gel pens

I'v had some that have a little plasit tip on the end that you need to take off. Sometimes I have to shake mine up really well to make it work.

HI.

Roll the pen back and forth between your hands like you are rolling playdoh into a snake.

Do it for a few seconds and then roll the pen part on a piece of scrap paper. You can also run the ball bering part under warm water to loosen up the gook that got stuck.

If all else fails, send it back to the manufacturer with a complaint letter. They usually will send you another pen in replacement.

HTH, Kate

Sometimes they just don't work - I think that means there's something wrong with the ball... in that case I just toss them out because they're such a cheap item that I can't be bothered with the hassle of returning them. Generally once you can get that ink flowing smoothly it keeps on working...

Shake the pen vertically, roll it in your hands and try running it over the paper tilted to different angles. Hopefully one of these will work! Also check if it's got a tiny little plastic ball over the tip - if it does pull it off :)

Are all gel pens acid free?

I don't know... but I think they are. I know I've seen a lot that declare themselves acid-free, even from the dollar store. I don't think I'm using enough ink to worry about it - plus you're not actually writing on the photo...

Thanks everyone on the suggestions. Going to try them.