--- title: "uni-ball Vision Elite: Airplane-Safe Liquid Ink Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-vision-elite/" description: "uni-ball Vision Elite rollerball explained: 0.5 and 0.8 mm points, 8 ink colors, airplane-safe uni Super Ink, 142 mm size, refills and where it's made." category: "Pens" type: "Rollerball" published: 2026-10-21 updated: 2026-10-24 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 8 products: - name: "uni-ball Vision Elite Rollerball Pen (0.5 mm micro / 0.8 mm bold)" brand: "uni-ball" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Plastic barrel and cap, stainless steel point with tungsten carbide ball" released: "2003" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd." model: "UB-200 (0.5 mm black UB-200-05 in Japan)" mpn: "69000" gtin: "4902778749975" url: "https://www.unibrands.co/products/vision-elite-rollerball-pens" --- # uni-ball Vision Elite: Airplane-Safe Liquid Ink Pen > The uni-ball Vision Elite is a capped liquid-ink rollerball from Mitsubishi Pencil of Japan, first sold in Japan in 2003. It comes in a 0.5 mm micro point and a 0.8 mm bold point, in 8 US ink colors. uni says its Super Ink resists water, fading and fraud and won't leak from cabin-pressure changes on planes. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-vision-elite/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-21 - Updated: 2026-10-24 ![Capped black uni-ball Vision Elite 0.5 mm rollerball drawn to scale, with an inset of the micro tip](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/uni-ball-vision-elite-16x9.png) *The uni-ball Vision Elite 0.5 mm in black, capped, to scale at uni-ball UK's 142 mm.* 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 Vision Elite Rollerball Pen (0.5 mm micro / 0.8 mm bold) | uni-ball (by Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.) | Japan | Japan | Plastic barrel and cap, stainless steel point with tungsten carbide ball | 2003 | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (uni-ball Vision Elite Rollerball Pen (0.5 mm micro / 0.8 mm bold)): Japan. Per OnTimeSupplies' spec sheet for item 69021 (0.5 mm blue), which lists Japan as the country of origin, and Unsharpen's spec table (Japan). uni-ball's US and Japanese product pages don't state it in the sources we read. Source: https://www.ontimesupplies.com/ubc69021-vision-elite-roller-ball-pen-stick-extra-fine-05-mm-blue-ink-blue-barrel.html ### uni-ball Vision Elite Rollerball Pen (0.5 mm micro / 0.8 mm bold) colors - Ink colors (8 standard, 0 special edition): Black (0.5, 0.8 mm); Blue (0.5, 0.8 mm); Red (0.5, 0.8 mm); Violet (0.5, 0.8 mm); Blue Black (0.8 mm); Pink (0.5, 0.8 mm); Orange (0.5, 0.8 mm); Green (0.5, 0.8 mm). - Per uni (US store) (https://www.unibrands.co/products/vision-elite-rollerball-pens), checked 2026-10-24. The eight ink colors uni's US store lists for the Vision Elite, all in 0.5 and 0.8 mm except blue-black (0.8 mm only); the cap end shows the ink color. Tints were sampled from the colored cap ends in uni's product photos; black and blue-black are adjusted by hand to read as dark inks. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Two point sizes: 0.5 mm micro and 0.8 mm bold, in up to 8 US ink colors; blue-black comes only in 0.8 mm. - uni-ball UK lists the pen at 142 mm (5.6 in) long capped and 15 g; Unsharpen gives a 10.8 mm barrel. - Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese company history dates the Vision Elite to 2003; uni-ball's US page celebrates 25 years of the pen. - uni calls the ink airplane safe: a design meant to stop leaks from cabin-pressure changes. - US business-supplier spec sheets list Japan as the country of origin. ## What is the uni-ball Vision Elite? **The uni-ball Vision Elite is a capped rollerball pen with liquid ink, made by Mitsubishi Pencil of Japan under its uni-ball brand.** Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese company history dates it to 2003, and uni-ball's US page now celebrates "25 years of Vision Elite". Its selling point is the ink system. uni-ball says the pen uses uni Super Ink, which resists water, fading and fraud, and an "airplane-safe" design that helps stop leaks when cabin pressure changes. These are maker claims; we haven't tested them yet. ## uni-ball Vision Elite specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. (Japan) | | Type | Capped rollerball, liquid ink | | Point sizes | 0.5 mm micro · 0.8 mm bold | | Ink | uni Super Ink (water-, fade- and fraud-resistant, per uni-ball) | | US ink colors | Black, blue, red, violet, pink, orange, green; blue-black in 0.8 mm | | Length | 142 mm (5.6 in) capped, per uni-ball UK; 15.1 cm posted, per Unsharpen | | Barrel | 10.8 mm, per Unsharpen | | Weight | 15.046 g (uni-ball UK); 12 g (Unsharpen) | | US item numbers | 69000 (0.5 black) · 61231 (0.8 black) · 69021 (0.5 blue) | | Japanese model | UB-200-05, ¥220 (about US$1.40) including tax | | Made in | Japan (per US spec sheets) | ![uni-ball Vision Elite 0.5 mm micro and 0.8 mm bold points drawn at 150 times](https://stationerytimes.com/images/uni-ball-vision-elite-tip-sizes.svg) *The 0.8 mm bold ball is 1.6 times the diameter of the 0.5 mm micro ball.* ## Which point size should you choose? **Choose the 0.5 mm micro point for everyday notes and forms, and the 0.8 mm bold point for signatures and bold lines.** Liquid ink lays down a wetter, darker line than a ballpoint of the same size, so the 0.8 mm writes heavily. - **0.5 mm micro:** a crisp line for small handwriting and planners. It is the size in Amazon's rollerball best-seller list (the black 12-pack ranked #75 on October 21, 2026). - **0.8 mm bold:** more ink, a darker line, and the only size uni-ball sells in blue-black. ## Is the Vision Elite airplane safe? **uni-ball says yes: its US page describes airplane-safe ink technology that helps prevent leakage during changes in cabin pressure.** uni-ball UK makes the same claim for the UB-200. Liquid-ink pens are the type most likely to leak on a flight, so this is the main reason travelers pick it over an ordinary rollerball. ## Is uni Super Ink waterproof? **uni-ball calls Super Ink water-resistant and fade-resistant, and says it helps protect against document fraud; it doesn't say waterproof.** Staples' listing for the Vision Elite BLX adds that the ink sets into the paper and resists check washing and bleaching. That makes it a common choice for checks and signed forms. ## How does it compare with other uni-ball pens? **The Vision Elite is uni-ball's capped liquid-ink pen; the [ZENTO Signature](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-zento-signature/) is its premium water-based rollerball, and the [Jetstream RT](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-jetstream-rt/) is its fast-drying hybrid ballpoint.** | | Vision Elite | ZENTO Signature | Jetstream RT | |---|---|---|---| | Ink | Liquid (Super Ink) | Water-based | Hybrid oil-based | | Mechanism | Cap | Cap | Click | | Point sizes | 0.5 · 0.8 mm | 0.38 · 0.5 · 0.7 mm | 0.5 · 0.7 · 1.0 mm | | Body | Plastic | Metal | Plastic | | Price band | $ | $$$ | $ | The older, simpler [uni-ball Vision](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/uni-ball-vision/) shares the Super Ink and adds a 1.0 mm Bold. If you want a needle-tipped liquid-ink pen instead, Pilot's [Precise V5](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-precise-v5/) is the usual rival. Our [gel vs ballpoint vs rollerball explainer](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/gel-vs-ballpoint-vs-rollerball/) covers how the ink types differ. If you want a refillable metal rollerball instead, the [OHTO CR01](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ohto-cr01/) takes OHTO's C-305 ceramic-ball refill, which OHTO says won't dry out uncapped. ## Is the Vision Elite refillable? **In the UK, yes; in the US, uni-ball doesn't list a refill.