Using An Ink Blotter
| Field | Writing (General) |
| Went Obsolete | 1960s |
| Made Obsolete By | The Ball-point Pen, Personal Printers |
| Knowledge Assumed | The Use of Ink |
| When useful | Whenever one still uses liquid ink. |
An Ink Blotter is a device that holds blotting paper. Blotting paper is a type of paper or other material which is used to absorb an excess of substance (such as ink or oil) from the surface of an object, to prevent smearing or smudging. The ink blotter was used to absorb the excess ink left on paper or parchment after writing with a quill or fountain pen.
Blotting was needed ever since dipped ink was used. Originally this was done by use of fine sands or salt poured on the wet ink. However salt especially was expensive. Blotting paper is reputed to be first referred to in the English language in the 1400s and ink blotters were a common staple of every desk until the 1960s with the adoption of disposable roller-ball and ball-point pens.