TAKING FINGERPRINTS & HANDPRINTS
HOW TO TAKE
FINGERPRINTS & HANDPRINTS
FOR MEMORIAL & KEEPSAKE JEWELLERY
CAPTURING PRINTS FOR YOUR JEWELLERY
At Hold upon Heart we are skilled at getting the best results from your fingerprints, handprints and footprints, but you may be wondering how you actually take your prints. The good news is that we can work with prints you may already have, or can provide simple print kits to enable you to take prints at home. If time is short, we also have a few suggestions to allow you to take prints using materials you already have at home.
OUR PRINT KITS
BUY A PRINT KIT
Our print kits are super easy to use and produce beautifully detailed prints. You can purchase a print kit when selecting your jewellery, or can buy a kit on its own. We also offer an express print kit delivery.
Our fingerprint kits contain a film strip coated in special fingerprint ink. Simply dab a finger onto the film and press onto the paper provided to capture a perfect fingerprint. No messing about with putty, no time limits, and enough ink to take lots and lots of fingerprints.
Our baby handprint and footprint kits are also easy to use and can capture several prints. Simply rub the inkless wipe over the hand or foot to be printed, then press down gently on the magic paper provided, and watch your print appear in seconds.
ALREADY HAVE PRINTS
At Hold upon Heart we are experts at working with fingerprints, handprints, footprints and pawprints you already have.
We can work with photos of fingerprint moulds or with ink prints taken by funeral directors. We can also work with photos of baby handprints cast in clay, or with paint hand or footprints. We can work with photos of wet pawprints (or footprints!) on the yard, or captured in sand on the beach. As long as we can see the outline of the hand or paw, and the detailed fingerprint lines, we should be able to work with it.
If you are in any doubt we are always happy to take a look at prints prior to ordering to confirm whether they can be used.
TAKING PENCIL FINGERPRINTS
If time is short its really easy to capture a fingerprint following the steps below, using a pencil and sticky tape. For best results take several prints without refreshing the pencil on your finger to get a series of lighter prints - often these reveal the best detail. Try using different fingers, and roll the finger onto the tape from one side to the other to achieve a larger print.
1. Colour in a patch of paper with the pencil.
2. Rub your finger over the patch of pencil until it transfers to your finger.
3. Place your finger onto the sticky side of a piece of sellotape. This will transfer the pencil from your finger onto the stick tape.
4. Stick the tape onto a piece of white paper - et voila! You have a fingerprint.
HANDPRINTS IN A HURRY
Try going back to basics with child-safe paint. This is a tad messy but it's always fun. Alternatively try the the Vaseline resist method. Spread a little Vaseline onto the hand and gently press onto card. Then simply wash over the card with watercolour paint and a handprint should magically appear.
Another solution is to simply take a photo of the hand or foot. Phone cameras these days are amazing, so as long as your photo is in good light and straight on then this should do the trick. Placing the hand or foot against a transparent surface, such as a shower screen, and taking a photo through the screen. This helps to flatten the hand and to accentuate the character lines.
