One of the most common problems of gel pens is skipping. When this happens, it will be hard to make a consistent line on the paper. As a result, your writing, as well as your focus, will be ruined. So, how to fix a gel pen that skips?
There are many ways you can do to make your gel pen works again. But before going to the strategies of restoration, let us talk first the reasons why gel pens skip.
The common cause of gel pens to skip when writing is the presence of water inside the pen structure. This usually occurs when a gel pen is soaked in the water.
Gel pens are commonly carried in the pocket. Unfortunately, sometimes a user forgets to pull out the pen from the pocket during washing. As a result, the gel pen left soaked in the water.
The other reason for skipping is a long time of not being used. Because gel pens are water-based they could dry resulting in inconsistent ink flow. In some cases, gel pens totally don’t work anymore.
These are just some of the reasons why a gel pen skips. There are other circumstances that could ruin your gel pen that is not included in this post. The good news is that you can restore your gel pen and make it works again.
In this post, we will share with you some of the quick techniques you can use to fix your skipping gel pen. We hope that this will help you.
Tips on how to fix a gel pen that skips
1. Use hot water to dissolve the blocking dried ink
One of the reasons why a gel pen tends to skip is the dried ink that blocks the ink flow down to the nib. The result is an inconsistent mark on the paper.
One way to solve this problem is by soaking the nib of the gel pen in the hot water. Let the tip of the gel pen soak for 20-30 seconds. This should dislodge the blocking hardened ink.
We tried this technique several times. If the hardened ink is really the cause of skipping, your gel pen should work after doing this. If not, then there must be other causes.
2. Tap the ink cartridge on the edge of the table
Sometimes a gel pen skips because of the air gap inside the ink tube. The air inside the cartridge prevents the ink from flowing. As a result, your gel pen skips.
If you spot an air gap inside the cartridge, pull the cartridge out of its casing. Hold the opposite end (not the nib) then lightly tap the cartridge on the edge of the table or something. Make sure that the tip is pointing downward.
But do not hit the cartridge hard because the nib may explode and so the ink. Do it until you see some progress. Keep your eyes on the air gap. Stop as the gap disappears.
The try to write on a scratch paper. See if the ink flows smoothly as it should.
3. Pull the tip from the cartridge
If a gel pen skips without having an air bubble in its cartridge, then the problem that causes the skips is not the air gap. It must be at the tip.
The best solution in this instance is to unscrew the tip and wash it with water. Make sure that you clean it. Then dry it using a clean cloth to retrieve all the water and remaining dried ink.
After having everything set, I joined the nib and the cartridge again. Apply technique number two to aid the ink to flow down to the nib. Or shake the cartridge to push the ink downward.
Once the ink reaches the tip, it must write on the paper. It must be able to write without skipping.
Additional tips
Gel pens are known for their smooth writing performance. This characteristic makes people fall in love with gel pens including us here at The Ballpoint Pens.
However, gel pens are delicate and fragile that could easily stop working if you don’t secure them. If you are using one, our helpful tip for you is to store your gel pen downward with the nib down.
Storing a gel pen this way prevents the ink from drying that in turn causes the skips.
Secondly, avoid your gel pens from falling on the ground. The impact may greatly affect the gel pen’s functionality. It can cause an air gap and clogging that could cause skipping.
Lastly, do not tap the tip of your gel pen on the hard surface. It could cause ink clogging in the tip. Following the second step discussed above can be a good choice.
There you go. You have our tips on how to fix a gel pen that skips. We hope that these simple tips will help you take care of your gel pens.
Just like physical health, prevention is better than cure. Having said that, the precautionary techniques shared in this post could also help to prevent the common problems of gel pens from happening.
