WELCOME Learn how to clean and press comic books yourself using this free online guide. Save time and money by pressing your own comic books with a heat press machine. Most supplies can be purchased directly on Amazon or eBay to save time, money, and shipping costs. I started a personal journey trying to learn the tips and tricks of pressing comic books. I wanted to learn techniques without showing any evidence of pressing or damaging a book. There have been some bumps along the way through some trial and error. This is still a guide for beginners and the basis to get started. It is very humbling but you will damage some books along the way. Start small with some cheap dollar bin comic books or reader copies. I have provided links for easy re-ordering, and for clarification on materials required in this free visual FAQ guide.
WHAT IS COMIC BOOK PRESSING? Comic book pressing is the process of flattening out a comic book that has been wrinkled or damaged. Comics can get bent during shipping or have creaselines from heavy reading. Good news: Comic Books can be pressed using a t-shirt heatpress machine, a book press, a stack of short boxes, or anything heavy and flat. The idea is simple: to smooth out the waves and bumps on the cover of a comic book. This makes the overall grade and eye appeal of the book increase considerably. Comic book pressing is not restoration, more like comic book conservation. The difference can sometimes mean thousands of dollars when discussing high dollar key comic books. Do NOT press a comic book with an iron.
All of these books were pressed using methods outlined in this guide and on my youtube channel. You too, can achieve similar results.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN? Every person is different. Do you have the ability to troubleshoot? Life experiences, patience thresholds, busy schedules, attention to detail, and climate can depend on the speed of your learning process. For the average person, it will take a minimum of 2 years to fully grasp all aspects of comic book cleaning and pressing. There are varying degrees of learning the different eras, thickness of books, spine bindings, and paper quality. Experience, time, and patience all play an important factor in this experience. As with anything else in life, it all will depend on how much time you put into learning this procedure. Over time, you will continue to learn new tricks, and develop your own favorite methods and shortcuts as well.
REGIONAL CLIMATE FACTORS Results may vary, depending on region and climate. I live in a Northwest state of the United States, so it is very humid here with lots of rain and moisture from the evergreen trees. It is also a coastal port city as well, so that adds to the climate, temperature, and elevation. If you live in the desert, you might want to increase the humidity time and use less heat at a lower temperature, for example. This is why you will see different varying opinions on the Internet for pressing books. Climate, regional, and other environmental factors weigh in on the success of pressing books where you reside. In the same vein, do not press books in your attic or garage. Dust, dirt, and humidity can also harm your books and create pebbling or divots.
SHOPPING CHECKLIST For this guide, you will need basic comic book pressing equipment that can be purchased online. Please refer to our product links page for recommended products.
DRY CLEAN FIRST, HUMIDIFICATION SECOND, PRESS LAST It is important to remember that any dirt on the surface of the paper may become muddy during humidification and will set further into the paper fibers. This will make the paper difficult if not impossible to clean in the future. The surface of the paper should at least be swept with a soft, natural fiber brush before humidification. If the papers are heavily soiled, consult a paper conservator about surface cleaning before proceeding.
PRACTICE ON PRESSING 7 TYPES OF BOOKS You will need to practice first on 7 basic types of comic books to learn the process slowly. Practice on your own books first. Practice treating each book as if it were priceless.