Tuesday, November 1

Gel Pens and Postcards: A Modern Tragedy

I sigh with anticipation when I open my post office box.  I love to peer in and see all the pretty mail and postcards that people send.  I finger them and absorb both sides with my eyes rapidly moving from left to right.  Then I spy tragedy
A gel pen that has encountered moisture in transit!
My dear friends, gel pens bleed with any moisture and can smear on most glossy papers.    I love them as much as the next gal, but I try to use the pretty pens on the interior only.  A lesson learned the hard way.

 So remember, friends do not let friends use gel pens on postcards and address labels.

This public service announcement brought to you by B.

7 comments:

  1. Funny! I love my fountain pen but I don't use it on envelopes for the same reason.

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  2. I use Pilot Gel Ink Envelope Address Writing for postcards and envelopes. I don't think I've ever had any trouble with it smearing. I have picked up other pens and used them for addresses, and then realize what I've done after the fact. It always ends in tears.

    As for fountain pens, I have one pen that I keep filled with Noodler's Heart of Darkness black ink and that ink is very water resistant. It is only bad on the very slipperiest postcards.

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  3. Good comments on this somewhat serious topic! I got a postcrossing the other day from Taiwan and the back was a smear because of the pen. Now that was truly sad!

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  4. Thanks for the Public Service Announcement! Too funny

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  5. I think it depends on the gel pen. Usually archival/fraud-proof pens won't bleed or run if they get water on them but I suppose some kinds of paper may make them less fraud-proof. ~ Jan

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  6. Hi Becks!

    Gel pens and fineliners are such great, dependable pens to write with that I think people just plain forget how undependable they are when they come in contact with water.

    P.S. I've had a some post not arriving of late, and I was wondering if this letter:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juanita_therecanbeonlyjuan/6080040886/in/set-72157627059851761/

    I sent to you on 22 August ever arrived?

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  7. Fineliners are even worse I think. Once there were heavy rains and the water got into my mailbox. A letter that my friend wrote with fineliner got totally blurred. She had to rewrite it because I couldn't read a single letter of it:(

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