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Paint Pen Instructions for TTM Signing

Hello. I am sending an item through the mail to get signed by an actor. I messaged his son on Facebook and he already agreed to sign. I want him to use a paint pen on the clear panel of a Funko Box, but I am worried that the ink might bleed, smear, or otherwise not turn out correctly if the paint pen is not used correctly.

Any suggestions on instructions I should leave the actor on how to use the pen correctly that won’t be overly complicated? I am thinking something along the lines of "1. Shake well", "2. Test pen on paper first" and "3. Let dry for 20 minutes after signing".

Thank you!

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Permalink Reply by Dan Morris on October 21, 2021 at 4:53pm

I think your instructions are fine with a few please and thank you's as well and it should be fine. I've done similar things and had good results when the item(s) came back

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Permalink Reply by Mike White on May 18, 2022 at 7:00pm

Something that's often overlooked, which I bring up anytime I see this topic, is that oil based paint pens contain oil based paint.

The oil based paint pen brands I'm familiar with (which is more than a few) can't be shipped by air from the US. Federal law requires they be shipped by ground only.

The packaging also needs to convey the requisite HazMat information.

If you don't follow those laws, the odds are that nothing will happen, because it's a single package with a very tiny amount of oil based paint, but if something DOES happen, the fines are extremely heavy.

Personally, I usually opt to just order a pen from Amazon and have it shipped directly from them, because they transport everything in accordance with DOT regulations, and, if they don't, it's their butt on the line, not mine. But, of course, that introduces the problems of DOA pens.

Another thing that I've seen overlooked is that people have a tendency to test paint pens like they test Sharpies, but that's potentially detrimental. For best use, paint pens should be tested on black paper, not white.

A poorly mixed, poorly primed oil based paint pen will, in my experience, look perfectly fine on standard white paper, but reveal the issue when you actually go to use it on the thing that requires a paint pen to sign it.

Testing on black paper averts those issues, because, unless the paint pen itself is black, it will show up perfectly on black paper if it's perfectly mixed & primed. On standard white paper, it'll just look like another marker regardless.

If the paint isn't black & it doesn't "pop" when it's on black, there's a problem with the marker.

I get black 4x6s professionally printed specifically for that purpose.