FAQs
What is comic pressing?
What is dry cleaning?
Can you remove this stain/mark?
Is comic pressing and cleaning considered to be restoration?
How can I tell if my comic is a good candidate for pressing?
Do you submit directly to a grading company like CGC or CBCS?
Does pressing damage the comic?
Do all comic pressers get the same results?
Why should I use you to press my comic?
Would my comics be insured?
Why is there a strange flashlight showing on most of your pictures?
How long is the submission queue / where am I in the queue?
How Can I Pay?
What is comic pressing?
Essentially, comic pressing is the application of controlled pressure and heat to reduce or remove pressable imperfections in comic books or magazines. The aim is to remove as many flaws as possible to improve the grade and increase the value.
What is dry cleaning?
Dry cleaning a comic book is a method accepted by all the largest comic graders, which aims, where possible, to remove dirt and marks from the surface of a comic to improve its aesthetic appearance. At The Comic Clinic, no liquids or products are added, we only use methods accepted as being non-restorative.
Can you remove this stain/mark?
It depends on the mark. Stains, tanning, foxing, pen marks and other permanent defects would remain unchanged. Although it is technically possible to lighten or remove many of these issues, doing so involves processes that would/should classify the book as ‘restored’ and would also likely damage the paper and ink. Although we have the expertise to undertake such methods, we choose not to offer this service as we believe it is dishonest, reduces the value of a comic, and it also introduces the possibility of the comic being sold on as ‘unrestored’, thereby, defrauding the new owner.
Is comic pressing and cleaning considered to be restoration?
No, as long as the work is properly carried out using methods accepted by the industry’s leading grading companies, your comic would not be considered ‘restored’. The Comic Clinic does not use liquids or solvents, nor do we replace or add anything during the various processes we utilise for pressing and cleaning. As long as your comic was in a condition to qualify for a regular blue label prior to pressing via CGC or CBCS, your comic would still qualify for a regular blue label after pressing and/or cleaning by us
How can I tell if my comic is a good candidate for pressing?
The ideal candidate for pressing is a comic that has mainly non-colour breaking flaws, and few, if any, defects that break colour. Whether a comic is a good candidate for pressing is a difficult question to answer on a general basis, because many factors can affect the answer. As a rule of thumb, we would normally suggest looking at the current value of a comic to evaluate if a single grade step increase in the comic's value would offset the cost of pressing and any shipping fees. Although we always look for the highest potential grade increase, if we feel it is unlikely to achieve at least one grade bump, we would inform you before any work is carried out, and most likely, advise you not to proceed with that particular comic.
Without taking into account any sentimental value or gambling on future speculation, we would also suggest that, if the comic is currently worth less than £200, it may not prove worthwhile financially to undertake detailed work. One exception would be if the comic has a fair number of non-colour breaking creases, with very few flaws that have damaged the surface, which may see the comic grade going much higher.
Do you submit directly to a grading company like CGC or CBCS?
No, not directly, although when requested, we will forward your comics to your choice of grading facilitator.
Does pressing damage the comic?
As long as the comic is structurally sound, if carried out properly, pressing will not damage your comic. If your comic is very dry, has chipped edges, pieces hanging on by a few fibres, cracks down the spine or under the staples, and so on, then potentially, any kind of handling could cause damage, purely because of the fragile nature of comic's starting condition. This is why before working on any comic, we offer a no obligation inspection to assess these potential risks. We will explain how any risks we discover may affect the potential grade. Then if you decide not to proceed with pressing the comic, with your instruction, we would return your comic without any work or forward it to your choice of grading facilitators.
Please note, if your comic is already fragile, it is not going to get less so. Just having the comic bagged and boarded is not going to protect it from the ageing process, although using the correct bags and boards can slow down this process a little. However, even if you take the highest precautions and only handle the comic when you need to change the bag and board, it is still going to put frail chips at risk of breaking. Having the comic graded, if that is your plan, will offer superior protection and slow down the ageing process further, but ideally, it is best to undertake this process sooner rather than later.
