There is nothing worse than having a pen that keeps on bleeding through the paper that you are writing on and we have noticed more and more people reaching out to ask how to stop a pen bleeding through paper. Due to seeing so many people reaching out about stopping their pen bleeding through their paper and it being such an annoyance when writing, we have decided to publish this article.
Our hope is that we will be able to help any of our readers who has a pen that they like to write with but it constantly bleeds through their paper. The majority of the time, there are some quick and easy tricks that you are able to implement to stop the issue and prevent your pen from bleeding.
Depending on the exact situation, it is often easier to switch the type of paper that you are using when writing with the pen too. We will go over all of the various situations and circumstances below to try and make it as easy as possible for you to get your pen to stop bleeding though and find the best solution for you.
How To Stop A Pen Bleeding Through Paper!
To stop a pen bleeding through paper, you have to either restrict the ink glow from the nib of the pen or increase the thickness of the paper. Thankfully, both of these are usually very easy to do and you can often drastically reduce the bleeding of the pens ink with just one of these methods.
Depending on the type of pen that you are using, one method may be easier to implement than the other. Thankfully, we have multiple methods later in the article that you can take advantage of when looking to restrict the ink flow from a pen to reduce its potential to bleed through your paper.
In our opinion, the easiest method to stop your pen bleeding through your paper is to use a thicker paper but this is not practical for everyone. This is why we have chosen a number of different techniques that you are able to try below.
Use A Higher GSM Paper!
The GSM rating (grams per square meter) is the measurement of dictating how thick or thin the paper will be. The lower the GSM rating then the thinner the paper and the more likely it is for pens to bleed through it.
Thankfully, a high GSM paper is considerably cheaper than it was a few years back making it quick and easy for many people to just switch over from a thin paper to a thick paper. This offers the quickest and easiest way to reduce the bleeding of your pen as the more paper that it has to bleed through the less likely it is for the ink to make it to the other side.
Different pens will require different GSM ratings to prevent their bleed potential though. If you are using a dry writing pen then a GSM of 70 can get the job done in most cases. If you are using a wet writing pen or are not sure if you are using a wet or dry pen then going with a high GSM paper of up to GSM 100 and over will probably be the best option.
What is The Nib Size Of Your Pen?
Next up we have changing the nib size of the pen that you are using to write. A double-broad and broad nib size releases more ink for the wider font size increasing the chance of bleeding. A medium nib size is usually a nice middle ground but some thinner GSM papers will need a fine or extra-fine nib.
If you are writing on work documents that are printed on a thin paper size then going with a No products found. is probably going to be your best option. This will reduce the amount of ink that your pen releases when writing as a fine font size doesn’t require much ink at all and reduce the amount of bleed potential.
If you do work in a job where you have to sign documents from contractors or delivery drivers on a regular basis with no control over the paper you are working with, this is often the best route to take. If you are working with internal documents then trying to get them printed on a higher GSM paper may be the better route to take, especially if it is a larger company with many employees who may all have their pens bleeding through the thin paper.
Is Your Pen A Wet Writer?
Our next recommendation will depend on you and your preferences for the pen that you use to write with. The majority of our readers will probably not care about their pens much but we know that we have a large number of penthusiasts out there who collect various pens as their hobby and can be particular about the pens they like.
A wet writing pen is often considerably smoother to write with than a dry writing fountain pen due to the additional ink being released from the pen when writing. This does present the downside of the pen being able to bleed easier though due to a larger amount of ink being released.
Switching to a decent, cheap, dryish pen such as the Uniball Vision Elite can be a great option. Although the Uniball Vision Elite is a rollerball pen, it kind of feels like a standard gel pen when writing with it while offering a smooth writing experience while being closer to the dryer side helping to stop your pen ink from bleeding through your paper too.
Store Your Pen Correctly When Not In Use!
So many people store their pens incorrectly when they are not using them causing problems with the internals of the pen that then drastically increase the chances of the pen releasing more ink than it should. It is very common with office work that people will naturally store their pens vertically in their jacket pockets but this can cause problems depending on your pen type.
We have a dedicated article going over if you should be storing your pens vertically or horizontally that you are able to read if you wish. There are so many pen types on the market that is just makes more sense for us to link you to that article than to go over it again in full in this article.
Many people are often surprised how much of a difference it can make in the amount of ink that your pen will release simply by switching it from being stored vertically to being stored horizontally or visa versa. As this helps to normalise the ink flow of the pen when used, it helps to reduce the chances of the pen bleeding through your paper too.
What Type Of Pen Are You Using?
The actual type of pen can also play a factor in the risk of it bleeding through your paper too. The oil based in in a ballpoint pen usually make them the least likely to bleed through your paper followed by a rollerball pen, then a gel pen, with a fountain pen having so many customisations that it can be high or low risk depending on the nib.
The price of the pen will also come into play as the cheaper pens will always have a lower production quality and increase the chance of them bleeding through your paper. That said though, the more you pay does not always protect you from bleeding as you can get expensive wet writing pens as well as expensive broad and double broad pens too.
When it comes to fountain pens, there are a number of factors that will come into play when looking at their risk of bleeding through their paper. Due to there being so many things to factor in with these, we have a dedicated article on how to stop a fountain pen from bleeding through paper.
Does Your Pen Have A Pull Or Twist Cap?
The final issue with modern pens that may cause them to bleed through your paper is their cap. Although this may sound strange, a pen with a pull cap creates a vacuum for a split second when you remove it pulling more ink out of the nib of the pen.
This in turn applies more ink to your paper when you start to write with it and increases the chance of there being some bleeding. Over time, this can change the writing mechanism in the pen too and cause the pen to constantly release more ink than it should.
To avoid this, try to go with a pull cap that has a hole in the top to prevent the vacuum build up, a twist cap, or a clickable pen without a cap. This will remove this issue all together and prevent it from ever being responsible for your pen ink leaking through your paper.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over how you can stop a pen bleeding through paper to an end. Each of the methods that we have covered above has its place in stopping pen ink from bleeding through your paper and you will have to think of the method that best applies to you.