Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do FriXion products work?

Our FriXion products’ ink “erases” due to PILOT’s exclusive thermo-sensitive ink technology. When you want to make corrections on your page, simply turn around your FriXion pen and rub with the FriXion eraser tip as if using a regular pencil eraser. While rubbing, the ink heats up to over 60°C and becomes invisible. Conversely, the ink reappears at temperatures of under -10°C.

2. Help! I use FriXion pens and my notebook / page is now empty without a trace of my work! What should I do?

Leaving items such as notebooks, homework or paper near heaters, in a car on a hot day or even putting pages through repeated photocopying, can heat the paper sufficiently to make FriXion ink invisible. If you find your page to be empty, simply put it in the freezer for a short period of time. Our thermo-sensitive ink reappears at around -10°C, so your work should reappear once more when the pages sufficiently cool.

3. Help! I left my FriXion pens outside in the heat and now they no longer work!

Just as the ink disappears when pages are left in the heat, so can the ink inside the FriXion pens. If your pen doesn’t seem to be writing, try to remember whether the pen may have been over-exposed to heat. If so, try putting your pen in the freezer until it sufficiently cools. After taking your pen out of the freezer and letting it readjust to room temperature, it should write again like new.

4. Where can I find a Pilot reseller?

Our products are sold by all the leading supermarkets and hypermarkets and by the majority of news agencies and office suppliers. Nevertheless, if you are having difficulties finding one of our products in particular, please do not hesitate to contact us. Wherever possible, we will give you the name of your closest reseller.

Using a centralised order process, we make frequent deliveries to our sellers via a central warehouse. So, we do not always know what is delivered to which store.

5. Is there a risk when using a Pilot product on an airplane?

Only liquid ink products from our V-System range require your attention on an airplane. They are easily identifiable by their name which starts with a V: V5, V-Ball, V-Pen, etc….

If you are taking a V-System product with you on a flight, remove the cap with the pen pointing upwards. This avoids potential leaks caused by cabin pressure during the flight.

Only the liquid ink models V5/7 RT and V-Ball 5/7 RT are guaranteed completely leak free on airplanes without any special handling.

6. Are Pilot products safe for children?

All of the inks and barrels used in our products have been designed for maximum safety, particularly with regards to children. For example, our markers do not contain toxic solvents such as Xylene or Toluene.

Furthermore, the caps on our non-retractable models satisfy the ISO 11540 standard. They are equipped with a ventilation system which allows breathing in case the cap is ingested.

Finally, our internal services have all our product components available immediately on digital media in order to assist the medical profession in the event of serious accidents.

7. How do I start the ink in some of the markers?

Before the first use of our Gold or Silver type markers, we recommend you follow these instructions:

• Phase 1: Gently shake the marker with the cap on.
• Phase 2: Once the cap is removed, gently press the nib on the paper, so that it is pushed into the body of the product. The valve is activated and frees the ink.
• Phase 3: The marker is ready, you can write.

In order to retain all the technical qualities of our markers, we recommend that you ensure the cap is replaced firmly after use and they are stored horizontally.

8. How do I remove ink from clothing?

Firstly, avoid washing the soiled clothing before removing the stain, which risks permanently setting the ink.

There are several tips for removing ink from clothing:

• Spray hair spray on the stain, blot away the surplus spray using a clean cloth or absorbent paper, then wash normally.
• Soak your clothing in hot milk for several hours, rinse in plenty of water then wash normally.
• Place the article on a clean white cloth and dab the stain with another white cloth soaked in white vinegar or 90% proof alcohol. Wash normally.

9. Where can I find refills, cartridges or even leads or eraser refills?

Our objective is to be able to offer a wide range of writing instruments, but also that your writing pleasure with your Pilot pen does not stop when it needs refilling. In addition to being economical, refilling your pens is environmentally friendly.

That's why we want to offer this type of service in specialist news agencies or even department stores.