Just spent two hours trying to make a straight line with a ruler

Tbh I was setting up my new weekly spread and wanted a clean line down the middle of the page. I kept messing it up because my ruler would slip or my pen would skip, and it took me way longer than it should have. Has anyone found a good trick to keep a ruler from moving on smooth paper?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenixwalker24d ago

My old drafting teacher swore by putting masking tape on the back of a ruler. It gives it just enough grip on slick paper. I see this everywhere now... simple tools failing at their one job. My new tape dispenser won't cut the tape, the scissors are too dull for wrapping paper, and every pen I own skips when I need it most. It feels like the basic stuff is getting worse on purpose.

haydenbutler16d ago

Yeah, I read this whole thing about how the angle you hold the pen makes a huge difference. If you're pushing the pen along instead of pulling it, it's way more likely to skip, especially with a ballpoint. I switched to just dragging the pen toward me and it got a lot smoother. Still, on that super slick planner paper, my ruler slides all over. I've heard of people using that blue sticky tack stuff you use for posters, just little dots on the back. Might be less messy than tape.

sarahburns24d ago

Oh, the tape trick is a lifesaver. But I have to say, I don't agree that the basic tools are getting worse. I've got a thirty-year-old metal ruler that slips just as badly as a new plastic one on glossy paper. The problem is the paper finish, not the tool quality. My new scissors are fantastic, but they're meant for fabric and struggle with thick cardstock. Sometimes we just need the right tool for the specific job.