There are a few reasons you may not be able to use Soapstone: You’re offline (as of this writing, it looks like the PC servers are having a little trouble) You’re in the Pact of Champions. You have burned an effigy at the bonfire of the area you are in.
When can I use White Sign Soapstone?
White Sign Soapstones can be used whether the user is hollow, in human form, or has defeated bosses themselves. Players can only see white summoning boxes if their owners are within 10 levels (+/an additional 10% of their current character level).
Why not use red soapstone?
Red mark soapstone cannot be used in hollow form. You can still be summoned even after the host has defeated the area boss. You cannot be charged if you are summoned and defeat the host. Similar to the Red Eye Orb, the Red Sign Soapstone sometimes turns the user into a dark blue or white ghost.
How often can the White Sign soapstone be used?
Remarks. Only one white-shielded soapstone can be placed at a time. Attempting to place another will result in removing the previous one. Upon successful use of a white-signed soapstone in another player world, the player becomes a human and is rewarded with a loyalty token.