Handwritten letters were the only way for faraway people to keep in touch with each other. Back in the day, wax sealing was very important because any means of correspondence will feel safer if they are sealed with a wax seal. In this era, technology may have developed so fast and futuristic. However, the old ways still are used even by some large companies, especially regarding the use of the wax seal for formal letters or documents.
It is undeniable that the use of a wax seal in Singapore is very limited. Most people end up using wax seal as hobby or art purposes. Some others utilize it for decoration, such as for wedding invitation, packaging of a product, and others.
If you are interested in using a wax seal, then here are the basics of wax sealing.
1. Choosing the right type of wax
There are several different types of wax that you can choose. Each is for different purposes and are used differently as well. Waxes have different finished outcomes and different characteristics too. Some are more rigid and some others are more flexible. Each holds advantages and disadvantages and its own unique quality.
Many people use glue gun tool with stick wax. Stick wax usually has a wick that acts as a continuous heat source. This type of wax, however, isn’t that good for melting with a sealing wax spoon because of its wick. No wick wax is more suitable for this. Compared to a glue gun and wax stick, no wick wax and wax spoon is good for beginners because it gives control over the temperature and amount of wax melted at one time
2. Stamping
Wax needs to be stamped before it hardens fully so that you can leave a mark of your stamp for the seal.
What’s important in stamping your wax seal is that you have to know what temperature works best for the type of wax that you are using, because not all wax has the same right temperature and time for the stamping process. Some waxes are better to be stamped while it’s hot, some are better when the temperature is lowered a little. Some others can be stamped at any time, but stamping at different times can result in different outcomes.
3. Lifting Stamp
Even though the stamping time and temperature vary, you should always only lift your stamp when the wax is hardened and completely cooled. If you lift your stamp too early, your wax will still be sticky and it will ruin the seal. The wax may get stuck onto the stamp and it will not come out nicely.
Understanding wax sealing takes time, as it needs quite a little bit of exploring and constant trials and errors until you get it right. You may not get it the first time, but you can always try again. You can also explore the ways you can make your wax seal more beautiful or look better, such as adding decorations like glitters, dried flowers, and many others.