** uni-ball UK marks the UB-200 as refillable and sells twin packs with two refills. uni-ball's US store lists the pens only, in single, 4-count and 8-count packs, so US buyers usually treat it as disposable. ## Where is the uni-ball Vision Elite made? **US business-supplier spec sheets list Japan as the country of origin.** OnTimeSupplies gives Japan for item 69021 (0.5 mm blue), and Unsharpen's spec table agrees. Mitsubishi Pencil still sells the pen at home: its Japanese catalog lists the 0.5 mm black as UB-200-05 at ¥220 (about US$1.40) including tax. ## How much does it cost? **It sits in our lowest band, $ (under $5 per pen).** uni-ball's US store sells single pens and 4- and 8-packs, and office suppliers sell dozens. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the uni-ball Vision Elite a gel pen? No. uni-ball sells it as a capped rollerball with liquid ink, which flows more freely than gel. uni-ball's US site files it under rollerball pens, separate from its gel pens such as the Signo 207. ### What sizes does the Vision Elite come in? Two: a 0.5 mm micro point and a 0.8 mm bold point, per uni-ball's US product page. In Japan, Mitsubishi Pencil lists the 0.5 mm in black as UB-200-05. ### Is the Vision Elite safe to take on a plane? uni-ball says so. Its US page calls the ink technology airplane safe, designed to help prevent leaks during changes in cabin pressure. We haven't flown with one to test it. ### Is the uni-ball Vision Elite good for writing checks? It's a common choice for checks and signed forms, because uni-ball says Super Ink helps protect against document fraud. Staples' listing adds that the ink sets into the paper and resists check washing and bleaching. ### What colors does the Vision Elite come in? uni-ball's US store lists black, blue, red, violet, pink, orange, green and blue-black (0.8 mm only), plus assorted 4- and 8-packs. Japan's catalog shows only 0.5 mm black. ### How long is the uni-ball Vision Elite? uni-ball UK lists it at 142 mm (5.6 in) and 15.046 g; Unsharpen gives 14.2 cm capped, 15.1 cm posted and a 10.8 mm barrel. ### How old is the uni-ball Vision Elite? Mitsubishi Pencil's Japanese company history dates it to 2003, while uni-ball's US page now marks 25 years of Vision Elite, so the two sources don't quite agree. ### What is the difference between the uni-ball Vision and the Vision Elite? Both are capped uni-ball liquid-ink rollerballs sold in the US. uni-ball sells them as separate products; the Vision Elite is the one marketed with the airplane-safe design and the 0.5 mm micro and 0.8 mm bold points. ## Sources - [三菱鉛筆: ユニボール ビジョンエリート 0.5mm 黒 UB-200-05 (uni Japan product page: reference price ¥220 (about US$1.40), ¥200 before tax (about US$1.30); JAN 4902778749975)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/products/ballpoint_pens/roller/vision_elite/cap/ub_200_05.html) - [三菱鉛筆のあゆみ (Mitsubishi Pencil company history: Vision Elite launched 2003)](https://www.mpuni.co.jp/company/history.html) - [uniball (US): Vision Elite Rollerball Pen (0.5 and 0.8 mm, 8 colors, item numbers and UPCs, airplane-safe and Super Ink claims, 25 years)](https://www.unibrands.co/products/vision-elite-rollerball-pens) - [uni-ball UK: Vision Elite UB-200 (142 mm, 15.046 g, refillable, tungsten carbide ball)](https://uniball.co.uk/?p=12366) - [Unsharpen: uni-ball Vision Elite (14.2 cm capped, 10.8 mm body, 12 g, Japan)](https://unsharpen.com/pen/uni-ball-vision-elite/) - [OnTimeSupplies: Vision Elite 0.5 mm blue, item 69021 (country of origin Japan)](https://www.ontimesupplies.com/ubc69021-vision-elite-roller-ball-pen-stick-extra-fine-05-mm-blue-ink-blue-barrel.html) - [Staples: uni-ball Vision Elite BLX 0.8 mm blue-black (resists check washing and bleaching)](https://www.staples.com/uni-ball-vision-elite-blx-rollerball-pens-bold-point-0-8mm-blue-black-ink-61232/product_UBC61232) - [Amazon Best Sellers: Rollerball Pens (Vision Elite 0.5 mm 12-pack at #75, October 21, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Office-Products-Rollerball-Pens/zgbs/office-products/1069838)