Out of all of the categories of un-authentic autographs, stamped or rubber-stamped signatures are generally the easiest to detect. Rubber-stamped signatures appear on everything from photos to trading cards to letters to other documents. Here is an example of a rubber-stamped signature:



Unfortunately, PSA/DNA was fooled by a rubber-stamp, but fortunately you don't have to be. There are several very tell-tale signs of a rubber-stamped autograph:

1. Uneven ink distribution: The ink tends to pool at certain points on a rubber-stamped signature. Also, there are often small sections where there is no ink at all.
2. The signature often bleeds or smudges.
3. A rubber-stamped signature will not have the natural slant or flow of a hand-signed autograph. This is because the rubber-stamp is simply placed straight down onto the item, so there are no pen strokes. You can definitely see the lack of pen strokes in the McGwire example above.
   
4. There is sometimes a rectangular "haze" around the autograph where the edge of the rubber-stamp touches the item

Despite the fact that rubber-stamped signatures are fairly easy to detect, some sellers (sometimes innocently) advertise them as "authentic" autographs. You can protect yourself from purchasing rubber-stamped (and other non-authentic) autographs by viewing our eBay Guide on "Avoiding Fake Autographs".

You may also find our other Guides helpful: "Recognizing Autopenned Signatures", "Recognizing Preprinted Signatures" and "Common Autograph Abbreviations".

Thank you for reading and Happy Collecting!