How Do I Not Smear Ink?

[circlepattern]

I have always used ballpoints/gell/rollerball/pencils etc. I have recently started on fountain pens, but quickly found out, much to my surprise, that the ink does not dry instantly. I always rub the side of my pinky against my letters, making them smudge as I write out the line underneath the previous line. The only cure I found so far is to turn the paper slightly sideways or do double spacing or to just lift my hand off the paper as I write. All of those postures are either tiring, makes the writing ugly, very uncomfortable to use, or all three. Is there a proper way to use fountain pens?

[jar]

You are holding the pen way too close to the nib.

[circlepattern]

Thanks for the tip, I'll try getting used to holding closer to the middle.

[Luma]

The only other thing I can think of besides holding the pen way too close to the nib, is that you're relying too much on 'finger writing' therefore planting your hand too closely to the writing space in order to use your pinky as a 'leverage point'. Try writing with your arm (wrist+forearm+shoulder) and when necessary with your fingers... Does this make sense? Using this technique IMHO, reduces the stress you're placing on your hand and grip. Good luck.

[circlepattern]

The only other thing I can think of besides holding the pen way too close to the nib, is that you're relying too much on 'finger writing' therefore planting your hand too closely to the writing space in order to use your pinky as a 'leverage point'. Try writing with your arm (wrist+forearm+shoulder) and when necessary with your fingers... Does this make sense? Using this technique IMHO, reduces the stress you're placing on your hand and grip. Good luck.

Wow, never thought of writing as that, might actually make my words more legible. Thanks.

[inkstainedruth]

Another possibility is the ink/nib/paper combination. Some inks just dry more slowly, especially on less porous paper and/or in wetter pens. You may have to invest in blotter paper and even an actual blotter.

Which reminds me -- I've got to find my rocker blotter because some of the current inks I've got in pens dry fairly slowly in my current journal (CR Gibson "Markings" line -- inexpensive and made in China but very FP friendly pages with absolutely no show-through with any ink I've thrown at it so far).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth