A traced dedication can preserve the words while quietly changing the handwriting that made the gift personal. Review the source and the proposed artwork together before treating the file as ready.
Compare the character, then the wording
Place a copy of the original note beside a full-size paper proof. Inspect connected letters, crossed strokes and the spacing between words. Ask the owner which irregularities matter: a wavering baseline may be intentional to preserve, while a stray scanning mark may be disposable.
Keep the source image intact. Save cleanup as a separate version and mark any reconstructed letters for approval. If a character is illegible, obtain clarification instead of silently completing it.
Separate artwork approval from an engraving result
A paper proof establishes what the recipient expects to read; it does not establish how a line will appear on a particular surface. Use documented operating guidance and an appropriate separate sample before committing a keepsake. Record which approved artwork version the sample represents.
For an AntBelt G1 project, retain the source, approved trace and sample photograph together. The hero is contextual artwork-planning imagery, not evidence of a tested handwriting reproduction.
Browse related planning notes in /updates/.