Lumin

Mechanical Pencil for Lumin

Lumin is a design made 100 percent from alluminium. Without a mechanism, the elasticity of the material is used to hold the graphite. It is produced using different numerical control machining processes, with a manual finish in each one of them. Identified with its engraved serial number and accompanied by packaging that authenticates its originality. Its designer wanted to represent in Lumin the emotion of emptiness. A fragment of the brilliance that lives in each person, not perfect but authentic. In this way Lumin invites introspection and personal reflection.

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Download Press Kit № 165681 Mechanical Pencil for Lumin by Alexis Zapata to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.

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Lumin by Alexis Zapata

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Mechanical Pencil by Alexis Zapata

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Alexis Zapata Lumin

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Alexis Zapata Mechanical Pencil

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LuminBrand Logo

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Unique Properties

Lumin represents an emotion, of emptiness, to give rise to the new. A fragment of light, not perfect but authentic, that shines one's own brilliance. Materialize the intangible. In its packaging, emptiness is symbolized. Where, for the light to find us, we must find that breaking point. The pencil, what must always shine, protect itself, defend...Education. "Alumina, light that propagates through the emptiness. Lumin, born from absence."

Tags

emotion, intangible, emptyness, authentic, light, absence, aluminum, alumina

Production Technology

Lumin is an exclusive design, made 100 percent from aluminum. Stripped of any mechanism, it uses the elasticity of the material to hold the graphite. It is produced using different numerical control machining processes, with a manual finish in each of them. Identified with its engraved serial number and accompanied by the packaging that authenticates it.

Design Challenge

From 2017 to 2022, I was a professor at a university in the model and prototype workshop. After the pandemic, classes were taught online, so the workshop became unnecessary. This made me think about how education changed, and today I think the pencil was an act of protest to defend it. It wasn't easy to find a CNC lathe operator willing to make only 100 units at first; they usually order 1,000 units. Costs also increased due to devaluation in my country. Even the cost of the packaging was high, given the small quantity, so I had to do it using digital offset. I made virtually no profit, nor was I interested in making any. It was a process through which I was able to understand the anguish I carried inside, and by materializing it, I was able to face it and thus let it go.

Project Duration

At the end of 2020, 6 functional prototypes were made and the pre series was launched in July 2023. It participated in Buenos Aires, Argentina in INNOVAR 2023 with the ID 23902 and Sello Buen Diseño 2025 with the ID 5834.

Operation Flow

Release the lead from the packaging by pushing the tip of the mechanical pencil inward from one side to eject it from the other side and pulling to remove it. Do not open, disassemble, or break the packaging. The lead is 5,5 mm and is adjusted when released, vertically with the tip pointing down, always opening slightly to the sides. Hold the lead with both hands on a horizontal surface to prevent the lead from falling out. If it has been held for a long time, you may need to open it and simultaneously press the lead on a horizontal surface to release it from its internal grip. The lead should fall freely when the clip is opened. Reload from the rear vortex by inserting a 5,5 mm lead, positioning it vertically with the tip pointing down, fitting the lead into the front hole, and opening it slightly to the sides again to adjust the length. The length of the graphite exposed is adjusted using the same procedure. Place the clamp against a horizontal surface and adjust it to the desired length. -The opening is minimal. While the material holds the graphite, it is not very elastic. If the graphite is moved without opening it, it will wear down and the clamp will no longer work.

Research

The initial idea was to create a mechanical pencil using discarded aluminum. Information was collected on different mechanical pencils and their possible mechanisms. At that time, as a teacher in a model and prototype workshop, I had access to lathes where the first six prototypes were created. They were so popular that I began researching how to mass-produce them, since making them individually is time-consuming. Today, it has become a coveted object for designers, architects, and artists. I would like to make a more democratic product, making it accessible to everyone, but production costs are high for the quantities I can make.

Inspiration

It was an exploration of personal introspection of my emotions. Lumin was the key to a new stage. It was my breaking point, to change my reality.

Image Credits

Image #1: Photographer Federico Ariel Serrano, 2025. Image #2: Photographer Federico Ariel Serrano, 2025. Image #3: Photographer Federico Ariel Serrano, 2025. Image #4: Photographer Federico Ariel Serrano, 2025. Image #5: Photographer Federico Ariel Serrano, 2025.

Project Overview

Lumin Mechanical Pencil has been a Silver winner in the Art and Stationery Supplies Design award category in the year 2024 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.

Silver Recognition

Alexis Zapata was recognized with the coveted Silver A' Design Award in 2025, a testament to excellence of their work Lumin Mechanical Pencil.

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