What’s the best: Correction tape vs fluid vs white out pen

by Greg Jameson | 2 comments

Every time I make a mistake/typo on my PC, I hit the Back button and bam!, I’m set.

Unfortunately, real life doesn’t work like that. Paper and pens are a fickle mistress! Get things wrong and you’ll need to correct them – timely and as neatly as possible.

Usually, you have 3 choices: a correction tape, a correction fluid (white out), or a correction pen.

Out of these, a reliable correction tape like the Tombow Mono is what I prefer, definitely. This method of correcting is easy to apply, not messy for my hands, and dries out pretty fast:

Correction tapes are definitely my most preferred way to deal with mistakes on paper.

However, there are a few pros and cons to both products.

I thought I’d do a general overview of the whole best white out vs correction tape debate, with some correction pen facts thrown in too.

3 reasons to prefer correction tape

I’m one of those people.

You know, the my-hands-are-always-a-bit-unsteady type. As you can guess, every time I worked with correction fluid, things would get a bit clumsy and messy.

Correction tape is easy to apply and gives precision. Even if your hands shake a little bit, it’ll go wherever you want it to without any fuss.

It also dries up way faster. Like, really quickly compared to most correction pens or white outs. Not to mention the lack of such a strong smell and lumpiness.

And when it does, it looks neater. (Honestly, it looks more clean while being dispensed too.)

Last but not least, if you’re a fan of minimizing waste like me…A lot of the white out tapes are refillable! Just load the new batch of tape into the dispenser and you’re done.

The downsides?

It’s not that good for smaller scripts or narrower lines.

The surface of the tape is a bit bigger than the way white out gets applied on paper. If you’re working with tiny fonts, or more circular letters, it might botch it up a bit.

Also, sometimes the paper can get scrunched up so you have to re-align it.

Best correction tape recommendations?

Honestly, most of the white correction tapes out there are alright.

The Big 2 are Bic’s Wite Out or Tombow’s Mono Hybrid correction tape. In my case, I prefer the Tombow as it’s provided me with more consistent coverage and the tape stays on track better than the Bic.

I also like green and it’s green, so…

Click on the image above for pricing info

The top reason to prefer correction fluid

It’s versatile. That’s really it.

I mean, tape is neat and amazing, but as I mentioned, with some types of documents or scripts it might feel clumsy. The bigger surface is to blame for that.

Correction fluid fits all types of scripts or documents. You also don’t need to “fix” it, unlike the (rare) occasions when correction tape scrunches up. It’s a fluid applied by a brush, after all!

The downsides?

It takes significantly more time for it to dry. Yes, even the more advanced white outs that spread around all their marketing hype.

As I mentioned, if your hands are unsteady like mine, you can also create a white out mess in no time.

Last but not least, it smells quite strong and can lump/appear gunky at one point. It really depends on the brand, yes. But all white out fluids I’ve used until now have gotten like this at some point.

Which means that sometimes you have to grab a bottle of thinner too. Definitely a bit more inconvenient…

Best white out (correction fluid) recommendations?

It’s all about Liquid Paper vs Bic’s Wite Out here. People side with both giants in this correction arena and it’s understandable. Both are good products.

That said, back in the day before I made the change to tapes, I preferred Liquid Paper. Its brush is a bit better in applying the fluid, in my opinion.

Liquid Paper vs Wite Out: both are good, but I prefer the Liquid Paper correction fluid!

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In terms of the correction liquid itself, no significant differences. Both dry out OK (for a liquid type) and are of similar viscosity.

The cap of Liquid Paper is a bit bigger and rugged, but I’ve had no issues with this.

Making fluid application easier: white out pens

A long time ago, all we had was correction fluid and the applicator brush.

Luckily, we’re progressing – yes, even in this regard too, so there are quite a few correction pens out there too.

Generally speaking, they provide you with the benefits of the fluid…but without all the messiness or spilling.

Some people might say they feel uncomfortable or bulkier compared to the brush. Probably…but we already use pens anyways, right? Why not do the same when correcting stuff?

Unlike their so-so tapes and liquids, I’ve actually had only amazing experiences with Bic’s Shake ‘N Squeeze correction pens.

Click on the image above for pricing info

Perfect for those times when you need to step away from the rectangular correction tapes!

Back to you now, guys and girls!

Which one do you prefer? What are your experiences? Let me know in the comments, it’ll be interesting to discuss this!

Also, related to the at-the-office vibe of this post, check out my thoughts on dry erase boards!

Ex-digital nomad, DIY enthusiast and an appreciator of cozy foot wear. Always ready to give lifestyle tips for men. Tea, not coffee is my fuel for writing.

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