This morning I reviewed a 600 dpi color PDF of a 2019 notarized birth certificate — visible microtext but no discernible embossing or relief, and the signature’s baseline looked algorithmically smoothed. In your workflows, would a registrar’s confirmation email plus the scan satisfy verification, or do you still require physical inspection under oblique light to rule out flattening artifacts?
If ‘600 dpi’ hides embossing, ask for a raking-light phone photo; I accept registrar email + scan if EXIF matches.
I’ll take registrar email + scan only if they also send a raw HEIC/JPEG — no PDF — since “optimize scanned PDF” is exactly what makes signature baselines look algorithmically smoothed at 600 dpi. I verify the email’s DKIM/SPF and that the 2019 serial/QR resolves; if either’s off, , I ask for a 5‑second oblique video under a lamp or go physical, @james_riley77.