Charlotte Wickline asked: >Can anyone tell me the name & address of a company that can >bring out old writing to where it is readable? Not knowing where you live, let me suggest some more general methods--high tech, low tech, no tech. I assume that the problem is with viewing faint/faded ink, and not a problem of understanding the handwriting. 1. Try xeroxing it at different settings to see if you can increase the contrast. 2. Try viewing it through sheets of colored, but transparent, plastic (yellows and oranges often work well). Look for those clear plastic "report covers" sold in the drug store. I've also seen people use this trick to view hard-to-read microfilm. 3. Get a photostat (high-contrast) copy made (the places that copied blueprints used to make photostats), or go to a professional photographer to have it photographed in black & white, then printed on high-contrast paper. (Obviously, tell them that the purpose of the copy is to bring out the faded ink. They may have other suggestions. Call ahead to make an appointment so you can have your document copied while-you-wait. NEVER, EVER LEAVE AN ORIGINAL DOCUMENT BEHIND TO BE PICKED UP LATER!) 4. Try viewing it under an ultraviolet ("black") light. Stamp collectors (and the shops that sell stamps) often have a combination magnifying glass/uv light, which they use to read cancellation marks. This method can be especially good for reading faded ink on parchment/vellum (which is animal skin, not paper). Long-term exposure to uv light will heighten the fading, so only do this long enough to read/transcribe/photograph the document. 5. Have someone scan the document, and then use image-editing software to manipulate the image (heighten contrast, try different color settings, etc.). Best, Karen Stuart