Quoted:
Thanks.

I know I don't need their approval, I was just curious if anyone knew if one or the other was "better" for the sake of being supportive of rights.  I'd rather 'notify' the one who is more likely to file it in the shredder than add it to a database.  If such a difference exists.  Know what I mean?

ETA the form 1 only thing... really?  Is that just for permanent moves?  I have a class I'm going to take with a form 4 firearm across state lines, I've always been told I need to request the permission slip first.

Quoted:

It’s not a Form 1 vs Form 4 deal. It’s dependent on the type of firearm.

SBRs, SBSs, MGs and DDs require permission for temporary interstate transport.
Silencers and AOWs do not.

Quoted:
Guys, I'm going to start doing a couple Form 1s to do an SBR.  I have a couple questions:

I'm looking to take the posted 258 PDF and fill it out completely to make future prints a lot easier.  So my questions are:

• Can I take the posted PDF version of the 258 and put all my info in there and print it out?  It says "Type" is acceptable, not just print.  
• Place of Birth - So for Pennsylvania, I would just put "PA" as my POB?
  
• Signature - Again, trying to do all digital, I have a pen stylist that I can make a correct signature.  Is a digital version of my signature acceptable or does it have to be signed in Ink?

Quoted:


@metalsaber

Yes, you can print it.

In fact, I have made entirely digital copies of mine and my wife's prints with all info, prints, and signatures filled out and only have to print them and date it before I mail it off.

Ive used them 5x so far with no problems.

Here's the steps to digitize them with photoshop, I made a few suggestions in the thread that made them easier to print imho.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/Armory/Work-In-Progress-new-F1-F4-guide-for-41F-submissions/17-465636/?page=5&anc=4922594#i4933225

Quoted:
The initial post has an ATF address in GA.  I believe that has been updated to one in Portland, OR.

Do I mail my Form 4 here?

National Firearms Act DivisionP.O. Box 5015
Portland, OR 97208-5015

Quoted:
How to scan/print to FD-258


I've seen this asked quite a few times, here is how I do it.

Start with two separate quality ink prints on a FD-258 (roll your own, go to local LEO, etc) take extra precaution to keep your prints inbetween the lines and off any of the text.. will make your job easier later.

Scan your FD-258 cards in to your computer, I scan mine at 1200DPI, Document - black & white, PNG file type.

Once you get both of your FD-258 cards scanned in, open them up in your photo editor. I use Adobe Photoshop

Use the magic wand tool and select the white background, now click Select>Inverse. Press CTRL+X or click Edit>Cut to cut your selection. Press CTRL+N or click File>New.

Now paste your prints, CTRL+V or click Edit>Paste

Look to the lower right pane, it will say Layers and show Background and Layer 1. Layer 1 contains your prints and Background is just a white background. We need a transparent background so click the little lock next to Background to unlock the background. Now press Delete on your keyboard.

You should now see your fingerprints (and all the FD-258 form info) on a checkered background vs white.

Click the selection tool and make a box around just your prints, all of your prints in one large box. Now click Image>Crop

Now use your Eraser and erase the lines between your prints and any text. You want to just have your fingerprints left.. if your prints are over a line or text, you will need to zoom in, reduce the size of the Eraser tool and remove the lines.



Once you get done, download this .PDF of the FD-258 Open this PDF up in your photo editor, in Photoshop this will open with a transparent background. In Photoshop an Import PDF box will pop-up, make sure you select the Resolution to match the resolution your scanned your prints, in this case 1200DPI

Now go back to your fingerprint tab, press CTRL+A or click Select>All, then press CTRL+X or click Edit>Cut.

Go back to the FD-258 tab and press CTRL+V or click Edit>Paste.

This will place your finger prints over the FD-258 card. Click on the newly created layer and click Select>All.

Now click on the Move Tool and drag your prints down so they line up with the FD-258 card. At this point go ahead and print out a test page so see how your prints look, you may need to go back and adjust Brightness, Contrast, Levels, etc. I would recommend printing a test after each adjustment to see how it looks. Compare it to your original Ink FD-258.

Once you're happy with how your prints look you can select Layer 1 and press Delete. You should now have just your prints left in the correct location to fit on a FD-258. Now click on File, Print.

When the Print window pops up, click on Print Settings... change Paper Size to User Defined, 8.0" x 8.0", Portrait, Plain Paper and the Resolution to 1200DPI.

Load a few FD-258 cards in your printer (you can write Top and draw an arrow on a piece of paper and print off a test page to see the correct orientation) in my Brother laser printer I place the FD-258 cards face down, with the fingerprint portion of the card being pulled in first.

Now click print. You may get a pop-up stating the image is larger than the print material, just check Do not show again and click ok.

I do not have to play around with margins or any other settings, my prints come out perfectly centered on FD-258 cards every time.

If you have any questions feel free to ask, these instructions are for Adobe Photoshop but you should be able to use any other halfway decent Photo editing software. I have used GIMP before which is very similar to Photoshop, its free and it can be used on several different operating systems, including GNU/Linux.