One of the most common tools we use to cover up our writing errors is correction tape. But what if you need to erase that tape on paper?
You might be thinking, “How can I remove correction tape from paper without damaging it?”
Though this seems to be quite impossible, there are ways of removing white-out tape from paper. You can easily erase liquid paper using a pen or pencil eraser and acetone.
In this article, you’ll get to know about the ways in detail how you can remove the correction tape from paper and reveal your hidden mistakes.
Why were Correction Tapes Invented?
To understand how we can remove white-out tapes, we must know what they are made of and why they were created.
In 1951, Betty Nesmith Graham invented the correction fluid to cover the errors while typing. It was when typewriters were first invented, and the writers made lots of mistakes while typing. So, in need of covering those mistakes, correction fluid was developed. [source]
However, back then, the liquid fluid was proved to be toxic due to its harmful chemicals.
That’s why in this modern era, using that same formula, liquid papers are being produced. These are commonly known as white-out tape or correction tape. But these are non-toxic, and there are no harmful chemicals in them.
What is Correction Tape Made of?
Correction tapes or white-out tapes are generally made with a thin layer of vinyl acetate polymer material on an adhesive base coated with silicone or rubber particles for better adhesion. These things create a permanent bond between each other.
How Does Correction Tape Work?
Correction tape is mainly a tear-resistant adhesive made of liquid paper. It comes in a wound coated with a spool.
A tape dispenser holds this liquid paper. When you want to use it over the area needed to hide, you have to press the tip slightly against the surface and slide it. There remains a hole in front of the dispenser.
Then the tape comes out from the coating and sticks to the paper. How much the carrier moves, the tape rolls that much and supplies liquid paper.
Ways to Remove Correction Tape from Paper
Correction tape is a handy tool to cover up mistakes while writing. Sometimes, you may need to erase that correction tape from paper to reveal the concealed errors.
However, the technique of removing white-out tape from paper can vary depending on how and which type of paper it was used. Some people also think it to be impossible to remove.
Still, I’m mentioning two methods here that I’ve used, and yes, it works!
Method 1: Pen or Pencil Eraser
The rubber-made erasers found on the backside of a pen or pencil works really great for this purpose. The reason is, they are made of soft rubbers and don’t do any harm to the paper.
It was back when I was planning for a trip on my planner, and some things need to be erased off. Then I simply used the BIC Wite-Out Tape to conceal them. And just after two days of this incident, I badly needed to recover those writings that I concealed with tape.
But then I was at a loss as I couldn’t find any proper solution to remove correction fluid stains. After searching the internet for so many hours, I found nothing. And most of the specialists were saying that it’s almost impossible to remove.
Suddenly, my eyes go over the FriXion Pen that I was using for writing. In fact, not on the pen; it’s on the eraser back of the pen. Then I thought to myself, what if I use that pen eraser to remove ink?
As soon as I start to apply the Frixion Pen eraser over the white-out tape, it works magically as a stain remover. And after a few minutes of rubbing, all the mess got fixed. Since the tape is a glue-type material, you must need to be careful enough.
Method 2: Using Acetone
Another one of the best solutions is using acetone to remove correction tape from paper. Acetone can remove white-out tapes and even ballpoint pen ink stains too! And most of the nail polish remover contains acetone, so that they will work too.
First, you have to place a paper towel on top, and underneath the mistake, you want to erase and put your thumb over it. Then hold the flat edge of that paper towel with one hand while taking the acetone bottle in another hand.
After that, take a cotton swab and soak up some liquid from this container. You can also squeeze out a little bit onto the correction fluid stain around your thumb.
You have to keep holding both pieces tightly together, so they don’t get separated from each other after applying pressure. Then use a cotton swab or cotton ball to dab the acetone into the thin coat of white-out tape you want to get rid of.
You have to keep rubbing the surface and make sure that there is no more visible white-out stain on the paper. Then leave it for an hour before eradicating any correction pens residues completely. You can take the help of a paper towel in this regard.
And lastly, before putting them back in place, each page hold up against strong light so that they could get dry uniformly without any residue left behind.
Thankfully, you can also remove correction fluid ink stains from clothes using acetone-based nail polish remover and rubbing alcohol. Even it helps to erase highlighter marker ink from paper.
Warning ⚠️
I’ve used both of the methods on magazine quality paper, and they were all okay. Even high-quality planner paper won’t get any damage from them.
But I’m actually not sure if other pencil or pen eraser and nail polish remover would work in cheap quality paper or not.
So, it’s always better to check acetone-based nail polish remover and pencil eraser in an inconspicuous area to test whether it does any harm to the paper or not.
Another thing is that you have to wait until the tape is dry completely. Though most of the tape forms dry immediately, some brands take time to dry.
Some people have got this wet and wipe method helpful. But it may damage cheap quality documents. So use it at your own risk!
FAQ
Q: Do white-out tape and correction tape are the same?
Both white-out tape and correction tape are the same in nature. The ingredients used in their manufacturing process are also the same. The only difference between them is their name. Some people call it white-out tape and others call it correction tape; that’s it.
Q: What happens if you eat white-out tape? Really!
Luckily, eating a small part of white-out tape won’t kill you. But eating a lot of it can cause serious health issues like skin irritation, fainting, low blood pressure, headache, memory loss, etc.
The reason for having these issues is swallowing the chemical ingredients in it, mainly Titanium Oxide.
Q: How do you remove correction fluid from a table?
If the work surface or table is made of wood, there is an easier way to remove ink. You only need a dull knife and some soapy water.
First, scrape off the dried fluid as much as you can with the dull knife. And while scraping off, make sure to take it slow.
Then use warm water and liquid soap to make a solvent. To erase ink, spray it over the stain and rub the stained area using a brush. Be careful enough while doing this process, as you shouldn’t rub so hard.
Finally, rinse the area with clean water and wet it out using a clean cloth.
Q: How do you remove correction fluid from plastic?
For removing correction fluid stain from plastic, you can use rubbing alcohol without any issue. Just take a cotton ball, pour some rubbing alcohol on it and wipe over the area to remove the ink. It also removes correction fluid stains from carpets.
Final Thoughts
After reading this article, you should figure out how to remove white-out tape from paper without damaging it. Always test on a small area first before applying any method over the tape. The most important thing is not to panic and act with caution when removing correction tape from paper.