6

I am left-handed, and when I write, even if I don't use a smudging pen, I always get ink stains on my left hand.

This is because some ink still gets on my hand, as I rub the words while writing the next word and at the end of the day my left-hand is covered in blue ink stains.

Is there a way to stop this?

1
  • @Benjamin i need to write in pen
    – user26899
    Sep 27, 2019 at 17:30

8 Answers 8

5

Most left-handed people I know turn the page at an angle (which differs between individuals) that allows their left hand to slide above or below the line they just wrote. This certainly needs some getting used to, but doesn't seem too unusual, considering one of my right-handed friends writes with the paper lying at a 90° angle to him.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you need to sit and write comfortably. Otherwise you'll get exhaused or cramped up whenever you need to write a lot of text (like during an exam) and in the worst case get back or shoulder pain. Therefore I suggest trying to find a comfortable posture that puts the hand below the written line. I you put your hand above the written line, you have to curl your whole upper body into a kind of spiral that has your writing hand in it's center. I have a friend who managed school like that, but always felt exhausted and stiff after writing long texts.

You should take some time to experiment. Lay the paper at whatever angle you'd like to try and write 2 lines. Then angle the paper to the left or right and repeat the same 2 lines. Have a look at this video at 1:45 minutes. There are many more videos of left-handed calligraphers explaining how they hold the pen and position the paper.

3

The ink winds up on the left edge of your hand, as it moves across the paper. You can put a small piece of paper (like a Post-It) on that edge while you write. I've done this for years and it works well. The Post-It (for example) absorbs any not-quite-dry ink and protects the edge of the hand. Instead of a Post-It, a piece of paper can be taped on pretty easily.

1
  • 1
    I've done this for years, without adhesives: I just placed my hand on a small piece of paper, and my hand would drag this along.
    – Hobbes
    Sep 30, 2019 at 8:51
2

Lateral thinking: use a different pen and/or paper.

There are pens designed for left handers to deal with the smudging problem.
There are also notebooks and paper available that allow ink to dry quickly.

I don't want to promote any particular product: you can do some searching yourself.

1

I have this problem when I use a fountain pen, but not when I use a ballpen or a rollerball. So swapping to a different type of pen might be enough.

0

Use fountain pen, with quick drying ink. Take any cheap good writing fountain pen. Most important thing is to get good ink. I prefer parker ink, but you should try some brands and see what suits for you.

0

Change the angle of your hand so your hand is below the line instead of behind the pen. This will take some practice and a change of handwriting style, but you will no longer have your hand dragging over the ink at all, it will always be on clean paper.

0

Thinking out of the box:

If you are left-handed it is not uncommon if you can do mirror writing. You could buy transparent paper and turn it upside down after writing.

Drawbacks:

  • you can write only on one side of the paper
  • need another white paper underneath for better readability.
0

I use hard papers and put them below my hand so my skin would not touch them.

1

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.