What can I use to make the embossing stand out and not disappear over time?

[Lbrewer42]

On some bottles I have traced the lettering with a Sharpie. Over time I note the ink/marker disappears and the embossing is like it was originally. Can anyone here recommend a type of marker that will not fade with time?

 

[UncleBruce]

I use paint pens (fine & medium tips) available from hobby stores, Wal-Mart etc. They look and handle like a magic marker felt tip marker.

I use a towel to protect my lap from the paint. I prefer a dark towel to make the paint easier to see as I highlight the embossing on lighter color glass.

A paper towel or something is needed to wipe off our “OOPs” moments.

Use a piece of cardboard or something to daub the paint marker to keep the paint flowing properly.

A toothpick is handy to clean up the edges of the painted lettering and to remove some paint adding highlights to images.

Start off doing some with just text. The bolder the embossing is the easier it is to highlight.

It's a learning curve, but with a good marker and a light touch it is easy to do.

When highlighting if you get just a bit off the embossing let the paint set a bit and then you can remove the excess with the toothpick. You can do this to images also. It will add detail to the image.

I just hit the high point of the embossing not covering the entire lettering.

I don't often remove the paint, but when I do I will spray it with goof off, let it set a bit then using warm water, cleaning agent (I use Bar Keepers Friend) and stiff plastic bristle brush or a copper wire brush.

Before highlighting it will help to wash the embossing first to remove any oils and such. Again I use Bar Keepers Friend and a toothbrush.

Good luck and don't give up. A lot of folks don't the highlighting so just ignore them. It does make the embossing easier to see and can removed. I always poke fun at those who say they don't like highlighting by saying they're too lazy to do it... then I laugh! You can say just about anything if you laugh after saying it.

If you have any other questions just holler

 

[UnderMiner]

Years ago I would paint the embossing on my bottles with a fine tip paint brush and white acrylic.

 

[Lbrewer42]

@UncleBruce:
Wow - I am very appreciative of this great set of detailed instructions! At present the one I want to highlight is Buffalo Lithia Water I recently got and was thinking only the lettering, but now you have me thinking I could try the seated woman effigy as well.

In the past I have done a lot of highlighting with sharpies on glass insulators in my collection, so am familiar with being able to get just the lettering (well...obviously an occasional oops!). A technique that was shared with me by a fellow insulator collector, that he said he learned from a bottle collector, is to stipple the marker along the top edge of the lettering instead of drawing/painting the ink onto the letters. The stippling wokrs VERY well for me and makes it harder to make an oops by slipping off the top of the letters. It works well with weak embossing also.

I asked for better advice on the pens used b/c I get tired of having to re-do my insulators every year or so! Again, thank you very much.

@UnderMiner
Wow - that is a beautiful lineup. I like how it looks on the monograms. Since insulators only have lettering, this will be a new area for me to explore with.

I was thinking of using a dark marker like I always have for light colored glass, but now am seeing where the white shows up very well also.

When the bottle is in a window or backlit, how does the white vs. a black paint show up?

 

[UnderMiner]

@UncleBruce:
Wow - I am very appreciative of this great set of detailed instructions! At present the one I want to highlight is Buffalo Lithia Water I recently got and was thinking only the lettering, but now you have me thinking I could try the seated woman effigy as well.

In the past I have done a lot of highlighting with sharpies on glass insulators in my collection, so am familiar with being able to get just the lettering (well...obviously an occasional oops!). A technique that was shared with me by a fellow insulator collector, that he said he learned from a bottle collector, is to stipple the marker along the top edge of the lettering instead of drawing/painting the ink onto the letters. The stippling wokrs VERY well for me and makes it harder to make an oops by slipping off the top of the letters. It works well with weak embossing also.

I asked for better advice on the pens used b/c I get tired of having to re-do my insulators every year or so! Again, thank you very much.

@UnderMiner
Wow - that is a beautiful lineup. I like how it looks on the monograms. Since insulators only have lettering, this will be a new area for me to explore with.

I was thinking of using a dark marker like I always have for light colored glass, but now am seeing where the white shows up very well also.

When the bottle is in a window or backlit, how does the white vs. a black paint show up?

I have only ever had them in a book case never on windows or back lit so can't say for sure.

 

[Vinewood]

Uncle Bruce has all the tips you need to perform this task. I must note though that I never use bar keepers friend or copper brushes on finely polished or mint glass. Both will leave fine scratches on the surface.
Also, in addition to paint markers, I use permanent black sharpie on milk glass, and silver or gold sharpie metallic markers on other colors. The sharpie markers are not as durable as the paint markers and can be removed with 91% isopropyl alcohol. Choose based on your needs.

 

[hemihampton]

Uncle Bruce has all the tips you need to perform this task. I must note though that I never use bar keepers friend or copper brushes on finely polished or mint glass. Both will leave fine scratches on the surface.
Also, in addition to paint markers, I use permanent black sharpie on milk glass, and silver or gold sharpie metallic markers on other colors. The sharpie markers are not as durable as the paint markers and can be removed with 91% isopropyl alcohol. Choose based on your needs.

Some nice Bottles you got there. Leon.

 

[hemihampton]

A friend of mine did a great job on this Gold on the Welsh Bottle I got from him. SO, I decided to try to match it with the Goulait. Sadley it does not look quit as good as his. LEON.

 

[Vinewood]

Some nice Bottles you got there. Leon.

Thanks Leon. I chose select examples from my collection and highlighted the embossing just so they would show up better for bottle show advertising photos. Most of these examples are from sets, and I would never take the time to do them all.
The type of paint or marker you use can change the look dramatically. You should ask your friend what type of paint he used.
Also use a toothpick or scalpel to clean up the edges. Some of mine were cleaned up and some I could do a little better on.