Fix a Bad Seal Impression About Notaries What is a Notary Public? Why Become a Notary? Being a Public Official What is Notarization Notary History Notaries and Notarios How to Become a Notary How to Renew Your Notary Commission Stamp/Seal Information Notary Forms Tips and Tutorials News & Information Notary Bulletin The National Notary Magazine Webinars Commonly Asked Questions How to Administer Oaths and Affirmations Strange, Unusual and Bizarre Requests ID Fraud — A Notary Trap The Names in The Document and Identification Don't Match The Importance of Personal Appearance Understanding Notary Certificates and Seals: Vital Notary Know-How Signature by Mark Sorry Boss... No Can Do! How to Complete a Journal Entry How to Use Credible Witnesses Acknowledgments and Jurats - What's the Difference? How to ID in a Multi-Cultural World Signing Agent Branding Your Signing Agent Business 10 Steps to a Flawless Loan Signing Answers to Questions Notary Signing Agents are Asking Today Being a Team Player in the Loan Closing Process New Law Update California New-Law Update Oregon New-Law Update Arkansas New-Law Update Notary Laws Policy Tracking Special Reports Law Review Articles NNA Annual Conference Social Media Press Center Signing Agent Resources What is a Notary Signing Agent? State Restrictions Signing Agent Policies How to Become an NSA Background Screenings How to Do a Loan Signing Build Your Business Non-Payment Issues Common Collection Terms Managing Your Collection Efforts Sample Collection Letters Signing Agent Loan Documents Rescission Calendar Signing Agent Pledge Card Notary Signing Agent Supplies Signing Agent FAQs What You Need to Know About RON Remote, Electronic & Traditional Notarization How to Become a Remote Online Notary How to Do a Remote Online Notarization Understanding Notary Technology Webcam, Online Closings & eClosings State of Remote Online Notarization Redefining Personal Appearance Reference Library Model Notary Act Model Electronic Notarization Act Notary Public Code of Professional Responsibility US Notary Reference Manual (members only) Certificate Forms (members only) State Law Summaries Glossary of Terms Notary Links It's a common occurrence for a Notary seal impression to be either smudged or too faint to read due to uneven application of ink. The solution is simple: The Notary affixes a second seal impression that is readable and photocopiable near but not over the first one. If need be, the second seal might even be positioned "on end" to fit in a tight space. The Notary must never try to "fix" the first seal impression with pen and ink -- this may be regarded as tampering and cause the document's rejection. To prevent imperfect seal impressions, some Notaries first try a sample impression on scratch paper before attempting the actual print on the notarized document. This allows the Notary to gauge how hard to press in affixing the seals. If this is done, of course, the trial impression should be torn up and discarded afterward. More detail on how to use your Notary seal stamp properly is available. If you have more questions we can help! Simply: Check out the Notary Bulletin for more tips and training Call the NNA Hotline toll free at 1-888-876-0827 (NNA Membership or Hotline subscription required) Register for an NNA training program