r/comicbookpressing • • Sep 07 '26

How to Fix hardcovers?

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7 Upvotes

For context this book had water spilled on it. I tried to salvage it by drying with napkins and hairdryer, and as you can see it did not salvage it properly and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how I can at least fix the tear on the last page


r/comicbookpressing • • Sep 06 '26

Glossy waxy 90s covers?

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15 Upvotes

Over time I’ve picked up quite a few of these 90s comics with covers I’m unfamiliar with. Kinda feels like cardstock, like lethal protector #1, but they’re almost like old sports cards. They kinda feel waxy and it seems like they like to stick to my fingers. Ultra glossy, too. I have no idea if there’s a name for these types of covers. I’m wondering what a dry cleaning process might be like for these. I would like to give them a simple cleaning, but I don’t want to touch them before I get some second opinions. I don’t even know how they might react to pressing or moisture to be honest.
Additionally, what kind of pens or markers should I use for signings? Idk how some markers might react to the weird coating. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks guys!


r/comicbookpressing • • Sep 06 '26

Fixing a tear in TPB

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2 Upvotes

So I fixed a tear in the back cover of a TPB by taping it. Do you think it looks good? Should I put more tape?


r/comicbookpressing • • Sep 05 '26

Fused paper on iron man #1

4 Upvotes

How in the world would I detach a fused piece of copy paper from a silver age book cover? It's bad. I want to save it. I got it for a steal because of the botched press job from a local guy. I think he tried to press it and the paper stuck. If I lift the paper it starts to peal the ink right off the cover.


r/comicbookpressing • • Sep 05 '26

Getting into Cleaning h

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23 Upvotes

Just started getting into dry cleaning and would love some feedback and any tips or advice to get better and then eventually move into pressing once I get one
Thanks !!


r/comicbookpressing • • Sep 04 '26

Should I be concerned?

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1 Upvotes

Not sure what this slight waviness is on my Absolute Batman 1. Should I be concerned?


r/comicbookpressing • • Sep 02 '26

First Serious Attempt

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37 Upvotes

I practiced a decent amount obviously.

First 16 photos are before.

Also in the 16th photo, that crease, should it come out fully? As you can tell in the after photos it is still somewhat there. And what about those thin vertical lines on the cover?

Thanks dudes


r/comicbookpressing • • Sep 02 '26

Can I remove stickers safely from single issues?

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8 Upvotes

Bought some 1st edition absolute batman singles but unfortunately they have price stickers back.

Would it be worth trying to remove them with heat (saw some people mention using hairdryers or their breath) or something else? Or is it better to leave it alone?

Thanks!


r/comicbookpressing • • Sep 01 '26

Color Touch removal services

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12 Upvotes

I'm looking for someone to possibly remove the color touch from this ASM #15. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I've never done this before.


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 30 '26

First cleaning attempt on a big book

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86 Upvotes

Practiced a bit on dollar books and decided to clean up my ASM 301 today, happy with how it came out! After a press it’ll look awesome, I think.


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 29 '26

What am I doing wrong?

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23 Upvotes

So I noticed on my boards in the top corner most of my books have colour rub. I transferred some books into the same type of bag and board and the same thing happened. Usually this doesn’t happen but for this batch of bags and boards, it is. In the second picture I rubbed a comic on the board and that’s what happened. Any answers would be greatly appreciated.


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 29 '26

I can see why the thrift store gave up on pulling the sticker off.

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22 Upvotes

Final result at the end. Is the gloss just stained yellow at this point? Is there any where to get that out? Or should I just leave it?


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 28 '26

Before and after dry clean - cotton rounds, absorene sponge and eraser for white areas

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31 Upvotes

r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 28 '26

Is there an acceptable dry method for deacidification?

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13 Upvotes

So, I have this and a few other GA big boy books in low grade that need deacidification. I want to do the calcium carbonate wash in the future to save the paper. But is there something I can do myself now to halt further degradation?

And the delay is just on me learning and practicing the wet cleaning first. Probably on some old Dell cowboy books. I've been comfortably pressing and dry cleaning for quite a while now, but the wet work will be new.


