Fountain Pen Friendly Sticky Notes

[mberman14]

I use wet and flexy pens. Has anyone ever found a brand of sticky notes that will work?

[RLTodd]

FWIW

 

I bought a package of the Walmart / Sams Club variety a couple of years ago and they were. (I don't use many, so they last.)

 

Caveat, I have no idea if they are still using the same O.E.M. supplier (obviously Walmart doesn't own a paper mill) and purchase order specifications.

[Mags]

I use the standard 3m lined post it notes.

[Plume145]

Disclaimer: I don't know the first thing about flexy nibs.

 

BUT, I do like wet(ish) nibs, so my experience may be useful, still.

 

I went through the last couple years of HS and the first couple after using sticky notes exclusively when it came to staying organized AND a lot of notes inside books. I had a good-enough experience with a european brand of office supplies called Q-Connect (but this was years ago so they may have changed) - they were cheaper than everything else, and that was important because I went through a lot. What I also used, mainly at uni and beyond right up until a year ago or thereabouts, is Post-it Notes, especially the Super-Sticky varieties. All were smooth and easy to write on. Not perfect, but a good deal better than even most non-sticky writing paper out there, so not bad at all. So these are definitely my top recommendation - they are smoother than the regular post-its, for some reason :-)

 

I've found that one thing that seems to play a big part is how well they've done with the glue. If a lot of it stays on the sheet below, then ink won't lay down properly and it might even gunk up your nib a bit (nothing a careful wipe-down with some lint-free cloth won't cure, but still, gross). This is true of any wet ink, but even more so with FP ink. Another trait of this, however, is that on the whole the notes with crummy glue also have significantly reduced sticking power, so you likely won't want to use them anyway ;-)

 

good luck!

[mberman14]

Yes, Post-Its are what I have, and they feather with all of my pens except the regular nibs, such as the Safari and Rotring. Alas, maybe what I'm looking for doesn't exist.

[Plume145]

The only other solution I can think of is a round-about trick of using non-permanent adhesive on the back of a piece of paper that plays nice with your nibs. One option is some non-permanent tape (like the blue stuff by Scotch) which unfortunately requires you to also have scissors around so it's not terribly handy or portable, and the other is to use temporary adhesive in a tape runner - the kind often used for papercrafts and the like. Like this sort of thing. Much less portable or quick to use than ready-made sticky notes, but it might work for lighter use. Glue dots would work too, as long as you look for the non-permanent type; it would also be a good idea to pay attention to the container they come in; one of those roll-style dispenser cartons may be quicker and less fiddly to use than a sheet of glue dots, but the sheet will be more compact.

 

Your paper will likely be in larger sheets than you want, like a4 or a5 - too big for a sticky. So maybe you will need to have it cut down to sticky-sized dimensions at the copy shop. Then if you have the time and inclination, you could use some padding compound or liquid glue on one side to turn it into a pad, so the stack stays together before use (might be worth doing if you need to use these away from your main work area).

 

Anyway, I know it's not a great solution or anything! But it's the best I can think of. For myself, I solved the problem of less than ideal sticky note paper by drastically reducing my use of them. Now that I only use them for a bit of labeling here and there, it doesn't bother me that I can't always use a FP on them - it's fine to use a Sharpie or something. It wasn't that easy given I'd relied on them quite a bit, but I can't say I regret it - it's nice not to always be using boring, utilitarian paper for every note. And I certainly don't miss the visual clutter of little bits of loud-colored paper fluttering all over my workspace and beyond!

[DanF]

I remember reading that the Martha Stewart post it type notes at either Staples or Home Depot (think it's the former) are FP friendly but more expensive.

 

Dan

[mberman14]

That's brilliant, thanks! Not only solves the FP problem, but also allows me to print sticky notes on my printer, which is something I've been wanting to do. I'll check it out.

 

The only other solution I can think of is a round-about trick of using non-permanent adhesive on the back of a piece of paper that plays nice with your nibs. One option is some non-permanent tape (like the blue stuff by Scotch) which unfortunately requires you to also have scissors around so it's not terribly handy or portable, and the other is to use temporary adhesive in a tape runner - the kind often used for papercrafts and the like. Like this sort of thing. Much less portable or quick to use than ready-made sticky notes, but it might work for lighter use. Glue dots would work too, as long as you look for the non-permanent type; it would also be a good idea to pay attention to the container they come in; one of those roll-style dispenser cartons may be quicker and less fiddly to use than a sheet of glue dots, but the sheet will be more compact.

 

Your paper will likely be in larger sheets than you want, like a4 or a5 - too big for a sticky. So maybe you will need to have it cut down to sticky-sized dimensions at the copy shop. Then if you have the time and inclination, you could use some padding compound or liquid glue on one side to turn it into a pad, so the stack stays together before use (might be worth doing if you need to use these away from your main work area).

