Nschenks Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 Maybe a stupid question, but I haven't found a good answer. What exactly is 'gloss' and how does a comic lose it over time? I ask because I've been getting some early 80's X-Men books from an original owner, and the covers are some of the brightest I've seen. That said, the PQ is OW/W for most of them (in my eyes). Does gloss/brightness depend on when the comics were printed (i.e. how much ink was left)? Or is it more about exposure factors over time, such as exposure to moisture and sun? Is gloss just related to the brightness of the inks or is there some other factor that makes a comic 'glossy' off the press? Again, apologies if this is a 'newb' question or if the answer is really obvious. Was just curious, since I see the words 'glossy' pop up a lot in relation to old books and don't really know how to qualify that other than 'you know it when you see it'. Point Five 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazyboy Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 It's how the paper was made/treated. Ink levels will affect how the colours look and, thereby, your overall perception of the cover, but covers with significant white areas can still be glossy. Wear and exposure will affect gloss. Nschenks, grendelbo and Yorick 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post buttock Posted December 14, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted December 14, 2023 It starts with 'calendering' where the paper is rolled flat and shiny by pressure in rollers. Following that there are sometimes elements in different inks that can add more gloss. grendelbo, Randall Dowling, silverseeker and 4 others 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nschenks Posted December 14, 2023 Author Share Posted December 14, 2023 Thanks y'all! Appreciate the responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VintageComics Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 On 12/14/2023 at 3:15 PM, buttock said: It starts with 'calendering' where the paper is rolled flat and shiny by pressure in rollers. Following that there are sometimes elements in different inks that can add more gloss. It's actually a clay-like substance in the paper stock that causes the sheen, IIRC. That's why books with shiny cover stock are heavier than comics with just newsprint, and this is why when a glossy cover gets wet, the gloss disappears. The clay changes form when wet. Tony S and Nschenks 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeypost Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 Kaolin clay. Randall Dowling, Tony S, Nschenks and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMyAmadeus Posted December 17, 2023 Share Posted December 17, 2023 (edited) https://papapicciones.com/a-paper-sizing-guide-everything-you-need-to-know/ https://www.caseyprinting.com/blog/how-is-paper-made https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/basics-of-paper-manufacturing.html https://www.technicaljournalsonline.com/jers/VOL II/JERS VOL II ISSUE II APRIL JUNE 2011/ARTICLE 4 JERS VOL II ISSUE II APRIL- JUNE 2011.pdf https://www.tappi.org/content/Journal/2002/TJ/09sep02/Fardim2_Eng.pdf Edited December 17, 2023 by RockMyAmadeus LowGradeBronze, Lazyboy, Randall Dowling and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Point Five Posted December 17, 2023 Share Posted December 17, 2023 It's a great question. I picked up a couple of 1950s Atlas books recently that have absolutely sick gloss, even though the books are not particularly high grade. I don't believe they were reglossed -- once in a rare while I've encountered 50s books that had some kind of spray-on gloss added and the covers had a heavier, unnatural feel. This appears natural to me, which makes me ask a similar question -- what is it in the manufacturing or preservation process that cause some 50s books today to have dulled gloss, while others are super vibrant and look like they just came off the press (again, overall condition aside). Nschenks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nschenks Posted December 17, 2023 Author Share Posted December 17, 2023 On 12/16/2023 at 7:37 PM, RockMyAmadeus said: https://papapicciones.com/a-paper-sizing-guide-everything-you-need-to-know/ https://www.caseyprinting.com/blog/how-is-paper-made https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/basics-of-paper-manufacturing.html https://www.technicaljournalsonline.com/jers/VOL II/JERS VOL II ISSUE II APRIL JUNE 2011/ARTICLE 4 JERS VOL II ISSUE II APRIL- JUNE 2011.pdf https://www.tappi.org/content/Journal/2002/TJ/09sep02/Fardim2_Eng.pdf This is awesome--thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
