In-person Questions!

[t-cards]

Hello! I have a few questions for obtaining autographs in person.
I went to a baseball game were I tried to get the players sigs.. I used a clipboard for the 1st part of it and it worked okay... i noticed I got a lot of smearing and the clipboard indents were on my photo:( I don't would ever use that again. It was also very windy and we were also standing next to a high fence trying to hand things over and with a photo it can be difficult. I also used cardboard but my only problem with that is it's not firm or thick enough to make the sigs more bold... if feel like the ink is lighter... Please if you have any tips on what I should use as a surface for my 8x10's please let me know! I am going to be going to another baseball game so I need some advice!!!!! I do want to protect the photo, but I just need some help!
Thanks so much
Rebekah

[packrat]

I've seen people use clipboards but with a piece of cardboard or something to protect the photo. I really don't recommend that unless you only have one photo to get signed.

If you have more than one photo, there are a few good methods you could use:
-- One is to cut out some cardboard from a box.
-- The other is to buy a sketch pad that is slightly larger than the 8x10.
-- In either case you will need photo corners (sold at arts & craft stores) to hold the photos in place.

One corner at a time, put the photo corner on the photo and then stick it to the surface. This will accomplish two things. First you will get them on there tight enough so the photo won't move, and secondly it will give you the proper spacing. It will then be good to go the next time you want to use it. The second time you use them I would suggest slipping a penny sleeve in first and then insert the photo into the photo corner under the penny sleeve. This prevents any damage to the photo.

I don't know what you mean by "smearing" but I suspect that was from being handled by greasy hands. The sketch pad should protect the photos from physical damage and somewhat prevent the players from getting thier meat hooks on them.

[t-cards]

That's a great idea! I have corners! So if used a sketch pad( would i use the cardboard part right? I attach the photo with corners would that help? Would it give a good thick marker sig? I usuall do one photo I don't know if this makes a difference or maybe just using cardboard with corners works better then a clipboard but its still good for one photo? I just noticed that most of my sigs were light in ink! I bought fresh new markers too:(
Doing photo's is a lot different then baseball cards or balls.......
I do have some questions
If I do mutiple do you mean putting each photo on the art paper and then flipping it if we decided to get someone else? I am not sure if I understand what you mean? How would the penny sleeve work if someone wanted to sign it? Would I take the sleeve off! I am sorry if I sound confused but I am a little.
Could I use one peice of cardboard per photo and then attach the photo with photo corners that I can get at craft stores? If I use just cardboard would i okay? I feel like I would be back at the same problem right They are small and clear? and then would i put something on top?

[packrat]

I'm assuming that you would have more than one photo with you. You would mount the photo on a sheet of paper in the sketch pad. Then when you are ready to get the photo you want signed you would then flip to the page containing the appropriate picture. The cover and subsequent pages will protect the photos until you are ready to expose them to be signed.

And yes, you can cut out a piece of cardboard to mount the photo on. It would be a good idea to cut a second piece of cardboard to cover the photo until it is ready to be signed. But if you are carrying more than two photos a sketch pad would work best.

As for the sharpie, when they are new they tend to give a thinner signature. Some folks break them in by holding them like a knife and jabbing the point with a stabbing motion onto a surface to flatten them out a bit. I've never done that. I just let them break in as I use it. I'm fine with it if the signature comes out a little thin.

As for the penny sleeve, I was talking about once you have gotten your photo signed and removed from the cardboard or sketch pad and want to reuse the photo corners on that particular page. Sometimes the corners tighten up a bit and getting another item into them can damage the corner of the photo. That's where the penny sleeve comes in. I use them like the old fashioned shoe horn (assuming you have heard of them). I slip the penny sleeve into the photo corner first and then slide the corner of the photo under the sleeve until it is in the proper position, then gently pull the penny sleeve out.