Do all comic pressers get the same results?
Put simply, no. Our background in conservation and restoration gives us a head start over most, but more importantly, we enjoy the work we do. We do not 'bulk press' or pay anything less than 100% attention to detail on every comic we have the privilege of working on. We were taught paper conservation and restoration from the ground up; we did not learn through amateur books, videos or social media groups, passing off some moderately useful information along with some potentially dangerous techniques. That is not to say that some of these techniques won't make a difference, but they wont get the best results, and nothing we have seen so far has come close to applying good practice or safe methods.
Why should I use you to press my comic?
It depends on what is important to you. If you want the cheapest or fastest job, then we will probably not be the right fit for you. We take our time to make sure that your comic will present itself in its best possible condition, within the rules of what is accepted by the main graders and standard bearers. We take pride in our work, and with every single comic that comes through the doors, regardless of its value, we proceed as if our reputation is at stake. We have built a solid reputation, have years of experience, and have more than adequate business insurance. If that does not fill you with confidence, then please feel free to take a look at some of our case studies, which feature the smallest fraction of the comics we have worked on.
Would my comics be insured?
We currently have a business insurance policy with up to £500,000 cover for typical instances of accidental loss or damage, while your comics are in our possession. However, our insurance will NOT offer coverage while comics are in transit. It is the customer’s responsibility to package the items securely on their journey to us, and to make sure there is sufficient insurance in place through the postal service (or courier) for both journeys.
Although covered for any damage as a direct result of an accident, it should also be noted that our insurance company would not cover specific instances where a comic is extremely frail, and has already sustained damage due to its condition that may get worse. This would be classed as severe age-related wear and tear, and a comic in this condition should be carefully considered before even handling or transporting. For example, if an edge chip is just holding on by a few fibres, or a dry spine has cracks or splits, our insurance company would not entertain a claim whereby a split has opened up a little more, or the frail edge chip has broken away. With that said, we would point out any potential issues like these during the pre-assessment check, and draw it to your attention for instruction on how you would like us to proceed.
Why is there a strange flashlight showing on most of your pictures?
Using a small spotlight directly over the comic, gives a much clearer idea of what is happening with the surface of the comic by looking at how the light reflects. This will highlight disturbances, flaring, indentations, creases and even the way the cover is stressing. Other than photographs of graded comics, that have been supplied by our clients, and a few 'in action' photos that may appear, all of the photographs of comics featured on this site, are working photographs and were never intended for promotional purposes.
When we first put together The Comic Clinic Facebook page, we had a look at a few websites to get ideas of how best to show potential improvements. We noticed that some of them used photographic evidence that could be considered a little disingenuous and would not offer a true representation of their work. The 'before' pictures were often taken under a hard light to show the imperfections, whereas the 'after' photographs would sometimes be taken at different angles, with the light in different positions (completely missing the areas highlighted in the original pictures) or taken under a much softer light. From the first day we produced any 'before' and 'after' shots, we tried to make sure that any damage would be clearly shown on both the 'before' and 'after' sets, and we do our best to make sure the lighting was always the same as far as possible.
We keep between 40-50 original pictures on file, for at least two years of every comic we have worked on. All photographs should contain verifiable metadata to make sure there has been no manipulation, in case there are ever questions regarding condition, damage in transit or damage during the grading.
How long is the submission queue / Where am I in the queue?
Since the start of the COVID era, demand for high quality pressing has skyrocketed, so we have had to implement a submission queue. We have found this helps to reduce constant messages that distract us from working on the comics (although we do completely understand some people’s anxiety about having their precious comics away for so long).
To find out where you are on the submission queue and see the latest status updates, please click HERE.
How Can I Pay?
We will email an invoice once any work has been completed. The preferred method of payment is bank transfer, but payment can also be sent via PayPal 'Goods & Services', the details of both accounts are noted at the bottom of the invoice. Please do not make payment using the PayPal 'Family & Friends' feature to help us avoid fees. This is a business account and the fees that PayPal charge are a legitimate business expense, which we fully accept when we utilise this facility