How to "erase" smeared ink???

I'm sure many of you experienced folks will be rolling your eyes at this, but being new to stamping, I'm still struggling with the basics. I am having better luck now with getting a clear stamp image (due to earlier advice I was given--thanks!) but now have a new problem.

Invariably my ink is smearing when I'm working with the card. I suspect part of the answer is to leave it alone for a while so it can dry, yes? But since I have some nicely stamped cards now with smears on them, how do I get rid of the unwanted ink smears without damaging the paper?

I have to laugh because I have a PhD in educational neuropsychology but am a complete dunce when it comes to this stuff. Multiple intelligences and knowledge for sure!

I think I'd try covering it up. I don't see any luck in trying to remove it without tearing up the paper.

Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback. I had thought about that but it was smeared over too many places. I think, for future reference, the trick is to let it dry before handling the card more. I tried that and haven't run into the same problem again. Sound good to you?

Maybe one of the art erasers would work. Think I have one (sort of like gray play dough) so will try it.

Pigment ink usually takes a while to try, especially on nonporous surfaces. Do you have an embossing heat tool? That usually does the trick for me so that I can move right along with what I'm doing.

I do the same thing I would heat emboss it. I have that problem with my gel pens sometimes it takes hours to dry. The key is to let it dry and work on other things like the tag for the to and from etc so when it dries you can put everything together.

Good Luck

Man, I can't stand ink pads that take forever to dry! I usually emboss with those, or sprinkle on pigment powder and swirl it around with a paint brush to set. I also use my heat gun to set it then spray fixative on the card so the ink doesn't rub off.

Once you get to know your inks you'll know how long they take to dry. I LOVE the almost insta-dry ones like Whispers waterproof ink and solvent ink pads. Pigment ink is just a PAIN.

Honestly, I don't know why there's so many different types of ink. If you're stamping on paper then all you need is some good ink that dries quickly and boom, on to other projects. Life's too short to wait around for your ink to dry!

If you are using pigment ink on glossy cardstock or vellum, if it is not embossed it will smear.

As suggested, the art eraser should remove the smear.

Another suggestion, you only need to get the lines of the stamp inked so don't press your stamp so hard down on the pad (especially if it is pigment ink which is usually on a spongy type pad) and get the too much ink on the stamp that it all transfers to your paper.

HTH

I would just make it look like I WANTED it to be smeared.