Comic Book Cleaning and Pressing Tutorial!

At last, here's my quick tutorial on how to clean and press comic books on a budget. This is for collectors looking to improve the appearance and grades of their books without spending a fortune. Don't forget to sub, like and comment! Thanks for watching and best of luck in your pressing endeavors!

[@Fhita1962]

This is very helpful! This whole endeavor, takes experimentation! I was hesitant to use any type of wet cleaning. I started at 170 f., for 1 hr. I'll share my mistakes. I forgot the cook sheet on the top cover, and the backing board melted on the hot side of press. Had the scrape off. I also bought a el cheapo chinese shirt transfer press popular on ebay, does work, but better to buy a better press. I have just been doing dry pressings but dropped temp. to 140f for an hour, and then leave in press for anywhere from 2 hrs, to overnight. I destroyed a decent spiderman #73, ( man- mountain marko). On occasion, something gets spilled, something sticky and the heat re-activates and sticks to backer board. I use 150# manga paper, no gloss finish now, works well with the teflon sheet. Thanks again, this is the next step! Good concise delivery! Kudos.- matt

[@ComicsAltruism]

Eeep. That sucks about the disasters! If it’s any consolation, that’s the best way to learn, though. Thanks for watching and best of luck!

[@mattpecht2615]

Great tutorial. Thank you

[@ComicsAltruism]

And thank you for watching!

[@2002warlord]

Well thanks for the awesome tips I enjoyed your video

[@ComicsAltruism]

Thanks for watching!

[@palemoonknight]

Awesome video thank you!

[@ComicsAltruism]

And thank you for checking it out!

[@goldeneastgun]

I understand those t-shirt presses are cheaper, but the photo mount presses are so much better. A very through demonstration 👍

[@ComicsAltruism]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@luppchri]

I got my press today and followed your advice to buy Cookina but also bought cheaper Teflon sheets recommended by other pressing enthusiasts. Wow, what a difference in quality: the Cookina has a really smooth feel to it, you can’t actually feel the mesh whereas with the cheaper ones you clearly can feel it. Some of them have a finer mesh, but it is still noticeable. I will now only use Cookina to avoid imprints in my comics. Thanks for this valuable tip.

[@ComicsAltruism]

That’s amazing. Glad I could be of some help, especially since I only tried it because it was the closest thing I could find at the hardware store. 😆. I guess necessity IS the mother of invention.

[@berardoferrari]

@@ComicsAltruism i live in canada where can i find that cookina baking sheet ?????

[@ComicsAltruism]

@@berardoferrari I found mine at Canadian Tire but I’ve also seen them at Metro which means they should be in most major grocery stores.

[@rwheatley0206]

Great video buddy. I know pressing takes some time to figure out and everyone does it a little different. Thanks for sharing.

[@davidv.3135]

Thanks for the video.

[@ComicsAltruism]

And thank you for watching!

[@PasspointComics]

great info thanks

[@PasspointComics]

do you use distilled water?

[@ComicsAltruism]

You are most welcome and yes, it absolutely must be distilled water. I tried tap water on some “tester comics” (zero value) and my steamer started spitting after the third one. Would’ve been disastrous if they were something cherished. Thanks for checking it out!

[@acballer1831]

Good post very informative

[@ComicsAltruism]

Daniel Middleton Thanks for checking it out!

[@goodguy9997]

Great information,,,,

[@ComicsAltruism]

Thanks! And thank you for checking it out.

[@stanlee5465]

I wish I could easily test what kind of results to expect from home pressing... I've seen a few books on ebay selling cheaply due to covers with non colour breaking folds/creases, or slight wrinkling caused by water damage, while unblemished examples sell for far more... Have you been able to significantly boost the value of any books by eliminating cover folds or reversing minor water damage? It just seems like an indispensable tool for anyone trying to flip comics?

[@ComicsAltruism]

Stan Lee I haven’t really boosted any value because I’ve only pressed books I keep...Unless someone asks for a press, then I do it for free. But it’s definitely a worthwhile investment for a flipper if you know what kind of defects can be fixed.

