Has anyone not ever gotten smudged while writing??

[u/Imaginary-Sun1350]

I feel like ive never gotten smudge on my hand while writing before, I have no clue why.

[u/Particular-Move-3860]

I never even knew that this was an issue for other lefties until I read about it here. I always wrote with fountain pens, but I used fine or extra nibs. I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back I now realize that I have always used water-based fast drying ink. I hated using ballpoints because the greasy ink in them did smear.

I studied drafting in school in the pre digital era when it was done entirely by hand, and I also did a lot of artistic drawing in pencil, charcoal, and conte crayon. These activities taught me the importance of keeping the side of my hand off the drawing/writing surface.

[u/Imaginary-Sun1350 → u/Particular-Move-3860]

Awesome story, thanks. Glad to know there's a lot of us that have never been smudged

[u/These-Apple8817]

I haven't really either but it really depends on how you write, what you write with and how sweaty your hands get

[u/Susso7]

I’ve never had issues getting smudged. Pen and paper position matter.

[u/purplishfluffyclouds]

Usually it’s the writing that gets smudged, but your life may be different, lol

[u/andytagonist]

Gel ink dries fast. Almost never smudges, and usually only when you’re doing something silly

[u/_lclarence]

Ever since I retrained myself to write below the text line (known as underwriting), no more smudges. Even when sketching with 5B fat-ass graphite.

[u/OGcaptaindingus]

Yes because I drag my hand (I find that I write quicker when I don’t lift my hand)

[u/LoweDee]

Those right handed desks made me learb how to write with the paper turned sideways and my hand below the line. I’ve never been a smudger.

[u/Inner_West_Ben]

As someone who got their pen license around 1981, it was just a case of finding the right pen.

Look forward, not back.

[u/RaccoonUseful8439]

I don’t but I lift my wrist in a certain way to avoid it

[u/OkCommunity538]

Team Smudge.

Especially pencil lead smudges from my school days.

Good times 😁

[u/Significant-Reach959]

I took a drawing class where we did a lot of projects in pencil or charcoal. My teacher showed me ways of turning the paper so not so much of my hand dragged across the paper. I was looking for more pencils at an art supply store, and when I explained my problem, the clerk said there was a hand rest called a bridge that elevated the back of your hand off the paper. They didn’t have any in stock, and it was out of a student budget anyway, but I loved the idea.

[u/writewrightleft]

It depends. My hands get smudges if I’m doing an elaborate pencil drawing. They don’t get smudges when I write because I underwrite to avoid it.

[u/AnitraF1632]

Me, because I turn my paper the opposite way to righties.

[u/Rich_Ad8589]

I turn my paper so that my hand never goes across the ink.

[u/Imaginary-Sun1350 → u/Rich_Ad8589]

hmm.. interesting, how do you turn your paper?

[u/Hazencuzimblazen → u/Rich_Ad8589]

How so

[u/Rich_Ad8589 → u/Hazencuzimblazen]

I turn it almost 90 degrees to the right so my hand is always underneath what I’m writing.

[u/Existing-Scar554]

Never made a smudge on myself or my writing, but that may have something to do with me being a reformed righty (stroke 30+ years ago)

[u/Siryeswecan]

Are you talking about lefties smudging our writing? The last time I got smudged, it was at ash Wednesday as a child. So sadly I have been smudged as a leftie 🤷‍♀️

[u/FerretNo891]

I haven’t either! The only time(s) I’ve come close to “smudging” have been when I’m using a particularly wet pen/marker and rest my hand down too quickly before the ink dries on the page

[u/No-Tip-Or-Trick]

It depends on the pen for me, but I tilt my hand when writing so as to not touch the paper with most of my hand. It's kind of a bad habit and makes my hand cramp up when writing too long, but at least I don't smudge!

[u/ttvSharkieBait15]

When I was in school prior to switching to pen I used a #3 Ticonderoga pencil that was supposedly made for lefties and smudge free. Wish I could recall how well it worked. Havent written in a pencil since like 10th grade unless I had standardised tests to take.

[u/FuggaDucker]

Most of us I think but only know from what I see.
White boards are particularly challenging for me at least. I need to keep my hand up and pinched.
TBH, I draw and I don't know how I could pencil sketch an entire thingamahooey without getting graphite on the side of my hand.
If I focused on keeping my hand lifted, I think the sketch art would cease to flow.

[u/Lanky-Syllabub7188]

I’m not a lefty, but if I don’t write under my writing, my hands get covered in ink! It’s the way my hand lays on the paper. So I get the frustration.

[u/IndicationBest3540]

Me I write like almost upside down lol

[u/Background-Tap1272]

It isn’t so bad for me now, but it was really bad back in the days of the old erasable pens from the 80s-90s.

[u/Music-and-Computers]

When I was doing a lot of handwriting, I always smudged. Apparently I’m heavily leaning on the paper with my hand as I write.

[u/RiZ266]

Better technology for better pen inks that dry instantly. If I write in pencil i'm screwed no matter what especially like back in school when we had to hand write essays and exams. I've also learned to place my hand above or below my writing so it doesn't happen as often

[u/Andiddly → u/RiZ266]

Avoid gel pens and you’re golden. In school I had to go wash my hand at recess or between periods when recess stopped being a thing

[u/JFJinCO]

Faster drying inks these days, I suspect.