 

Anyway, I know it's not a great solution or anything! But it's the best I can think of. For myself, I solved the problem of less than ideal sticky note paper by drastically reducing my use of them. Now that I only use them for a bit of labeling here and there, it doesn't bother me that I can't always use a FP on them - it's fine to use a Sharpie or something. It wasn't that easy given I'd relied on them quite a bit, but I can't say I regret it - it's nice not to always be using boring, utilitarian paper for every note. And I certainly don't miss the visual clutter of little bits of loud-colored paper fluttering all over my workspace and beyond!

[wallylynn]

That's brilliant, thanks! Not only solves the FP problem, but also allows me to print sticky notes on my printer, which is something I've been wanting to do. I'll check it out.

 

The only other solution I can think of is a round-about trick of using non-permanent adhesive on the back of a piece of paper that plays nice with your nibs. One option is some non-permanent tape (like the blue stuff by Scotch) which unfortunately requires you to also have scissors around so it's not terribly handy or portable, and the other is to use temporary adhesive in a tape runner - the kind often used for papercrafts and the like. Like this sort of thing. Much less portable or quick to use than ready-made sticky notes, but it might work for lighter use. Glue dots would work too, as long as you look for the non-permanent type; it would also be a good idea to pay attention to the container they come in; one of those roll-style dispenser cartons may be quicker and less fiddly to use than a sheet of glue dots, but the sheet will be more compact.

 

I don't know if they still make it, but I have a post-it note glue stick that I bought over a decade ago. Still works, didn't dry and shrivel up like regular glue sticks. Just swipe the back of the paper like any ol' glue stick, wait a bit to dry, and stick away. If you don't give it that bit of dry time, the glue doesn't know which surface it should stick to and which not to.

[Plume145]

That's brilliant, thanks! Not only solves the FP problem, but also allows me to print sticky notes on my printer, which is something I've been wanting to do. I'll check it out.

 

It is? Wow, I'm so glad! I really didn't think it was all that hot, I only posted because there didn't seem to be many options, so I'm right happy to hear it works for you!

 

I don't know if they still make it, but I have a post-it note glue stick that I bought over a decade ago. Still works, didn't dry and shrivel up like regular glue sticks. Just swipe the back of the paper like any ol' glue stick, wait a bit to dry, and stick away. If you don't give it that bit of dry time, the glue doesn't know which surface it should stick to and which not to.

 

I don't remember ever seeing this glue stick, BUT I do know of an adhesive other than the roller-style and the glue dots I mentioned above, which works in a manner similar to what you describe. It's a fluid adhesive that is pretty runny and comes in pens of different sizes, from a thin tip like a rollerball to chunky felt tips like on a thick marker (the range depends on the brand too; the most commonly available is probably Zig, but I've heard the Tombow offering is even better). I have mainly seen them sold to crafters, particularly paper crafters such as scrapbookers and card-makers, rather than as office supplies.

 

You squeeze or shake the pen, then press it on the paper and a milky colored fluid trickles out. The trick is the bond these things offer is BOTH permanent and temporary, depending on how you time it. If you position it while the glue is fresh (which is when the liquid is colored) the bond is permanent. If you wait til the fluid turns clear before slapping it down, then the bond is temporary (it's so the paper-crafters can position photos and other elements to arrange for best effect before gluing them down for good).

 

As you can imagine, it can be a bit fiddly hehe. That's why I didn't suggest it to mberman - it seems a little too far removed from the convenience of the sticky note. But if you use them very rarely mberman, it could work! And it fits better in a pencil case than either the roller or the glue dots. Actually, this double-bond thing is pretty fun in its own right, so if you ever get a chance to try one of these glue pens it could be interesting if you're at all into playing around with office supplies

[Pentulant]

I did some testing....

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8359/8384544697_23e0f8552e_c.jpg

 

-the "glue line" didn't interfere on either Post-It (even the Super Sticky ones) or Avery

-the smear tests are after 10 seconds - probably even longer on that MB Winter Glow with the Avery

-if ghosting is a concern (don't know why it would be), Avery does the best

-Habanero is written with a Lamy Safari Broad

-Blue Eel and Gold are with Lamy Safari Medium (you can see some skipping - I don't get this on other papers I use)

-Winter Glow is written with a MB Boheme Medium

 

Biggest surprise? I had to go take care of some things before I get this little experiment complete. When I came back 20 minutes later and pressed the Avery to my sheet of paper (Clariefontaine 90gsm), I was shocked to see so much smudging.

 

The flags - I didn't expect either of those to work. The Avery is definitely the better choice as the Post-It turned into a hot mess - but at least it dried.

 

Bottom line? I love me some Post-It Notes :clap1: