dry.** White pigment is dense and settles in the refill, so a pen left tip up can start slowly. On alcohol markers or watercolor, a wet layer below will mix into the white and turn it pastel. Unsharpen says the Signo Broad's pigment ink holds up to watercolor once dry. ## Signo Broad vs other white pens **The Signo Broad is the opaque gel option; the POSCA covers bigger areas and the Gelly Roll offers finer sizes.** | | Signo Broad UM-153 | [Sakura Gelly Roll](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sakura-gelly-roll/) white | [uni POSCA PC-5M](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-posca-pc-5m/) | |---|---|---|---| | Type | Capped pigment gel | Capped gel | Paint marker | | Point | 1.0 mm ball | 0.5, 0.8, 1.0 mm balls | 1.8–2.5 mm bullet | | Refill in white | No | No | Replacement tips only | | Price band | $ | $ | $ | For a finer everyday Signo in many colors, see the [Signo DX UM-151](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-signo-dx-um-151/). ## Where is the uni-ball Signo Broad made? **Unsharpen and the UK grocer Ocado both list Japan as the country of origin.** Mitsubishi Pencil's own page doesn't state a country, so we cite the retailers. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best white pen for black paper? For a gel pen, the uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 in white is the usual pick: its 1.0 mm ball and pigment ink lay down an opaque line. Our best white gel pens roundup compares it with the Gelly Roll, Juice Up and POSCA. ### Can you refill a white Signo Broad? Not with white ink. Mitsubishi Pencil lists the UMR-10 refill for the UM-153 only in black, red, blue and blue-black, so white, gold and silver pens are replaced, not refilled. ### What size is the uni-ball Signo Broad? It comes only with a 1.0 mm ball. JetPens lists the pen at 13.9 cm capped and 14.8 cm with the cap posted. ### Is the Signo Broad the same as the Signo DX? No. Both are capped uni-ball Signo gel pens, but the Signo DX (UM-151) is a fine pen in 0.28, 0.38 and 0.5 mm, while the Broad is 1.0 mm only. ### Why does my white Signo Broad stop writing? White pigment is heavy and can settle. Store the pen tip down, start it on scrap paper, and wait for the layer below to dry before writing over color. ### Does Signo Broad white work on photos and glossy paper? Unsharpen says pigmented white pens such as the Signo Broad work on photographs and glossy surfaces. Gel ink dries slowly on coated paper, so test a corner first. ## Sources - [Mitsubishi Pencil Japan: ユニボール シグノ 太字 UM-153 (1.0 mm, pigment ink, seven colors, codes, JAN, ¥165; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/ballpoint_pens/gel/signo/signo_broad/um_153.html) - [Mitsubishi Pencil Japan: ゲルインクボールペン替芯 (refill table: UMR-10 in black, red, blue, blue-black for the UM-153)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/ballpoint_pens/refill_gel.html) - [Mitsubishi Pencil online shop: ユニボール シグノ太字 UM-153 (UMR-10 refill, 128.5 mm)](https://onlineshops.mpuni.co.jp/shopbrand/409190/) - [JetPens: Uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 Gel Pen, Red Ink (13.9 cm capped, 14.8 cm posted, 13 g; search listing)](https://www.jetpens.com/Uni-ball-Signo-Broad-UM-153-Gel-Pen-Red-Ink/pd/1204) - [Unsharpen: uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 (13.9 cm capped, 13 g, country of origin Japan; read October 22, 2026)](https://unsharpen.com/pen/uni-ball-signo-broad-um-153/) - [Ocado: uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153 gold, silver and white 3-pack (country of origin Japan)](https://www.ocado.com/products/uni-ball-signo-broad-um-153-gold-silver-white-645475011) - [Simon Says Stamp: Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel WHITE UM-153](https://www.simonsaysstamp.com/products/uni-ball-pen-signo-gel-white-um-153)