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I painted over it but it shortly showed through.

See photo.

Is it the paint type? Because it's water based?

enter image description here

enter image description here

enter image description here

Update

This is how the area with the felt tip looks now. A bank of electrical sockets / extension block has been mounted on top. It resides underneath a desk. So the issue isn't really noticeable. In actual fact, the felt tip markings were used to help align this extension block onto the 2 protruding screws, such that their heads slotted into built-in "key hole" like slots on the back of the extension block, in order to mount it on the wall. I should add that this is also supported with velcro that comes with strongly adhesive sides to fix it to the wall. Very strongly mounted, as required!

Nonetheless, thank you for all your tips, this is useful. With the extension block mounted, most of the markings are concealed or obscured and being under the desk it doesn't matter too much. But good tips for another time where this issue is more visible - thanks again!

enter image description here

therobyouknow
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    what is a felt tip? ... where is it in the picture? – jsotola Jan 03 '22 at 23:46
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    Felt tip is UK-speak for marker pen [at least that's my best transpondian translation] It's the red markings in the first image. – Tetsujin Jan 04 '22 at 08:24
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    Stain blocking paint? Zinsser are popular apparently – Caius Jard Jan 04 '22 at 12:57
  • Too late now. Should have washed it with isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) before painting. Now it's buried under paint. Primer is now your only hope. Use pencil in the future. – J... Jan 04 '22 at 13:24
  • I did try isopropanol and it did not remove it. Painting had been attempted before that application, but the fact that the felt tip still shows through suggests that the felt tip is coming through, so perhaps it was available for the isopropanol to reach it. But as said did not remove it. – therobyouknow Jan 04 '22 at 13:27
  • Quick and easy "solution": Hang a picture over it. Or a bookcase or other furniture, etc. – Darrel Hoffman Jan 04 '22 at 14:39
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    For non-UK readers: "felt tip" usually refers to water-based marker pens; when we refer to markers we normally mean solvent-based as in "permanent marker" (one example of which is Sharpie, which we're only just starting to adopt as a generic term). The emulsion paint shown is also water-based, and will dissolve the dyes in the pen ink. – Chris H Jan 04 '22 at 14:43
  • @DarrelHoffman Indeed! See update to question above: https://diy.stackexchange.com/q/242195/3318 – therobyouknow Jan 04 '22 at 14:50
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    I've lived in the US all my life and am baffled by the confusion over "felt tip"... It was quite often called a "felt tip pen" or "felt tip marker" when I grew up in the Midwest. And they sure weren't water based! Mmmmm the middle-school high... That said, drawing on the walls with a felt-tip would get you a good smack-down from Mom because, well, this... – FreeMan Jan 04 '22 at 15:31
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    Not an answer to your question, but a much easier way to mount things like surge protectors is to just put masking tape on the surge protector, punch holes in said tape where the mount points are, then transfer the tape to the surface you're going to attach it to and drill. – William Jan 04 '22 at 18:34
  • @William, or create a paper template (by taping +2 pieces of paper together), in the same manner you mention, so it's easily repositionable, then tape that in place while drilling. – computercarguy Jan 04 '22 at 20:30
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    Now that the first paint layers are dry, have you tried just repainting that section? The dyes should be set permanently in the paint and shouldn't bleed into any other layers. – computercarguy Jan 04 '22 at 20:32

5 Answers5

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Yes, there are 2 parts to preparing a surface.

First, you do proper "surface prep". Remove oils, silicones and the like that will chemically prevent the layer from adhering. Then, you need to scuff the surface so it has microscopic "tooth" so the new primer has something to grab onto. Was that done? That needs to be done always.

Once you have 2 layers of paint that aren't adhering well to each other, all the layers put on top of it will tend to fail at that bad layer. That's why it is so important.

Then, you apply primer. Primer's job is to remove color differences, and nullify the effect of surfaces with different sheen or absorption, so all surfaces are the same to the paint. That way, none of those things will "print through" the layers of paint.

You need to apply layers of primer until those color, texture etc. differences are nullified.

Harper - Reinstate Monica
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I would think that a grey primer is the remedy to the problem.

gatorback
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5

Kilz was the standard, but today Kilz and other brands of " primer,sealer,stain blocker" are available in oil or water base primers.

blacksmith37
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    The electrical outlets indicate that the OP is not in the US (in the UK?) and may not have access to Kilz. Can the OP confirm? Kilz is an excellent primer choice, especially if you can use the oil based version – gatorback Jan 03 '22 at 23:53
  • @gatorback good forensic visual skills! Yes i am UK based. Thank you. The felt tip had been used to guide the extension block shown onto 2 screws on the wall to mount into sockets on the back of the block. Thank you! – therobyouknow Jan 03 '22 at 23:59
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    In the UK I have used Zinsser B-I-N to cover similar stains. Available from lots of your usual DIY shops, Screwfix and Toolstation etc. Not cheap, but it really does the job.

    https://www.screwfix.com/p/zinsser-b-i-n-shellac-based-primer-sealer-1ltr/29661

     – Ben Williams Jan 04 '22 at 11:58
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    I use Zinsser 1 2 3 primer on rusty nail heads that show through paint on my cement board siding, excellent results, very tolerant of storage. – blacksmith37 Jan 04 '22 at 14:58
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The ink is soluble in water or alchol content of the latex paint, use a oil based undercoat to stop it from printing through.

Jasen
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  • This. Water-based ink will come through water-based paint or primer, and alcohol/solvent-based ink will come through alcohol/shellac-based paint or primer. Oil-based primer will stop them both. – IceGlasses Jan 06 '22 at 16:48
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You can cover felt tip with emulsion, but it's a bit tedious, because the ink dissolves into the paint.

Starting from scratch I'd have tried to remove the pen first, or covered it with specific stain-bocking paint.

Starting from where you are now, I'd lightly sand the pen lines (which might help a bit), and paint over them with the same paint, probably 2 coats. It will go on thicker with a brush than a roller, but the brush marks will look different even after the final step which is a 2nd full coat over the whole wall.

Your goal with this approach isn't to paint exactly over the pen lines, but to more than cover them, without leaving hard edges to the partial coat. You could achieve this by drawing over the marks with a well-loaded paintbrush, then wipe the paint off the brush and spread the paint out perpendicularly to the pen lines, allowing it to fade away.

Chris H
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    With most of it covered up in your recent edit, this approach is even more applicable. I'd use an "artist's" brush in your current situation, or a 1/2"/20mm/1" brush if the sockets weren't going on top – Chris H Jan 04 '22 at 14:51