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How to Tell if an Autograph was Printed with the Photo: a Preprint

Hey everyone!, I would like to hear some ADVAICES to know the authenciticity of a signature. Specifically in how to know if the signature is INK or is it is Printed. Is there any method to determinate if a autograph is written with ink or printed? Thanks!

Tags: identifying printed autographs, preprint

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Permalink Reply by Jason Toney on May 11, 2016 at 8:36pm

Some printed ones if you look with a magnifying glass or sometimes even with naked eye you can see the dots but some newer prints can look almost real. Even though I hate to do it ones signed in ink like a sharpie have a raised texture feeling when you run your fingers across it but i don't recommend touching with bare fingers I try to wear white gloves when I handle my collection to help preserve them you can also look for the ink flow printed ones are pretty consistent with no lines or streaks like real ink.

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Permalink Reply by Jose Alberto on May 12, 2016 at 5:48pm

Thanks!!

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Permalink Reply by Samuel John Clifford on May 11, 2016 at 9:06pm

If the sharpie doesn't glow a different color for instance Blue Ink under light will glow purple and black ink will glow redish, then it's likely a preprinted autograph. It will almost disappear under the light also if it's preprinted like the picture would. Also yes real ink will have a raised feeling to it too.

Here's a good article on it.

http://avoidfakeautographs.cheapwebtricks.net/custom.html

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Permalink Reply by Jose Alberto on May 12, 2016 at 5:48pm

Thanks Samuel

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on May 12, 2016 at 5:31am

If the Autograph is printed on a glossy photo, by looking at it from an angle you won't see a disturbance in the gloss.

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Permalink Reply by Jose Alberto on May 12, 2016 at 5:48pm

Thanks Steve

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on May 12, 2016 at 6:03pm

I changed the title of this discussion, Jose, to reflect your topic on identifying preprints.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on May 12, 2016 at 6:04pm

Post some scans for examples.

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Permalink Reply by Jose Alberto on May 12, 2016 at 7:13pm

Hey Paul.

Im about to buy a Michael Jackson autograph thats why i wanted to know. I do not have examples of preprints.

Best wishes

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Permalink Reply by Glad Max on May 13, 2016 at 3:03pm

This is a Michael Jackson preprint, provided by Markus Brandes on his website for everyone's reference:

When checking if a photo is actually signed, I hold the signed side up close to a light and shift the angle. If there is real ink, you will see the light "bounce" off the signature and reflect differently than the rest of the photo, on a preprint the light reflects the same.