The humble yellow pencil has been an affordable writing tool for over 125 years. It is estimated that they represent 2/3 of all pencils sold in North America. In the United States alone, consumers spend $557 million on them each year. That’s a lot of pencils. So why is yellow such a popular colour?
At the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, the world was introduced to the Koh-i-Noor 1500 – a wooden pencil manufactured in what is now the Czech Republic. But this was no ordinary pencil. After being covered in fourteen coats of vivid yellow paint, it was dipped in 14-carat gold. Up until that time, the best pencils were made from fine wood and covering the exposed grain with paint would be considered a no-no. The Koh-i-Noor 1500 became somewhat of a sensation in Paris. This newfangled pencil contained the highest quality graphite available, which, at the time, came from China. Yellow is one of China’s imperial colours, representing royalty, power and prosperity. Many Chinese temples, palaces and altars are decorated with yellow. The manufacturers, in an effort to give their writing tool a certain international panache, capitalized on yellow’s connection to the Chinese culture.
The next world’s fair took place in Chicago in 1893. It was here, at the World’s Columbian Exposition, that the unique yellow pencil made its American debut. The public immediately took a shine to the product. Before long, manufacturers started painting their pencils yellow to compete with the popularity of the Koh-i-Noor 1500.
For many, a yellow pencil reminds us of our public school years, where we first encountered the writing implement. Along with the yellow school bus and the red apple, a yellow pencil has become an unmistakeable symbol of early education. Perhaps the real reason why we like these pencils so much is that yellow, at its core, is a happy colour.