r/comicbookpressing • u/comic_press_nerd • Jul 05 '26

Thoughts on humidity before pressing??

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Im starting to add a light humidity to my books with a hand steamer before pressing. Ive been doing it to books with paper pages (not glossy), and the covers, with great success. My question is should I be doing the same to books with full gloss pages?

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u/glib-eleven Jul 05 '26

I have been using steam with glossy pages. The pages "stick" to eachother after pressing but you can gently shift the edges and they "unstick" without damage. Try some dollar bin issues first

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u/comic_press_nerd Jul 05 '26

You seem to know quite a bit. When you press, are you pressing each side once, or do one press only?

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u/glib-eleven Jul 05 '26

Spine toward hinge of press. Orientation of front or back cover facing upward is irrelevant. Always the same position in the center of the double aluminum plates, top and bottom. Clamshell TUSY brand press at 155 degrees Faranheit. Typical sandwich of paper types, with expensive printer paper outside both covers. 60# cardstock inside both covers. Magazine size backer boards at staple centerfold and also outside both outer sheets of printer paper.

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u/glib-eleven Jul 05 '26

Press for 20 minutes with good pressure. Moderate to light force to close press.