This year I’ve been using the Clever Fox planner, and I love it! I was worried I wouldn’t like an undated planner, but it hasn’t been a problem at all filling in the dates. As a reminder, the left side pages are daily…
… and the right side has room for all sorts of things- I’m still figuring out how to use all this space.
It was all going so well, until a few days ago I noticed something strange. On the outer sides of the pages, about a third of the way down the page, the writing has DISAPPEARED.
It’s like that on every single page.
As you can see, the top portion of the pages are okay, as well as the writing further towards the center. WHAT HAPPENED?
I have several half-baked theories, none of which really make sense:
1). I used erasable pens. But “erasable ink” is not the same as “disappearing ink.” Plus, it’s actually kind of hard to erase this ink- you really have to work at it. It doesn’t come off easily. Also, why would it only be on part of the page?
2) I left my planner in the car and the heat damaged it. But again, why would ink have disappeared from only part of each page???
3) Something spilled on that part of my planner. But I’m pretty sure I would remember spilling something all over my planner- it would be a pretty major spill since all the pages are affected. Also, there’s no sign of water damage.
I’m baffled. And seriously, this is not okay! I mean I guess I could practice letting go, and treat my planner as a big sand mandala (as Nicole talked about in her recent post) but I’d rather not. When I write something down I’d like it to stay there.
Does anyone have any ideas about this? I would love to have an explanation, because right now I feel like I’m living in an episode of the Twilight Zone.
Please tell me your thoughts!
28 Responses
It probably IS due to the heat but not sure why just the edges. Frixion erases from heat. Try popping your planner in the refrigerator/freezer!
OOOH! Okay I’ll try it!
Could you h ave leaned an arm on that side? Would a warm body part pick up the ink?
Maybe a cat rubbed up against it?
Aot there was a flaw in the manufacturing process and some of the pages have an issue on that side?
But probably the heat.
That’s kind of what I’m trying to figure out- if it’s a flaw in the manufacturing process then I don’t want to get this planner again! But I’ll go with the heat theory for now.
I’m guessing it’s a combo of the heat + pen. I defer to SHU for my pen recs and LOVE the Juice Up ones. That’s my go-to for use in a planner.
I love seeing how people make a planner “their own” and this one seems perfect for you… so long as what you record in it stays!!!
I guess I’ll definitely stop using these pens! And I’ll stop leaving my planner in the car.
Are you a lefty and somehow rubbed that area while writing and erased it a bit or if you had lotion or sunscreen on it rubbed off a bit and then coupled with the heat it reacted with the pen and faded it? This could have happened if you’re a righty too but I think is much more likely if you’re a lefty based on watching my dad, husband, and son who are lefties.
Nope, not a lefty! But I know what you mean- my son is s lefty and I used to get him special smudge-proof pens.
That is so strange! But yes, it must be something about the heat and how the paper reacts to it… I first thought it was only the grey areas where you put the dates and it could be something with the grey print.
Also… funny you post about planners the day after I sat half the day planning how to design my own fitness planner!
I want to hear more about this DIY fitness planner! And… it wasn’t just the gray areas. But it must have something to do with the heat.
Wow, that is so weird. What the what. I have no idea!
I do like your “shoes for god’s sake” just above “colonoscopy!”
Ha, the shoes and colonoscopy are two things that have been on my to-do list for a month. I keep not doing them and migrating them to the next week. The colonoscopy is supposed to be done this summer, but that won’t happen if I don’t schedule it!
This is so strange! I’m guessing it’s from the heat and something about how the edge of the paper was flawed in the manufacturing process? Or maybe you’ve come across the secret to disappearing ink haha!
Yes, why don’t I embrace this and make some kind of a secret code… no. I just want the writing to stay on my darn planner!!!
Well that is extremely odd! I imagine it has to be from heat or friction or something? I use gel pens so I don’t think they could disappear like that but maybe I am wrong! How bizarre!
It IS bizarre! This is an erasable gel pen, so that’s a little suspect. Still- writing from erasable pens isn’t supposed to just disappear!!! Normally I have to scrub pretty hard to erase something. SIGH.
Those Frixion pens are terrible. The combo of the pen + the heat probably did this. Switch pens for sure!
(Foxy’s birthday!)
You’re a genius! It was Foxy’s birthday!!!
Let us know if a pen switch helps. Happy birthday Foxy!
I will let you know. And his birthday was Valentine’s Day (not that you could tell what date it was, since that had also disappeared.)
I say go digital an app on your phone.
Well, that would solve the problem- but I love my paper planner! Well, until this happened.
Argh!!!! How frustrating and how strange. I mean, if you can’t trust pen and paper what can you trust?
I know. Pen and paper should be permanent!
I use both the frixxon pens and the this exact planner. If that part of the planner was in the sun and the rest was in the shade, the sun would have warmed that area more and the ink will disappear. Popping your planner in the freezer should bring the ink back. The only downside is if something was erased and you wrote over it, the previously erased things will also reappear.
Nicole, you and Karen were right. Update coming tomorrow…
Ok, I go the other direction and inquire about the quality of the paper in this planner, because sometimes it‘s the combo of some sort of coated paper and the particular pen that you used. I had that happen before. Does it happen only with a specific pen?
This is a mystery to me. My best guess is a cat licked the page. Joking – mostly.,