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I have an old pair of calipers I've been trying to look new. The measurement scales have all their grooves but it's difficult to see them. Other than taking a pin and painting each line individually is there another way?
Possibly a thin layer of paint and sand off revealing whatever is left in grooves.
You are right on track with painting the surface, but you should act before the paint dries.
Either cover the entire scale with paint or add a dollop or line of paint at one end, use a bench scraper to spread the paint over the scale, ideally back and forth. Scrape or wipe the excess paint off again with a rag, so that only the grooves remain coloured. Aim to work mainly perpendicular to the direction of the grooves so as not to remove the paint in them.
This technique is well-known in all intaglio types of printing, e.g. etching.
Sugru - not cheap, but simple & resilient.
(No affiliation, I just use it a lot for all sorts of things)
From Sugru's own web site - 8 ways sugru can refresh and improve well worn products
Rub a contrasting colour into the 'grain' of the markings & rub off the excess. Leave overnight to cure. Starts off like 'plasticine/silly putty' modelling clay - dries like rubberised plastic.
Amongst other uses, I've had some on chipped cups that I use every day & that go in the dishwasher all the time. Still sound after several years.
One example...
I just realised in the example they appear to be using some kind of wooden palette knife or spatula. I've found a thumb is quite sufficient; it's nowhere near as messy as the pic makes it out to be, thumb, finger, one piece of kitchen roll, done.
(first answer on stack exchange ever, so please be gentle with me)
Rub a wax crayon along the grooves, the wax will collect in them, any excess wax on the surface can then be easily wiped off. I can't say it's the most durable or permanent solution, but it's quick and wax crayons are both very cheap and come in a wide variety of bright colours.
In the tabletop gaming world, this is how we restore the pips on our various die when they lose their pigment/ink/paint etc.
