inkstains
Writer's finger smudges
Inkstains are marks left by ink on surfaces like paper, fabric, or skin.
The word appears most often in contexts of messiness or accident—the inkstains on a writer's fingers, the inkstained cuffs of a careless clerk.
His shirt was covered in inkstains from a leaking pen.
Figuratively, inkstained suggests involvement with writing or printing: inkstained wretches is an old, half-affectionate term for journalists.
Accidental liquid release
- smudgeUnclear dirty mark
- blotMark left by spillage
- splotchIrregular colored mark
- splatterScatter in drops
drip · leak · mess · smear · fingerprints · bleed · seep · splashed
Original text before publication
- quillFeather used for writing
- parchmentTreated hide for manuscripts
- calligraphyOrnamental handwriting art
- scriptWritten words for performance
penmanship · scribe · fountain pen · nib · blotter · inkwell · correspondence · letters
Mark or location
- discolorationAltered surface pigmentation
- marSpoil the appearance
- scarPermanent mark from healing
- splotchIrregular colored mark
blotch · mark · imperfection · disfigurement · defacement · soiled · tarnished · marred
Impossible to remove
- lastingContinuing through time
- enduringPersisting through time
- unfadingNot losing intensity
- fixedRestored or immovable
persistent · irremovable · stubborn · set · fast · deepset · ingrained · embedded
Marks left by painting
- calligraphyOrnamental handwriting art
- illustrationPicture explaining something
- etchingAcid-incised metal print
- sumi-eJapanese monochrome brush painting
woodblock · printmaking · lithography · engraving · drawing · sketch · wash · stippling
spill
Accidental liquid release
splatter · drip · leak · mess · smear · fingerprints · bleed · seep · splashed · overflow
manuscript
Original text before publication
- quillFeather used for writing
- parchmentTreated hide for manuscripts
- calligraphyOrnamental handwriting art
script · penmanship · scribe · fountain pen · nib · blotter · inkwell · correspondence · letters · documents
spot
Mark or location
- discolorationAltered surface pigmentation
- marSpoil the appearance
- scarPermanent mark from healing
splotch · blotch · mark · imperfection · disfigurement · defacement · soiled · tarnished · marred · damaged
indelible
Impossible to remove
fixed · persistent · irremovable · stubborn · set · fast · deepset · ingrained · embedded · imprinted
brushstrokes
Marks left by painting
- calligraphyOrnamental handwriting art
- illustrationPicture explaining something
- etchingAcid-incised metal print
sumi-e · woodblock · printmaking · lithography · engraving · drawing · sketch · wash · stippling · crosshatching
inkstainsspotlessness
Complete absence of dirt
cleanliness · blank page · immaculate · whiteness · purity