Handy tip for hinged lids on ink pads.

As usual, i have come across a handy tip whilst breaking something! A tip that will probably be the most plainly obvious tip in history, but many people may not know you can do it without breaking something.

I'm talking about the hinged ink pads like Versafine and Versamark. I don't know about you, but whilst the inks is great, i find the hinged lids the most annoying and fiddly things to use ever! When trying to use the pad, i end up with ink on my hands, due to trying to hold the pad between my fingertips and trying to hold the top and bottom of the pad together whilst the pad swings about with a mind of it's own!

Or is that just me? Anyway, whilst being all masterfull with the Versafine just now, i kind of broke it....but i discovered the hinge mechanism can be removed from the pads top and bottom, leaving you with a top that just drops on and off of the ink pad.

Heres your normal hinged pad......



Now carefully, take the plastic hinge piece off, it has two slots each end that just come out of the holes......you may need to use a tiny bit of force but the hinge does bend slightly so you can remove it from the slots.......



There you go....you are now left with a normal...less fiddly ink pad. I wouldn't say it fits as tight as a Stazon pad or similar, but it fits fine and you don't end up dropping the thing on your trousers like me!



The hinge can always be replaced later if you want to, say for travelling or something.

Hope it helps. :)