How to Erase Ink from Paper (Without Damaging the Page)

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Plus, simple and creative ways to cover ink if it won’t come off

Co-authored by Cleanzen Cleaning Services and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: September 26, 2025 Fact Checked

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Using Household Chemicals

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Rubbing Ink Away

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Covering Up Ink Marks

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Maybe you want to erase that bad grade on the top of your math test, or to remove annotations from the pages of a used book. Perhaps you're an artist using pen and ink, and you need to fix an error in your artwork. Whatever the case, it’s possible to remove most of the ink from a piece of paper with simple household items like rubbing alcohol or a utility knife. In this article, we’ll share the best chemical solvents and eraser tools you can use to remove most, if not all, of your accidental ink spots. We’ll also cover creative ways to cover the ink so your page looks as good as new.

What to Use to Remove Ink from Paper

Apply household solvents like acetone, rubbing alcohol, or brake fluid to the ink with a cotton swab to dissolve and lift it away. Keep another sheet of paper underneath the one you’re working on for the ink to transfer to. If chemicals don’t work, try carefully rubbing the ink off with an ink eraser or razor blade.

Section 1 of 3:

Erasing Ink from Paper with Household Chemicals

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1
Use clear brake fluid to remove pen ink from the sheet of paper easily. Brake fluid can work to remove ballpoint ink from paper.^{[1]
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Research source} Use a pipette or dropper to drop the fluid onto the precise area with ink, then rub the spot with a clean cotton bud or swab. You may have to follow up with an acetone or alcohol wash if the ink isn’t fully gone.
- Apply as little brake fluid (or other solvent) as possible, and add just a bit at a time. Over-saturating the paper can cause it to erode or dissolve.
- Wear gloves to keep harsh solvents off of your skin, and work in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling irritating fumes.
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Use acetone to erase ink. Most nail polish remover is made of acetone, and this can be used to remove ink from paper. Apply a small amount of acetone to a cotton swab, and rub it into the ink you're trying to erase.^{[2]
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- Tip: To make the acetone more effective, place another piece of paper underneath the sheet you’re trying to erase. The ink will dissolve and transfer to the page underneath.^{[3]
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- This works best on regular ballpoint pen ink.
- Blue ink is more easily erased than black ink.
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Try rubbing alcohol to erase ink. Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol is commonly used to remove ink stains. So you can apply it to any paper you're trying to erase the ink from. If you only have a small amount of ink to erase, use a cotton swab or ball and gently rub it over the ink to dissolve it away.^{[4]
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Research source} If you want to erase most of the ink from a page, soak the paper in a small washing tray for 5 minutes.
- Any brand of isopropyl alcohol works for this method. Avoid any rubbing alcohol that contains scents or dyes.
- Make sure you cover any area of the paper you don't want to erase.
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Apply lemon juice to your ink stain. Dip a cotton swab into lemon juice and wipe the wet cotton gently across the inked paper you're trying to erase. Leave the juice on the ink for several minutes to fade the ink away.^{[5]
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- The acid will dissolve the ink, but it may also dissolve the paper. Be gentle, especially when erasing ink from fine paper, and use no more lemon juice than you need to cover the ink spot.
- Heavy-weight paper will stand up to pen erasure more readily than light-weight paper.
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Mix baking soda and water to a thin paste and apply it to the ink. Mix baking soda with just enough water to form a thick paste in a bowl. Use a clean, damp, white cloth to dab your baking soda paste onto the inked paper and let it sit for a few minutes. Then, gently rub the paste into the ink you'd like to erase.^{[6]
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- Allow the paper to dry well. There's no need to rinse the baking soda off. The water will evaporate, and the baking soda will simply fall off the page.
- You might find an old toothbrush useful to carry the paste from the bowl to the page, or to rub it onto the ink.
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Section 2 of 3:

