Fans must have the right color ink to get an autograph from Claire Foy, it seems.
“The Crown” actor recently turned down a fan’s request for an autograph because it was blue, per a video initially shared by photojournalist Michal Blank. Foy was in New York entering a building in midtown Manhattan and had to pass by a group of fans on her way inside, clips show.
She approached one fan who offered her a writing utensil, but then pulled her hand away.
“I don’t do blue,” she told the fan, per the clip.
“What?” the person asked.
Foy repeated herself, to the fan’s dismay.
“Oh, come on,” the person said.
A few steps away, a fan offered Foy a black marker and she took it, signed the autograph and gave the marker back.
The ink debacle has fans baffled.
“I have this visceral need to know why Claire Foy doesn’t do blue,” one person commented on the video posted to Instagram.
“Must! Know! Why!?” another said.
“Every part of this is so unhinged,” a third person weighed in.
Foy did not elaborate about why she doesn’t sign in blue ink in the video. TODAY.com has contacted Foy for comment. However, she’s not the only public figure who doesn’t sign in blue ink.
Fans posted possible explanations in the comments.
“They refuse to use blue because it may be sold as memorabilia over time,” one person said.
“Most celebrities and athletes are taught not to do blue ink cause you can scan and forge the signature on other things and sell them,” another person offered.
“Must be a superstition,” someone else speculated.
These explanations don’t quite add up for Christopher M. Naghibi, a banker and attorney who pushes back against the idea that blue ink is easier to forge.
“The notion that blue ink can be forged more easily than black ink isn’t necessarily accurate in the context of modern technology,” Naghibi told TODAY.com in a statement. “It really stems from an old, outdated ideology.”
He said historically, blue ink in scanned or photocopied documents did not hold the same contrast as what black did when copied. But “with advancements in scanning and printing technology,” Naghibi said “this distinction has become less relevant.”
He said blue ink is actually the standard in the legal world.
“As an attorney, I can tell you that blue ink is often preferred for signing important documents because it helps distinguish an original signature from a black-and-white photocopy or a printed signature,” he added.
The risk of forgery is not dependent on the ink color, but on the quality of the ink and paper used, Naghibi said.
“Both blue and black inks can be subject to forgery, and the security against forgery primarily depends on the methods used for verification and the quality of the inks and paper, rather than the color of the ink itself,” he said.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
