Maybe you want to erase a bad grade from your math test sheet, or you want to remove marginal notes on the pages of a used book; if, on the other hand, you are an artist who uses pen and ink, you must learn to correct a mistake in your work. With some simple household tools and the right technique, you can get most ink stains off a sheet of paper; Although it is difficult to completely eliminate them, a combination of different techniques can give you a better chance of returning the paper to its original white color.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Household Chemicals
Step 1. Try using brake fluid to easily remove pen ink from paper
Use a dropper to pour some directly onto the stain and then rub it with the tip of a cotton swab.
Step 2. Use acetone
Most nail polish removers are acetone-based and you can use it to remove ink from paper; apply a small amount on a cotton swab and rub it on the writing you want to remove.
- This method is more effective on ink than regular ballpoint pens.
- The blue one is more easily erased than the black one.
Step 3. Try denatured alcohol
You can use it on all types of paper you want to remove the ink from. If the writing to be removed is small, you can use a cotton swab; if you want to erase a large part of the page, immerse the sheet for 5 minutes in a tray in which you have poured the alcohol.
- You can use any brand of alcohol for this method; however, avoid what contains perfumes or dyes;
- Make sure you protect the part of the paper that you don't need to treat.
Step 4. Apply lemon juice
Pour a small amount into a 250ml jar and dip a cotton swab into the juice; then rub the cotton swab over the ink you are trying to erase.
- The acid of the lemon dissolves the ink, but it also dissolves the paper; you have to proceed gently, especially if you are working on a thin sheet.
- Thicker paper resists this process better.
Step 5. Make a paste of water and baking soda
For best results, mix the two in a small glass bowl. Dip a clean cotton cloth into the mixture and rub it on the ink; proceed gently, trying to remove the color from the paper.
- You can use an old toothbrush to take the mixture out of the bowl and adhere it to the paper, or to rub it directly on the ink; this method is more effective if the bristles of the toothbrush are relatively intact and not too frayed.
- Wait for the paper to dry well; there is no need to rinse the baking soda off, as the water evaporates and the dust simply falls off the sheet.
Method 2 of 3: Using Attrition
Step 1. Use a simple razor blade
This method works best for printed ink and you should only use it to strip out a few letters. Hold the blade upright on the paper and rub it gently; do not exert too much pressure, otherwise you may tear the paper.
Step 2. Use a special ink eraser
If you are using erasable ink, this can be a good solution. Typically this type of ink is blue, not black, and you can easily recognize it because it says "erasable" on the package; often the product has the shape of a pencil, with the writing tip on one end and the "eraser" on the other.
- If you are unsure whether the ink is actually erasable, you can check this using a ballpoint eraser.
- Classic pencil erasers (white ones, for example) are better suited to graphite and are not recommended for ink.
- You can also use a vinyl eraser, but you have to be careful as it is very aggressive and you may scratch the paper as well as the color.
Step 3. Smooth the lettering with sandpaper
Use the triple zero grain (000) and an emery pad. If the sanding job requires greater precision and accuracy than you can achieve with a pad or your fingers, cut out a piece of sandpaper and glue it onto the end of the pencil where the eraser is; then gently rub the writing you need to remove by making small lateral movements.
- Be careful not to apply too much pressure;
- As you go, gently blow on the paper to remove any residue from the sandpaper, ink, or paper, so you can better see the progress you are making.
Step 4. Use a fine grit grinder
It is a machine equipped with an abrasive surface (usually covered with sandpaper) that allows you to sand the paper more evenly and more easily than you can do by hand. We recommend using a Dremel with a slightly rounded abrasive stone.
- This solution is very useful for removing ink from the edges of books;
- The grinder is often too aggressive for paper, unless it is a very sturdy type.
Method 3 of 3: Cover the Ink Strokes
Step 1. Use a liquid concealer
While it doesn't erase the ink, it covers it up as if it is actually erased. This product, commonly called "discolorina" or "bianchetto", is a rather thick liquid that is intended to cover any stains or errors on the paper and is usually spread with a sponge-tipped applicator.
- Over time, the concealer can dry out, become lumpy or flake off; make sure it has the right consistency before applying it.
- After application, it usually remains a little damp; do not touch it and be careful that it does not come into contact with other surfaces before drying.
Step 2. Cover the ink with correction tape
If you need to erase horizontal or vertical streaks of ink, this may be your best bet. One side of the correction tape looks like paper, while the other is sticky and adheres to the paper; it is usually white, but you can find it on the market in other colors as well.
- If you look closely, you should be able to see the tape on the original sheet;
- However, if you need to scan or photocopy the paper that has correction tape, the end reader may not notice the change.
Step 3. Hide ink smudges or spills with paper
If you want to erase or change a section of an ink drawing, the simplest solution is to cover it with a piece of paper. Get a piece of white paper that matches the original sheet and cut out a section large enough to cover the mistake; paste it on the page to hide the part you don't want to show and resume drawing on the surface which is now "clean".
- Check that the edges of the paper "patch" are snug against the original sheet, that they do not curl or crease upwards.
- A careful observer might notice the correction, depending on how far away it is from the drawing.
- If you want to make a photocopy or scan of the original work, it is difficult to notice the glued piece of paper.
Step 4. Camouflage the ink blot
If you are working with pen and ink and you accidentally pour some on the paper, your first reaction may be to want to erase it. If none of the above techniques work, try masking the stain by adding decorative elements, such as color or a background.
- Use an opaque color to hide the error;
- If you've made strokes beyond the edges of the design, consider using them as decorations; in this way you give the impression that your artwork must have been like this from the very beginning!
Step 5. Trace the page and start over
Obviously with this method you do not erase the ink, but you get the same effect; if no solution described so far has proved effective, place a new sheet on the original one and go over the entire work excluding the error. Finish the job by making the correction on the new page as you wish.
- This is a more challenging technique, but if you are making a work of art it is certainly the best option.
- This trick allows you to create a new sheet, as if the error never happened.
Advice
- If you are concerned that someone might wipe out details from a check, use a ballpoint pen with gel ink; the methods described so far rarely work with this type of pen.
- Protect all the parts you want to keep intact as you work to erase the ink; apply masking tape or cover them with other sheets to avoid inadvertently erasing them.
Warnings
- If you are trying to remove ink from the pages of a book, remember that you could damage the paper; test on a hidden corner of the page to test your chosen method before using it on larger surfaces.
- Remember that deleting information from a check is illegal.
