The Wink Pen takes its name from the concept of using wine as ink, but actually, the pen can be loaded with virtually any liquid that possesses a staining property. The idea of using alternative liquids first came about while founder Jessica Chan, a Portland, Oregon-based industrial designer, was working on a concept for a sustainable printer in 2013. The manufacturing of Wink Pens is done primarily in the US with some materials sourced in other countries. The injection molding is done in Oregon, the textiles and steel in Asia, the glass tubing in Canada, and the pistons in the Netherlands. Finally, each nib is individually handcrafted by skilled glass workers in Colorado.