Make your own multi pen.

Designer Toolkit is a new weekly series on Sketchbook B that will highlight an analog tool that designers should be using.

Why designers will lOVE the Coleto N 4 multi pen:

It’s a multi pen! Remember when you were a kid, a multi pen was the most awesome thing ever? Red, Black, Blue and Green ink in one pen? Pretty awesome. Like those pens, the Hi-Tec-C Coleto N 4 is a Japanese multi pen with four different color inks.

It’s a customizable multi pen! Unlike the multi pens you can buy in the United States, the Coleto N 4 is completely customizable. You choose which colors and line thicknesses you want to use. And the Coleto refills have color-coded buttons so you can easily tell what’s loaded. I've got black, red, brown and blue-black ink in my pen right now.

It’s also a really good pen. The Coleto uses Hi-Tec-C refills that come in 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm and 0.5 mm thicknesses. If you haven’t used a Hi-Tec-C before, they provide a sharp, precise line. Great for taking notes or quick sketches.

Things to know:

Sold Separately. When you buy a Coleto, you purchase an empty pen body and then refills. You can buy individual colors or buy a pack of 10 refills.

0.3 mm is really thin. Unless you know that you love 0.3 mm refills, I’d recommend that you start with 0.4 mm or 0.5 mm. The 0.3 mm is fine with dark colors, but is hard to see in some of the brighter colors.

Pencil and eraser. You can even add a mechanical pencil and an eraser to your multi pen. While it’s a cool option, I never quite fell in love with the pencil feature. I'd rather use a dedicated mechanical pencil.

HOW MUCH?

The Coleto pen body costs about $3 at Jet Pens. The refills are a couple of dollars a piece, or you can by a pack of 10 for $16.50.

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. In his spare time, he ponders his favorite color. Follow Bob on Twitter and Instagram.