Graphite pencils are often used by artists for drawing. There are a number of different degrees of hardness, ranging from the very hard and thus pale 9H to the average hardness HB, which is also the most commonly used in Europe, to the very soft and thus dark 9B. The "B" stands for "black" because of the intense graphite output. The darker a shade is to be, the softer the hardness grade should be. The finer the line or the more erasable it should be, the harder the pencil should be.