Quilters wrote articles noting that if the marks reappeared in the cold, it was because the quilter did not thoroughly steam the marks. This simply is not the case. The ink combination used in the pens has two parts-one part makes the mark and one part makes the mark disappear. There is still ink left on your quilt after steaming, you just can’t see it. The ink is still there and will reappear in the cold.

I know of a person who filled out some paperwork with a Frixion pen, and gave the papers to someone else. Of course she left them in a hot car, not knowing what could happen. Oh no! It’s blank! So the author re-wrote the paper, not knowing that the freezer would solve this issue. I do think we need to continue to pass the word about the “hazards” of using these pens. I have since used it successfully to remove ink stains and marks both old & new from many different fabrics.The marks will reappear if the quilt gets cold (anything below freezing I think-I did not confirm the specific temperature) unless the mark is completely removed with an ink remover. Even after a thorough steam of the marks, they will reappear in the cold. This is part of the inherent chemistry of the ink combination. The PILOT company is strongly committed to preserving the environment. Frixion erasable pens are made with a minimum of 50% recycled plastic (except for consumables), and are refillable for more economical, long-lasting use.

Although the majority of people tend to want to know about the thermo-sensitive ink technology, the actual ink delivery system is also important when it comes to how your pen works. The highlighter and fineliner variants of the pens use the standard felt transfer system where the ink in the pens ink cylinder is drawn to the felt nib and in turn transfered to your paper when pressure is applied.

That said though, we have noticed more and more people wanting to use their Frixion pen on fabric with a few wanting to use it on wood and this is where it becomes important to know how the pen works. Although the regular pens do work with fabric, the Fineliner or the Highlighters tend to be a better option for getting the Frixion ink onto any fabric with decent detail while retaining the erasable properties of the ink.

So while the ability to erase is nice, it’s not really always a good idea to use the pens, depending on what you intend to do with that piece of paper!Thank you, all, for your thoughts and sharing your experiences. Many quilts take a significant amount of time, the cost of the materials can also be significant. Each of us must decide whether the risk is worth the use of the Frixion pen or other chemically-based products.