Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Sometimes you may want to remove bad grades from a test or remove any marginal notes on used pages. If you are an artist who often uses pens, you need to know how to fix errors in your artwork. With simple household items and the right method, you can almost completely remove ink stains from paper. Although it can be difficult to remove an entire ink stain, when you combine different methods, you get the extra chance of making the paper look as white as new.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Remove ink stains with household chemicals

1. 

   Use acetone to remove ink stains. Most nail polish removers are made from acetone and can be used to remove ink stains from paper. Use a cotton swab to blot a little of the acetone and apply it to the stain you want to clean.
   • This is most effective when dealing with ballpoint pen ink.
   • Blue ink is usually easier to erase than black ink.

2. 

   
   
   Use rubbing alcohol to remove ink stains. You can apply isopropyl rubbing alcohol to any paper that you want to remove ink stains from. If you only need to erase a small ink stain, you can use an alcohol swab. If you want to erase almost all of the ink on the page, soak the paper in a small alcoholic tray for about 5 minutes.
   • Any isopropyl alcohol can be used with this method. However, you should not use scented or colored rubbing alcohol.
   • You need to cover the areas where you don't want the ink stains removed.

3. 

   
   
   Apply lemon juice to the ink stain. Pour some lemon juice into a 8-ounce jar. Then dip a cotton swab in lemon juice. Next, use a wet cotton swab to gently apply the ink you want to erase.
   • The acid in the lemon juice will help dissolve the ink, but it also dissolves the paper. Be careful, therefore, especially when removing ink from thin paper.
   • Erasing ink on thick paper does not affect the media as much as doing thin paper.

4. 

   
   
   Mix baking soda with water to make a liquid powder mixture. Stir the ingredients in a small bowl for best results. Use a clean, white cotton cloth to apply the baking soda mixture to the stain. Then, gently rub the mixture on the ink stain you want to remove.
   • Using an old toothbrush to get the mixture from the bowl to the paper will be easier or used to scrub the stain. This is more effective when the bristles are still new, not frayed.
   • Wait for the paper to dry completely. You do not need to remove baking soda. The water will evaporate and the baking soda will fall off the page.
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Method 2 of 3: Use friction to erase ink stains

1. 

   Use a thin blade to remove ink stains. This method is suitable for removing ink and is only used when you need to delete a few letters. Place the blade horizontally on the paper and sharpen it gently. Do not press the blade too hard on the paper to make it thinner.

2. 

   Use a special ink eraser. If you use ink that can be erased, you will easily remove the stain with an ink eraser. Ink eraser is usually blue, not black, and the label often says 'erasable'. You can also find a design that looks like a pencil, with a pen on one end and an eraser on the other.
   • If you are not sure if the ink you use will erase it, try erasing with an ink eraser to see the results.
   • Plastic and rubber eraser is only used to erase pencil / graph stains and should not be used to remove ink stains.
   • You can still erase the ink with vinyl eraser but be careful. This eraser is very rough and can tear the paper while you try to remove the stain.

3. 

   Clean ink stains with sandpaper. Use a triple zero (000) sandpaper and a small abrasive tool. If ink removal requires more careful control of the sandpaper using a sharpener (or your finger) cut a small piece of sandpaper and stick it to the eraser end of the pencil. Carefully rub the sandpaper over the stain using a small motion from the sides.
   • Be careful not to rub the sandpaper too hard on the stained surface.
   • Blow gently onto the paper to remove any debris, ink, or paper while rubbing so you can see progress.

4. 

   Use a smooth surface abrasive to remove ink stains from the paper. This type of grinding tool is simply a mechanically engineered sandpaper surface so you can sharpen the paper more evenly and more easily when done by hand. A Dremel mini grinder with a round stone sharpener is recommended.
   • You should use this type of sharpener when there is ink on the edge of the book.
   • However, the abrasive is relatively coarse for use on paper surfaces, unless it is thick paper.
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Method 3 of 3: Cover ink stains

1. 

   Use a water-based eraser. Although the water-based eraser does not remove ink stains, it can cover it like ink has been erased. "Thien Long" or "flexoffice" water-based eraser is usually solid, white in color, used to cover ink stains or mistakes on paper. The fluid in the eraser often flows out when the pen tip is pressed against the flat surface.
   • The eraser will dry, peel and block the tip of the pen. Make sure the clear solution returns to the correct consistency before using it.
   • Eraser solution is very wet after applying on paper. Therefore, you should not let the eraser stick to any of the surfaces.

2. 

   Cover ink stains with an eraser. If you need to remove ink stains that are horizontal or vertical, the eraser is the best way to cover up errors. One side of the roll is going to look like paper, the other side has glue and will stick to the paper. The glue in the eraser is usually white, but you can still choose to buy another color to match the paper color.
   • You will still see the glue on the paper if you look closely.
   • If you scan or copy the paper with the eraser pen, the reader will not be able to recognize where you deleted it.

3. 

   Cover spills with paper. If you want to erase or alter part of your ink, sometimes the easiest solution is to cover the ink stain with a small piece of paper. Find a blank sheet of paper that is the same type of paper you are using and cut a piece large enough to cover the ink stain. Stick the piece of paper on the ink stain. Then, draw on your artwork again or write text on the sticky surface.
   • Make sure the edge of the patch is pressed against the surface below, not curled up or curled up from the original paper surface.
   • Observers will realize how you correct mistakes on paper, depending on their level of observations.
   • If you copy or scan the original paper, it will be difficult to spot mistakes on the paper.

4. 

   Disguise ink stains. If you are using an ink pen and make a mistake or spill the ink your first thought will be to delete it. If the methods above are not suitable for fixing your ink stain then try disguising it by adding some element to the artwork like background or color.
   • Using opaque colors can also help cover ink stains.
   • If you accidentally draw beyond the original design then try adding decorations to the design. This way, you will make the viewer feel like you have deliberately designed it from the beginning.

5. 

   Retouch according to the original page. Of course this is not a way to remove ink, but the effect is similar to when you want to remove ink stains. If the methods above have not helped you erase the ink from the paper, place a sheet of paper on the original paper. Retrieve what is on the original paper, removing only the part you want to remove. Complete by correcting the error on a new paper.
   • This method is very elaborate, but it is the best remedy if your work is done with ink pen.
   • Fixing errors on paper this way will give you completely clean results, as if the error has never occurred.
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Advice

• If you are worried that someone will erase the ink from your check (check eraser) then you should use a gel pen. The above methods of ink removal are not effective with gel ink.
• Cover the portion of paper that you do not want to erase ink to protect while erasing the error. Use masking tape or cover with paper so you don't accidentally erase the ink you want to keep.

Warning

• If you want to remove the ink from the page of a book, keep in mind that removing ink can damage the page. Therefore, you should find an inconspicuous spot in the book and check the ink removal method before applying it on large areas of paper.
• Remember, it is illegal to remove information from a check.