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Ink Kit Instructions
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1. If the thumb is scarred or
does not have a decent pad, try a forefinger or a large toe. In cases where
there has been significant trauma to the body, interesting skin patterns can
also be found on the arches of the feet, palms of the hand, knees, or
elbows. Meadow Hill suggests that when you turn to these alternatives, you
explain it to the family and have them sign off on the print. Age
lines criss-cross the prints of older adults. These life lines reproduce
beautifully in the finished keepsakes.
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Step 2.
Remove the pre-inked strip from the card. Carefully peel back the top sheet.
The top is slightly offset from the bottom. Either of the inked sides of the
strip may be used.
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Step
3. Practice taking prints on any blank sheet of paper. Lightly
touch the inked surface twice and then press downward on the paper. (Use
more of a tapping motion than a rolling one.)
When you
are satisfied with the look of the practice prints, place five good prints
along the bottom of the card. Meadow Hill's artisans will select the
clearest portion of the best print for casting.
Questions?
Call us toll free 1-800-228-4195
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Step 4.
Meadow Hill’s artisans will select the best
portion of the best print for casting. Also, take a couple of extra
prints that you can keep in your file at the funeral home in the
unlikely event the order card is lost in the mail or if the family should
question the authenticity of the print. Plain white index cards work well
for this purpose.
The more prints we have to choose from the better our chances are of finding
a really good one to scan and cast.
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Step 5.
Clean the inked finger with a wet cotton paper
towel, or massage cream. A drop of hand lotion that contains alcohol removes
every last bit of ink.
Fill out the engraving (up to ten characters per line) and shipping
information on the reverse side of the card and tear off the control number
in the upper right hand corner. This will be your reference number. Fold the
card and place it in the self-addressed envelope and mail it to Brunner
Funeral & Cremation Retail Store, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, Ohio 44060.
Reminders
Ink an Interesting Area of the Finger
The finished keepsake looks
exactly like the print you send us. In
selecting the area of the finger to ink, look the most interesting character
lines. Creases and age lines give the finished Thumbie® its character.
Questionable Prints
If Meadow Hill receives a print that will not produce a
quality charm, we will call you. You have then have the option of contacting
the family to explain the situation. Some families will cancel; others will
tell you to go ahead as it may be the only keepsake they will have. It is
possible for Meadow Hill to go into the digital file and “clean up” a print
pixel by pixel, but we will only do so with the permission of the family.
Take an Extra Print for Your Files
Since the U.S. Postal System, UPS, Fed Ex and other delivery
services are not perfect organizations, they occasionally misplace things.
Meadow Hill strongly encourages you to take a couple of extra prints of each
decedent. Keep them in the individual’s file at the funeral home until such
time as you receive the finished Thumbies ®.
Create Keepsakes for Long-Deceased Family Members
Meadow Hill can create Thumbies ®
from any hard copy of a fingerprint. That means a family who has
fingerprints can create keepsakes of long-deceased loved ones. Sources of
fingerprints include: military discharge papers, employment cards, firearm
registrations, arrest records, and birth certificates. (In the past, it was
common practice to fingerprint both mother and child on birth certificates.)
As with infant prints, the easiest way to get these prints to us is to scan
them and send them electronically.
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