🎯 About ARK Imprinting

Imprinting is a crucial breeding mechanic in ARK: Survival Evolved that allows you to bond with baby dinosaurs during their maturation process. Successfully imprinting provides significant stat bonuses and special rider bonuses.

When you imprint a creature to 100%, it gains a permanent 20% increase to all stats (except stamina and oxygen) and provides a 30% damage and resistance bonus when ridden by the original imprinter.

Our calculator helps you plan the perfect imprinting schedule, ensuring you never miss an imprint opportunity and can achieve maximum bonuses for your bred creatures.

📋 How to Use This Calculator

Step 1: Select your creature from the dropdown menu. Each creature has different maturation times and imprint requirements.

Step 2: Enter your server multipliers. These affect how fast creatures mature and how often they need imprinting care.

Step 3: Click "Calculate Imprint Schedule" to generate a complete timeline showing when each imprint is due.

Step 4: Follow the schedule in-game, providing cuddles, walks, or requested kibble at the specified times.

The calculator accounts for official server rates, private server multipliers, and special event bonuses to give you accurate timing.

💡 Pro Imprinting Tips

• Always claim babies immediately after hatching/birth to start the imprint timer
• Keep requested kibble types in stock - preparation is key to perfect imprints
• Use cryopods to reset imprint requests if you don't have the required item
• Set alarms based on the calculated schedule to never miss an imprint
• Consider server restart times when planning long maturation periods
• Baby creatures eat very quickly - ensure adequate food supply
• Use feeding troughs once babies reach 10.1% maturation
• Maewing and Procoptodon can help with baby care and transportation

⚙️ Server Multiplier Guide

Official Servers: Use default values (all multipliers = 1.0)

Small Tribes: 3x maturation, 0.5x cuddle interval

Private Servers: Check your server settings or ask admins for multiplier values

🧬 Breeding Strategy

Perfect imprinting is just one part of successful ARK breeding. Combine imprinting with proper stat inheritance and mutation breeding for the ultimate creatures.

Best Practices:

• Breed high-level parents with desired stats

• Aim for 100% imprint on all valuable creatures

• Track mutation counters and stat inheritance

• Plan breeding projects around your available time

• Use multiple generations to stack beneficial mutations

Remember that imprinted creatures are significantly more powerful in combat and utility applications, making the time investment worthwhile for important tames.

📊 Imprint Mechanics Explained

Imprint Types: Creatures will request one of three care types: cuddles (press E), walking (whistle follow), or specific kibble/food items.

Timing: Default imprint interval is 8 hours on official servers. Each successful imprint adds a percentage based on the creature's total maturation time.

Percentage Formula: Imprint gain = 100% ÷ floor(Total Maturation Time ÷ Cuddle Interval)

Stat Bonuses: 100% imprint provides 20% increase to health, damage, weight, speed, and other stats. The rider bonus adds 30% damage and damage resistance when the imprinter rides the creature.

Understanding these mechanics helps you optimize your breeding programs and create the most powerful creatures possible in ARK.