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HOW TO PREVENT YOUR AUTOGRAPH FROM FADING!
Are you cleaning in & around your house and noticed your signature does not look as dark as it use to be? Well you can blame that on a very common issue autograph collectors have & that is Fading! Unfortunately, once your autograph has faded there is nothing you can do to bring the signature back but the steps below can help you in the future from preventing your autograph from fading even more.
There are many factors that go into why/how your ball fades but the #1 REASON IS LIGHT! Never ever ever keep your autograph out in a room where is has total light exposure either from daylight or a room light. This will speed up the process of fading and kill off your signature....quick. TIP: Keep your autograph in a darker room and at no point in the day should your autograph come into any direct light. Keep your autograph in a room that stays predominantly dark so increase the lifespan of your signature!
THE #2 REASON YOUR AUTOGRAPH IS FADING IS THE MATERIAL IT IS SIGNED ON! Never purchase or get an autograph on a very porous material!!! You are asking for it! What happens is the ink from the pen you use will fade into the ball and give you a fuzzy looking signature and very light in color looking because the item has bled into the material. Items that are notorious for this include any and all white panel footballs, baseballs that are not the authentic official major league baseballs & any sort of a pleather material (plastic/leather combination). Some examples of items that will decrease the likelihood of an autograph bleeding into it's material include: official authentic NBA basketballs, all football helmets mini, full size, replica & authentic, official major league baseballs, official "Duke" authentic NFL footballs & any sort of actual authentic leather products (avoid "pleather").
THE #3 REASON YOUR AUTOGRAPH IS FADING IS THE PEN YOU ARE USING! A pen is not just a pen!! Invest into a good pen people because an extra couple dollars into a pen will go a long way! Using a basic sharpie or a cheap ballpoint pen is not the answer, these pens are notorious for fading off an item relatively quickly! Our suggestion is when looking for something of a permanent marker type you go the paint pen route. Popular markers used by memorabilia companies and autograph hounds include: Deco Paint Pens & Sharpie Paint Pens. Both of these will run you $2-$3 a pen but offer you not only to decrease the fading process but will offer a great shine to your autograph to make it pop & show off your masterpiece!
LASTLY, if your item is in any sort of a UV protection case or frame, that does not mean your item won't fade. We sometimes like to say that you are now putting a magnifying glass over the signature which will strengthen the light and destroy your signature further. If you are using a UV protection case or frame, still keep your autograph out of the light! If you combine these three tips to avoid your autograph from fading, you will be destined for a great looking piece for a very long time! You can check out our display cases section of our website which can be found by clicking here to find a great selection available that can assist you with preventing your autograph from fading! If you have any additional questions about how to prevent your autograph from fading, feel free to reach out to us, Inscriptagraphs Memorabilia at info@inscriptagraphs.com or (844)474-4633, we are happy to help!