History[edit]

A highlighter is a felt tip writing device filled with transparent fluorescent ink.
The first highlighter was introduced in 1963 by Carter's Ink Company, using
the trademarked name Sharpie. Avery Dennison Corporation now owns the
brand, having acquired Carter's Ink Company in 1975.[3]

Stabilo-Boss had been producing felt tip writing devices since 1971. It is
hailed as the European product leader of manufacturing highlighters. In 2003,
the company has changed its name to Stabilo International.[4]

Styles[edit]

A pair of highlighters
Many highlighters come in bright, often fluorescent colours. Being
fluorescent, highlighter ink glows under black light.[5] The most common
colour for highlighters is yellow, but they are also found in orange, red, pink,
purple, blue, and green varieties. Some yellow highlighters may look greenish
in colour to the naked eye. Yellow is the preferred color to use when making a
photocopy as it will not produce a shadow on the copy. Yet, the use of
different colour highlighters simultaneously can systematically make
information even more organized and readable.

Highlighters are available in multiple forms, including some that have a

retractable felt tip or an eraser on the end opposite the felt. Other types of
highlighters include the trilighter, a triangularly-shaped pen with a differentcoloured tip at each corner, and ones that are stackable. There are also some
forms of highlighters that have a wax-like quality similar to an oil pastel.

"Dry highlighters" (occasionally called "dry line highlighters") have an

applicator that applies a thin strip of highlighter tape (physically similar to
audio tape) instead of a felt tip. Unlike standard highlighters, they are easily
erasable. They are different from "dry mark highlighters", which are
sometimes advertised as being useful for highlighting books with thin pages.

"Gel highlighters" contain a gel stick rather than a felt tip. The gel does not
bleed through paper or become dried out in the pen as other highlighters'
inks may.

Other uses[edit]

Yellow highlighting on a page of photocopied text

Some word processing software can simulate highlighting by using a
technique similar to reverse video on some terminals.

Example of highlighting on a word processor.