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Glossary
of Grading Terms Creases Due to handling over the years some magazine pages collect creases or dog ears – mostly in the top or bottom corners. When straightened the crease line often still shows. Some paper stock is more prone to dramatic creasing then others. Dog Ears The turned down corners of magazine pages usually as a result of bad storage rather than hand folding. Frayed edges The ragged, feathery outer edges of magazine pages. Retrofair prefer to send a complete flat including the feathered edges rather than risk damaging the original when trimming. Foxing The Spotty yellow or brown stains on paper. Often caused by oxidization and atmospherics. The degree of foxing is usually dependent on the quality of the paper and where and how it was stored. Gripper marks A few publications sometime have what looks like teeth marks running along the margin of a page. These are known as gripper marks and are incurred during the print and production process. Ink Transfer Also known as ink setoff. This is when some ink is tranfered to from one page to another. Usually when there has been heavy dark blocks of ink on the page. Pencil & Pen Marks Many Vintage British publications often have a name written on the front or back cover. This is a newsagent's mark used when reserving a copy for a customer. Retrofair does not consider discrete pencil or pen marks on front pages and back cover ads to be flaws. Rips & Tears Although amazingly resilient and strong, paper is also prone to damage and many older magazine pages have acquired the occasional small tear. Scuffing Mostly apparent on outside and inside covers of magazine. This is the dirt and soiling that the covers have collected due to storage and handling. Ads and prints with large white areas are most prone to collecting scuff marks. Show through Depending on the paper quality or stock sometimes the print from the other side of the page shows through as a faint shadow. Retrofair does not consider show through to be a major flaw however seriously bad examples will not be offered for sale unless the ad has a rare or unique quality. Stains and Soiling Usually occur as a result of water damage or spills Staple rusting The more mature the magazine is, the more chance there is of the staples rusting. This in turn can stain the inside fold edge of a page. Most evidence of rusting is confined to the extreme edges which are easily masked out when framing. Toning / Tanning All magazine paper will deteriorate with age. Usually it darkens or even changes colour particularly around the outer edges that have been exposed to the sun or unfavorable storage conditions.. Also known as Browning or Yellowing. Retrofair does not consider this natural effect to be a fault. Wrinkling Usually as a result of moisture in the air. Paper is very sensitive to atmospheric conditions. Some old magazine may have been stored in a moist climate or environment. This can result in some fine ripples across the surface of the print area. Usually not really noticeable once framed. Water Damage Can be anything from a light carved stain to a smudged wrinkled page. |
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