Autographs and how to preserve them?

[Slylock Fox]

So I'm putting together a shadowbox for a smashed guitar with autographs from the band Filter.


Is there a way to put a clear finish over the signatures without destroying them so that they can be preserved and not fade.

It's permanent marker.  Someone told me I could use hairspray, but I want to make sure before I break out my girls salon hairspray and destroy my keepsake.

 

[swarfrat]

I dunno - embalming fluid?

 

[Slylock Fox]

Well, if it were a dead body and this were a custom dead body forum, I'd consider it.

 

[Tonar8352]

I would try Zinsser's SealCoat.

 

[Danuda]

Also, take a marker and do a test run on something you don't care about.

 

[Schmitty]

So I'm putting together a shadowbox for a smashed guitar with autographs from the band Filter.


Is there a way to put a clear finish over the signatures without destroying them so that they can be preserved and not fade.

It's permanent marker.  Someone told me I could use hairspray, but I want to make sure before I break out my girls salon hairspray and destroy my keepsake.

I wouldn't use hairspray on permenant marker it may actually remove the marker. We used hairspray to take permanent marker off of laminated hall passes to change the date.

 

[nexrex]

If it's permanent marker, anything alcohol based (like shellac) would actually remove it

 

[Patrick from Davis]

For Sharpie, methanol and or acetone will remove it quite fast, but ethanol not so much.  So Shellac is up in the air.  The best advice is to take a bunch of markers and use them on something and try with the different treatments.  Also, the amount of time the ink has to set will generally effect how easy it is to dissolve.
Patrick