Notary Public Underwriters Blog
How to Fix a Bad Notary Seal Impression
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- Published: February 23, 2022
No matter how much we pride ourselves on the quality of our notary seals, a bad or smudged impression is bound to happen at some point. In those instances, what is a notary to do?
Being proactive can help mitigate the frequency of imperfect seal impressions. It’s a good idea to practice the imprint on a scratch piece of paper before turning to the actual document to be notarized. Just be sure to properly dispose of the sample impression in a shredder.
Make sure the document is on a firm, flat surface. Refrain from stacking the document on top of folders, binders or bunches of paper; this can result in smudging. Your notary seal should be placed flush to the document’s surface–never at an angle. Gently grip your stamp with your thumb and fingers. Firmly press the stamp down, and quickly release.
If the notary seal impression on the notarized document still results in a smudged or too faint imprint, the notary should affix a second, legible seal impression near the first one. The second impression should never cover the first imprint. It is also important to note that seal impressions should never obscure any information within the document.
At no time should the notary attempt to modify the bad impression with a pen. Any modification to a notary seal imprint may be regarded as tampering in a court of law.
If your stamp continues to result in faint impressions, you may need to replace your ink pad. This can be a quick fix to your notary seal issue. Check out the replacement ink pad selection on our website.
If you are still struggling with your notary seal, please give our Customer Care Team a call; we'd love to assist you.