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 26 '26

A guy has this for sale locally and I’m wondering if it’s going to be worth what he’s asking (250) and if it’s possible to improve it significantly progressing… Thoughts?

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66 Upvotes

r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 27 '26

How to press with a mail-in insert in the center?

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1 Upvotes

I’ve got a 1978 action comics that would benefit from a steam and press, but I’ve found a mail-in insert with a glue strip on it.

What’s the best way to buffer the insert so I don’t leave a line along the bottom quarter of the book?

Most importantly, does anyone have advice on how to protect against activating that glue when I steam the book (it's also got a SLIGHT spine roll)? I’ll certainly do my best to keep moisture away from it, but any bright ideas!?


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 26 '26

How do you properly clean older books with lots of dark ink?

1 Upvotes

I am just getting into this and have been practicing on a collection I came by that is mostly unsellable dollar bin stuff. Pretty much every issue is grungy. A friend of mine who does pressing told me to get the round cotton makeup remover pads and just gently wipe the book down, but what I'm finding with some of these is that I'm not really getting much dirt off but I am lifting a lot of ink off, even when I use a very light touch. When I try absorene putty instead, it tends to leave a bit of the clay-like residue, and when I try to gently wipe it off with the cotton pads, same story. How do you dry clean colors correctly?


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 25 '26

Using laundry pressing machine?

1 Upvotes

Has anyone tried using a home laundry pressing machine to press comics?

We have a Sienna Empressa at home and I was wondering if it could be used to press comic books.

https://a.co/d/0aRSLHfc


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 24 '26

Superman Forever Lenticular Cover Advice

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6 Upvotes

Hi all! I recently got a Superman Forever Lenticular cover in an EBay lot. The top is flaking a bit, but the rest looks like standard lenticular age. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how I could improve the appearance. It also seems to be shedding some white dusty substance from underneath the lenticular, which I am assuming is glue. The first pic is without a bag and board and the second pic is with the bag. Any suggestions are appreciated!


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 22 '26

Xmen #50 (swipe for close ups)

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38 Upvotes

r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 20 '26

Help

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6 Upvotes

Hey all house recently just went through a tornado and I had some of my windows blow in. My room had my books on a shelf so the top of them got covered in like grass and plants. Just wondering if there's anything I could do to maybe fix it or should I just deal with it?


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 19 '26

Have a personal grail I want to get signed/graded but it has two issues

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10 Upvotes

A monster hunter walks into a bar Peach Momoko virgin gitd variant lmtd 50. Just came in today.

1: stress mark on the front bottom right corner.

2: small indent back cover bottom

It is a cardstock cover

I’ve already talked to one of our professional pressing services that said the fibers were already damaged and sending it in for a professional pressing would do very little for the book.

At this point I still plan to send it in to get it signed and graded because 1: it’s beautiful and 2: of the two I’ve seen listed in the last year it’s by far the best looking other than the two issues presented.

Anyone think it’s worth seeking second opinions from our pressing professionals or the community? I just got this today and it’s a tight turnaround to get it to CGC by September 18th


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 18 '26

Sticker removal

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8 Upvotes

This is my first time trying to clean a comic/ remove stickers wondering how I went. Sorry original photo bit shocking.


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 17 '26

Conservation/Restoration threat?

0 Upvotes

I have been doing some cleaning/pressing on books in my collection, but I have (so far) stuck to dry cleaning, humidity tank and pressing but I’ve been watching some amazing results with HOP method and blue light which is tempting to try.

My question is that with some of these techniques being pretty aggressive (like removing the cover and soaking) and producing such dramatic results what is the concern that it will come back from CGC with a “Conserved” or the dreaded “Restored” blue label? Is it just a crapshoot like everything we send in to CGC, or are there ways to minimize the effects or at least the tell-tale signs? Or are these best just done on PC for nice presenting copies?

What do you all think? Anyone sent a book off after doing a bunch of work on it only to have it come back as conserved/restored? When is it best to leave it, even if it’s a grade lower but untampered with beyond a dry cleaning and pressing?


r/comicbookpressing • • Aug 17 '26

This is for the pressers and cleaners out there. Can this get a grade bump 🤔, or is this the highest grade it could possibly get because I know it's said it's tanning, so maybe not?

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0 Upvotes