How Much Does Hand Oils Effect Writing?

[Icywolfe]

I never felt my pens skip near the bottom of the paper. But I hear many say hand oils is a major problem to get plastic film and cover the clean parts of the paper. The only thing I've noticed with hand oils was ink dust (I'm calling it that) imprint on the surface as I go over to something I've put down a while ago. But other than that nothing else.

 

Do I just have weird hands or I never noticed hand oils? (I will notice now, I hope. As I bought a smudge guard..... Writing experience must improve I guess?)

[scannon18]

Different hands, different levels of oil. For me I sometimes find that my pen will write weird on certain parts of the page due to oils from my hands, but it depends on a lot of factors. Nowadays I wash my hands quite a bit and usually before a writing session so it's not as common. If you've never noticed it it might not be a problem for you, in which case the smudge guard might be unnecessary.

[Icywolfe]

Different hands, different levels of oil. For me I sometimes find that my pen will write weird on certain parts of the page due to oils from my hands, but it depends on a lot of factors. Nowadays I wash my hands quite a bit and usually before a writing session so it's not as common. If you've never noticed it it might not be a problem for you, in which case the smudge guard might be unnecessary.

Actually was tired of "ink dust" printing so I bought a smudge guard. Not sure if that was by hand oils.

 

Well it can be one of those things of that it harmed you but you never noticed it.

[lurcho]

It took me years to realise how much my palm ruined the bottom of a sheet of paper for ink.

 

Any paper. Though some are far worse than others.

 

And my hands seem very dry.

 

Sometimes I forget this fact and misjudge a pen, an ink, a paper.

 

I've just started using a paper-guard again. After all, Prof Brown nearly always uses his bit of clear plastic for his vids.

[KBeezie]

Depends on the day and paper it seems for me. It's more noticeable with larger sheets of rhodia or similarly smooth paper. Cheaper notebook paper and such tends not to be a problem, likely because it's so absorbent.

 

PS: You ever notice how SbreBrown uses a small glass sheet to rest palm on when doing the writing samples?

Edited November 27, 2014 by KBeezie

[SujiCorp12345]

It's not really noticebable on normal copy paper or HP Laserjet 24lbs paper, but on Rhodia, I feel it. I just use a piece of scrap paper under my palm.

[CraigR]

I use Clairefontaine Triumph paper most often for correspondence. I have a problem with skin oils and skipping if I don't use a shield of some kind. When I use a coarser paper there seems to be fewer problems.

 

The solution was found when I took a drafting class in college. We were taught to use a plastic shield that we moved around the paper as we worked. I adapted the same concept, except with paper, for when I right letters. Similarly, I sometimes use a piece of blotter paper under my hand to shield the writing paper from the oils on my hand.

 

The effect my skin oils have on the paper is to cause skipping when the ink tries to adhere to the paper. Guess it breaks up the capillary effect.

 

Craig

[lmarine0510]

I have never experienced the problem of having my pens skipping near the bottom of the page. Of course, my hands are always chronically dry as is the rest of my skin.

[nakiana]

I often have problems on the lower part of the page, so I use a piece of scrap paper under my hand. I assume the problems occur because I use lotion on my hands and, even if it has been a while since I applied it, some of it transfers to the paper.