Using Friction to Erase Ink

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1
Use a razor blade or utility knife (like an X-Acto knife) to erase ink. This method works best for ballpoint ink on thicker paper, like cardstock, and should be used only when you need to remove only a few letters. Hold the blade vertically to the paper and rub very gently to scrape away the top paper fibers with ink on them. Do not press the blade very hard, or you’ll pierce the paper.^{[7]
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- This method will create a textured patch of paper where the ink used to be.
- Be extra cautious with thin or fragile paper. If possible, use a gentle solvent before scraping or rubbing thin pages.
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Use a rubber ink eraser. Ink or sand erasers work best on ballpoint ink and are usually made of latex and silica grit to rub the ink away. Just make smooth, short strokes over the ink spot and watch as the mark disappears.^{[8]
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- Gum erasers and rubber erasers work best on pencil (graphite), and are not recommended for pen.
- It's possible to erase some inks using a vinyl eraser, but be careful. This eraser is very rough and can easily rub away the paper itself along with the ink you're erasing.^{[9]
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- Tip: Write with erasable pens to prevent semi-permanent mistakes. Erasable ink is typically blue, not black, and will be identified as “erasable” in its packaging. If you aren't sure whether or not your ink is erasable, try erasing it with an ink eraser to find out.
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Sand the ink off using sandpaper. Use a triple-ought (000) sandpaper and a small sanding block. If the ink removal requires you to manipulate the sandpaper more carefully than a small sanding block (or your fingers) will allow, cut off a small piece of the sandpaper and glue it to the eraser end of a pencil. Carefully rub the inky paper with your sandpaper using small lateral motions.^{[10]
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- Be careful not to press down too hard when rubbing the sandpaper on the inky surface, or may damage the page.
- Blow gently across the page to remove any small pieces of grit, ink, or paper as you work to better see your progress.
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Use a fine-grit grinder to remove ink from paper. A grinder is basically a mechanical application of sandpaper surface that may be able to sand your paper more evenly and easily than you can do it by hand. A Dremel-type mini grinder with a slightly rounded stone grinding head is recommended. Just hold the very edge of the grinder to the ink with a very light touch and let the friction rub the ink away.
- Using a sander is particularly recommended for inky edges on books.
- Warning: A sander is often too rough for a paper's surface, unless the paper is quite strong. Avoid this method unless you’re dealing with extra tough, thick paper.
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Press tape to the ink and tear the tape away. This trick may not work all the time, but it’s a good one to try if the ink is still fresh. Just press a piece of tape (regular, clear office tape will work) onto the ink spot, then peel up a corner and rip the tape away (taking care not to rip the paper). The sticky side of the tape will remove most (if not all) of the ink.^{[11]
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- Some people find it helps to write over the ink you’re trying to remove once the tape is over it. This helps press the tape deeper into the inky fibers to remove them.

Section 3 of 3:

Covering Up Ink Marks

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1
Apply correction fluid. Although correction fluid does not erase ink, it can cover ink as if it were erased. Correction fluid, often known by the brand names "Liquid Paper" or "Wite-Out", is a dense liquid, often white in color, that covers accidental marks or errors on paper. Just use the small, sponge-tipped applicator that comes with the bottle to apply the fluid over the ink.^{[12]
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- Correction fluid may become dry, clogged, or flaky over time, so you may need to thin it out before applying.
- Correction fluid will be wet after applying. Make sure you don't touch the wet fluid to any other surface.
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Cover the ink with correction tape. If you need to erase ink in vertical or horizontal strips, correction tape might be best to cover your errors. One side of the tape is meant to mimic the appearance of paper, and the other is adhesive and sticks to your original paper. Correction tape is usually white, but other colors are available to match your paper. Just hold the applicator tip at about a 45-degree angle and dispense the tape across the ink.^{[13]
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- You'll likely be able to see correction tape on your original page if you look closely.
- If you scan or copy a paper with correction tape on it, the reader may not be able to detect the correction tape.
3
Cover ink spills or slips with more paper. If you want to erase or change a section of an ink drawing, sometimes the easiest solution is to cover it with a small piece of paper. Find a blank paper that matches your original paper, and cut out a section large enough to cover the mistake. Glue the new paper over the mistake. Redraw your artwork or lettering on the restored surface.
- Make sure that the edges of the paper are pressed against the surface, not curled up or bent from the original surface.
- Keep in mind that anyone who looks closely will probably be able to tell that you’ve glued or taped extra paper down.
- If you want to copy or scan it from the original, it may be more difficult to notice your correction.
4
Camouflage your spilled ink by writing or designing over it. If you are working in pen or ink and make a mistake or spill some ink, your first thought might be to erase the mistake. If none of the above methods are practical for your spilled ink, you might try camouflaging your error by adding more elements to your artwork, such as a background design or color.
- Using an opaque color over the ink can also hide the error.
- If you've accidentally drawn outside your original design, consider adding ornamentation to your design. If you do this well, it will look like you intended to draw it this way from the beginning!
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Trace the page and start again. Of course, this isn't erasing the ink, but it’s a way to preserve your artwork (minus the accidental ink). If none of the above methods work for erasing ink from your page, lay a fresh page on top of your original. Trace the entire paper, leaving out the part you'd like to erase.
- This method is intensive, but if you're working on a pen and ink artwork, it may be the best way to go (especially if you’re working on a piece for a client who may notice the spot where you tried to remove ink with other methods).
- Correcting your page this way results in a brand new page, as if the mistake never happened!

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How do I erase pen ink from paper without damaging the paper?

Soham Barman

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If you're trying to remove ink from the pages of a book, remember that ink removal method you use may result in damage to the page. Find a discreet section of your book and test your ink removal method on it before applying to larger area.

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How do you remove gel pen ink from paper?

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If you use nail polish remover on a cotton ball and don't use a lot, it works very well.

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Will acetone work for black gel ink?

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It will only work for the black printer ink. It doesn't work for the ink gel pen.

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Tips

If you're worried about someone erasing ink from your check (check washing), use gel pens. The ink erasing methods above rarely work with gel ink.^{[14]
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Fresh ink is easier to remove or erase than dried, old ink.

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If your document is very important or precious, like a holy text or legal document, consider consulting a professional conservator for guidance before trying a home hack that could potentially damage your paper.

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Warnings

Remember that it's illegal to erase information from a check.^{[15]
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If you're trying to remove ink from the pages of a book, remember that the ink removal method you use may result in damage to the page. Find a discreet section of your book and test your ink removal method on it before applying it to a larger area.

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