What Ink Color Do You Use to Grade Papers?

The classic color that many educators from primary school to college use to grade papers is red. Many of us are very used to receiving graded papers back that are corrected using red ink. It’s a staple in most academic arenas. Most teachers don’t bat an eye or think twice when we grab a red ink pen to write comments or score assignments. It’s what we grew up experiencing as students, and now that we are teachers, we are simply following tradition.

When I was a college student back in the nineties, I once had a professor bring up the topic of ink color during class. In particular, my professor was referring to the ink color that teachers use to grade student work. I thought this was a peculiar subject because it never occurred to me that the color ink used to score papers made a difference. Needless to say, I was intrigued by what she had to say next.  

Why Does Ink Color Matter?

My professor told us that studies were being done on how the ink color used to grade papers affected students’ self-esteem. She said that red ink might decrease students’ self-esteem and willingness to accept corrections and constructive criticism from the teacher.  

Apparently, at the time, some people thought that red was an angry, more aggressive color to use to score assignments. Some experts believed that students would begin to attach negative feelings to their scores if assignments were graded with red ink. Therefore, experts suggested that teachers try to use other ink colors to grade papers in an effort to take away the negative stigma and anxiety of receiving back their graded papers.

When my professor relayed this information, I took a moment to contemplate what it meant and how I would apply this newfound information in my classroom. To be honest, I thought negativity could be applied to any ink color used to write comments and score papers. If green were the favored color and not red, the same negative feelings could be attached to it by students given time. So, did the color used to grade papers really make a difference? Who knows?

Does Ink Color Impact How Teachers Grade Papers?

In recent years, additional studies have been done about this very topic. Still, they are coming at it from a different angle. Now, experts are trying to see if red ink color affects how teachers grade papers. Some studies found that teachers using red ink to score student work found more errors and wrote more comments than those using other colors to grade student work. 

I found this information to be interesting. It forced me to reflect on how I scored student work. Did I grade more harshly if I used red ink versus another color? As far as I could recall, the red ink didn’t cause me to be a more aggressive scorer than any other ink color. This also could be due to the fact that I used rubrics or scoring sheets for some assignments. Therefore, my personal feelings didn’t get in the way of grading student work.  

The New “It” Ink Color for Grading Papers

I recently read an article in the New York Times Magazine describing how purple is now becoming the it color for grading student work. Apparently, more teachers are choosing to use this color over red to grade papers. Some manufacturers are taking advantage of this trend and producing more purple pens this year to stock on shelves.  

Final Thoughts

In the end, I think it is up to the teacher to decide which ink color is best to use to score papers in their classroom. Since I took what my college professor said to heart all those years ago, I chose to use various colors to grade papers. I just made sure I used a color that stood out against the paper and was legible.

What are your thoughts about using red ink to score student work? As a student, did seeing the red ink trigger negative feelings? As a teacher, do you think you grade more aggressively when you use red ink? I would love to hear your feedback. Write your thoughts in the comments below.