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I'm looking to get my 3DS signed at PAX Prime, and I'm wondering what the best writing instrument would be for signing it. Would a regular Sharpie work?

Also, what would be the best way to protect those autographs on the surface?

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You'll probably want to figure out what material the 3DS is made out of, and how best to preserve a signature on that material. I'm not having much luck finding the material. – SaintWacko Aug 31 '12 at 13:27
Welcome to Arqade, Mike! While this question is tangentially related to gaming, it is not truly a gaming question - you could replace the 3DS with any object you want signed and the question remains the same. As such, it is off-topic here. – Jason Berkan Aug 31 '12 at 15:19
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"it is not truly a gaming question - you could replace the 3DS with any object you want signed and the question remains the same" - No you couldn't. The physical materials of an object determine what kinds of inks or markings can be signed on it and what kinds of coatings can protect it. That's like saying any question about repairs is only tangentially-related because you can ask "how can I repair <anything>?" – Joe Wreschnig Aug 31 '12 at 15:50
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@JoeWreschnig Gamers are no more likely to be experts about how to preserve signatures than anyone else in the general population. That the signature is on a 3DS is immaterial to the required expertise. It doesn't require special gamer knowledge to figure out what it's made of and how to preserve a signature. It requires a screwdriver + reading moulding markings or practical materials-science expertise to just recognise it by look & feel, plus archival expertise. None of those are "gamer" things. – SevenSidedDie Aug 31 '12 at 17:06
@SevenSidedDie but aren't gamers more likely to have done the research already, for gaming devices? – PileOfDuty Aug 31 '12 at 17:30
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closed as off topic by kotekzot, Dave McClelland, dpatchery, Jason Berkan, Iszi Aug 31 '12 at 14:57

Questions on Arqade are expected to relate to gaming within the scope defined in the FAQ. Consider editing the question or leaving comments for improvement if you believe the question can be reworded to fit within the scope. Read more about closed questions here.

1 Answer

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Treat the 3DS like an autographed guitar: Autographed Guitar Link

Acrylic Method

  1. If you haven't yet had the guitar 3DS autographed, make sure to have the autograph signed with an acrylic pen. Acrylic ink won't fade or bleed when sprayed with the protective clear coat.

  2. Spray a fine mist of acrylic clear coat over the autographed area. One coat of the protective spray will work fine.

  3. Allow the clear coat to dry before playing or moving the guitar 3DS.

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Thank you very much for the answer! I'll give that a shot! – Mike Sep 1 '12 at 11:33

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