How to Remove Ink on Paper

Sometimes you want to remove the bad marks on a test or remove the extra notes on the pages of a used book. If you are an artist who often uses ink, you need to know how to fix errors in your artwork. With just simple household items and the right method, you can almost completely remove ink stains from paper. While it is difficult to remove all ink stains, when you combine different methods, you will have more chances of making the paper white as new.

Table of Contents

Remove ink stains with household chemicals

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Use acetone to remove ink stains. Most nail polish removers are made of acetone and can be used to remove ink stains from paper. Soak a cotton swab in some acetone and apply it to the ink stain you want to clean. ^{[1] X Research Source}

This is most effective when handling ballpoint pen ink.
Blue ink is usually easier to erase than black ink.

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Use rubbing alcohol to remove ink stains. You can apply isopropyl rubbing alcohol on any paper that you want to remove the ink stain. If you only need to remove a small stain of ink, you can use a cotton swab soaked in alcohol. If you want to erase almost all of the ink on the page, soak the paper in a small tray of alcohol for about 5 minutes. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Any type of 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.

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Apply lemon juice to the ink stain. Pour some lemon juice into the jar about 240ml. Then dip the cotton swab in the lemon juice. Next, use a wet cotton swab to gently apply to the ink stain you want to remove. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

The acid in the lemon juice will help dissolve the ink, but it also melts the paper. Therefore, you need to be careful, especially when erasing ink on thin paper.
Erasing ink on thick paper will not affect the paper as much as it does on thin paper.

Use friction to remove ink stains

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

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Use a special ink eraser. If you use erasable ink, you can easily remove the stain with an ink eraser. Ink erasers are usually blue, not black, and often say ‘erasable’ on the label. You can also find ones that are designed like a pencil, with a pen on one end and an eraser on the other. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If you’re not sure if the ink you’re using can be erased, try erasing it with an ink eraser for results.
Plastic and rubber erasers are for pencil/graphite removal only and should not be used to remove ink stains.
You can still erase the ink with vinyl erasers, but be careful. This eraser is very rough and may tear the paper while you try to remove the ink stain. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Clean the ink stains with sandpaper. Use three zeros (000) sandpaper and a small grinding tool. If erasing requires more careful control of the sandpaper than using a sharpener (or your fingers), cut a small piece of sandpaper and stick it on the eraser tip of your pencil. Carefully rub the sandpaper over the ink stain in small movements from the sides. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Be careful not to rub the sandpaper too hard on the ink-stained surface.
Blow gently on the paper to remove crumbs, ink, or paper while scrubbing so you can see progress.

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Use a smooth abrasive tool to remove ink stains from the paper. This type of sander is simply a mechanically designed sandpaper surface so that you can grind the paper more evenly and more easily than when done by hand. The Dremel Mini Grinder with a Round Stone Head is recommended. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

You should use this sharpener when there is ink stuck to the edge of the book.
However, grinding tools are relatively rough for use on paper surfaces, unless it is thick paper.

Cover ink stains

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Use a water-based eraser. Although the water-based eraser does not remove ink stains, it can cover up as if the ink has been erased. “Thien Long” or “flexoffice” water-based erasers are usually thick, white, used to cover ink stains or mistakes on paper. The liquid in the eraser often flows out when we press the tip of the pen against a flat surface. ^{[9] X Research Source}

The eraser will dry, flake, and clog the tip. You need to make sure the eraser is back to the correct consistency before using it.
The eraser is very wet after applying to the paper. Therefore, you should not let the cleaning solution stick to any surface.

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Cover the ink stain with a scissors eraser. If you need to remove ink stains with horizontal or vertical lines, a scissor eraser is the best way to cover mistakes. One side of the eraser roll looks like paper, the other side has glue and will stick to the paper. The glue in the scissors eraser is usually white, but you can still choose to buy another color to match the paper color. ^{[10] X Research Source}

You will still see the glue on the paper if you look closely.
If you scan or copy the paper with an eraser and scissors, the reader will not be able to recognize where you have erased.

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Cover spilled ink with paper. If you want to remove or change part of the ink, sometimes the simplest solution is to cover the ink with a small piece of paper. Find a piece of white paper of the same type as the paper you use and cut a piece large enough to cover the ink stain. Stick the piece of paper over the ink stain. Then, redraw on your artwork or write text on the pasted surface. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Make sure the edge of the sticker is pressed against the underlying surface, not rolling or curling up from the original surface.
A close observer will notice how you correct mistakes on paper, depending on how observant they are.
If you copy or scan the original paper, it will be difficult to notice the patchwork of errors on the paper.

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Camouflage the ink stain. If you are using an ink pen and make a mistake or spill ink your first thought should be to erase it. If none of the above methods work for your ink stain, try disguising it by adding some elements to the artwork like background or color. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Using an opaque color also helps you cover up the ink stain.
If you accidentally draw beyond the original design, try adding decorations to that design. That way, you’ll make the viewer feel like you’ve purposely designed that from the beginning.

Advice

If you’re worried someone will erase the ink from your check (check eraser), you should use a gel pen. The above ink removal methods are not effective with gel ink. ^{[14] X Research Source}
Cover the part of paper that you don’t want to remove ink stains to protect while erasing mistakes. 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 ink from a book page, keep in mind that the ink removal method can damage the page. Therefore, you should find an inconspicuous place in the book and check the ink removal method before applying it on a large area of paper.
Remember that it is illegal to delete information on a check.

Steps

Remove ink stains with household chemicals

Use friction to remove ink stains

Cover ink stains

Advice

Warning

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