Authenticity is Everything
Feb. 4: We're expanding and reorganizing our discussion forums. We should be finished on Thursday.
Excuse our dust.
Live ink or printed signature?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on
-
A standard Black Sharpie, does not use a "pigment" in the traditional sense. It uses organic dyes. Specifically, it relies on a chemical cocktail that mimics black, rather than using a single, stable mineral.The "black" in a Sharpie is actually a subtractive mix. If you were to perform a "Forensic Chromatography" test on Sharpie ink (by placing a drop on a coffee filter with a bit of alcohol), you would see the "Invisible" truth: the black ink would separate into purple, bright blue, and sometimes even yellow or red. These are the colors the "flash" under certain lighting when determining live ink.
-
Permalink Reply by Bryan on
-
Hello Eric, are you inferring that you believe it is signed by black sharpie?
-
-
No, I was explaining one way to check for live ink - I used black as an example.
-
-
Some collectors want to know what that flash of color actually is when observing live ink. And some do not. Knowledge is key. What is the downside to understanding?
-
-
Better yet, what is the upside to not knowing?
-
-
If you are going to be serious about collecting autographs then you need to be familiar with a lot of things that are not spefically about autographs, such as ink, paper, how materials age, etc.
Or, if you're just going to ask "is it real" and rely on the expertise of others then I guess you can ignore all that, assuming that others will keep responding.
If you have this item in front of you then you are in a far better position to determine if it is live ink, but it would help if you understand the kinds of things Eric was trying to tell you.
Assessing an autograph can sometimes involve a lot of logic and informed speculation. Here are my thoughts on this item.
The item seems to be some sort of recording, such as a DVD or video, which is in a case with a clear plastic cover, under which the printed sleeve was inserted.
At the bottom there is a text about this being a limited edition. Look at the "m" in "Limited", the "d" in "Edition" and the first "0" in "200". Part of the text is shifted upward. My guess is that the displaced fragments are actually stuck to the plastic.
Those animolies tell me three things. 1) the clear plastic cover is PVC, which over time can lift printed text, 2) the page has been under the plastic long enough to be affected, and 3) the paper insert has been removed or atleast moved at some point.
The fact that the rest of the insert is not impacted suggests that the limitation text was added later by a different printing method, probably by a desktop printer.
Did they take regular paper inserts and add a limited edition text and have him add his signature? Was this an unsigned limited edition that a forger added a signature to? Did a forger create a fantasy item? I also note that on my screen the signature looks slightly blurred, suggesting the ink (whether hand-signed, autopenned. or printed) may also be impacted by the plastic.
These sorts of observations can be very important but are only possible if you understand more than just the autographs themselves.
-
-
+1
-
-
If the "ink" doesn't flash but recedes into the photo in the direct glare of a light it is likely a preprint. Sometimes the "ink" color is the same as the photo which is another tell.
-
-
If that is brown Sharpie it is a mix of red, yellow, blue and/or black (or "black") dyes. If purple, it is a mix of rhodamine (magenta/pink) and phthalocyanine blue. These are in a propanal carrier and resin binder. Like the "black" example described earlier, these would be the colors to look for when determining live ink.
© 2026 Created by Steve Cyrkin, Admin.
Powered by
Badges | Report an Issue | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
