An eraser is a correction tool used for removing marks from paper. They can be made from plastic, rubber, vinyl and gum-like materials. Erasers work through a combination of friction, heat and adhesion. When you rub an eraser on a piece of paper, the friction warms the eraser and makes it sticky enough to lift things like pencil marks off the page.

The best kind of eraser depends on the kind of medium you’re writing or drawing with. Plastic and vinyl erasers are good all-purpose options because they are soft, durable and can be used for removing pencil graphite when you’re writing and working on art. Kneadable erasers are better used for artists because they can remove graphite and charcoal without leaving a mess. Rubber erasers are the classic type of eraser and work well for erasing pencil marks but they can be more abrasive than plastic and vinyl erasers.

Correction tape is designed to quickly and neatly cover handwritten or printed mistakes on paper. When applied, it delivers an opaque, white surface that can be rewritten on. Correction tape is a dry and mess-free alternative to liquid correction fluid. This is because it is a tear-resistant, film-based surface that sticks seamlessly onto the paper and doesn’t bleed or show through on the page, including photocopies.

Both correction tape and correction fluid are effective ways to cover up written and printed mistakes on a piece of paper. Correction tape is considered a better option for fast-paced environments because it doesn’t require drying time compared to correction fluid and it can immediately be rewritten on. However, correction fluid can be better for more precise mistakes like covering uneven surfaces, larger mistakes or oddly shaped mistakes.