[@RGRIII]

I was all pumped but then you laid down the 4 to 6 hours....holy shit!

[@ComicsAltruism]

Right? I think you could get away with less but I didn’t want to say that in the video because I couldn’t guarantee the results. Play around with it and you might be able to cut that time in half. Thanks for watching!

[@toasty-toast]

You should make an updated video of you have had new learnings. Do you use a tack iron at all

[@ComicsAltruism]

I haven’t used a tack iron. Have you? As for new knowledge, I actually haven’t accrued any but if I ever get back into it when I have money for better tools, I’ll do that.

[@itcamefromthenerdcave1669]

Great video! I was talking to my LCS guy about pressing and I asked if he uses a steamer or the humidity box/thing and he said no because the application of any liquid counts as restoration. My question is, how would a grader know?

[@ComicsAltruism]

It Came From The Nerd Cave They wouldn’t be able to tell but I can’t remember if I mentioned it in this video. If that was so, water damage would be a double-whammy both for the loss of grades but also for restoration. It’s only the application of chemicals that count as restoration. Thanks for watching!

[@itcamefromthenerdcave1669]

Comics Altruism Thanks man! I’m a 40 yr collector but cleaning, pressing, and slabbing is new to me.

[@brianrichards8013]

So I have a similar press to the one your using, now my question is I hear people talking about sanding down the aluminum cast piece till it’s butter smooth so the heat can come from both sides. Do you use the rubber mat? Or have you done the same? Thanks and again awesome video

[@ComicsAltruism]

Yeah, I still use the rubber mat because I want there to be some give. I'd rather do a book once on the front and once on the back because I'd be worried that metal on metal might put too much stress on the spine and I'd end up with a completely color-broken spine on an otherwise perfect book. Sanding wouldn't be necessary with those silicone sheets and it would save time...so let me know if it works for you!

[@blinky705]

@@ComicsAltruism Do you find a sort of texture on the silicone sheets that gets transferred to the cover surface? That happened to me. If you run your fingernail across the sheet, it makes a sound like ZIP, which indicates a nearly microscopic texture. I switched to parchment paper, which has no texture. The down side is that you can only use each sheet once, but it's not that expensive at Sam's Club. It's more trouble but I really was put off by seeing a "pebbly" surface on the comic covers.

[@ComicsAltruism]

@@blinky705 I actually made the mistake of trying to use the same parchment multiple times, which I learned was a bad idea. The silicon sheets I use are good for smoothness but I had to try a few before I settled on the Cookina Baking Sheets. The barbecue ones did as you described.

[@blinky705]

@@ComicsAltruism I will search for the Cookina sheets and see what they look like. Thanks for the tip!

[@ComicsAltruism]

@@blinky705 No problem! They're becoming ubiquitous so it should be fairly easy.

[@CoachDale_TopNotchMuayThai]

Hey great video dude ! I don't have a press like that, but I have this big Cricut press that I'm trying to use..... Its like a really big iron. If I set the heat and press it for a good amount of time, do you think Ill get any result ?

[@ComicsAltruism]

I would think so, yeah. If all the factors that make pressing work are there, one could use anything and just adjust accordingly. Let me know how that goes and thanks for checking this out!

[@CoachDale_TopNotchMuayThai]

Comics Altruism Honestly I think it works dude ! I find if you steam it enough and press it with heat for about 2 minutes a side then I pull weights on it for 10-12 hours. And it worked pretty good. Not perfect of course but I really do think it upgraded it for sure

[@CoachDale_TopNotchMuayThai]

Comics Altruism I’ll do another one here tonight and take before and after pictures and send you them if you like 👍🏼

[@ComicsAltruism]

@@CoachDale_TopNotchMuayThai Yeah, sounds good!

[@symbiote07]

what size & brand is that press? Informative video thanks!

[@ComicsAltruism]

symbiote07 Sorry, I didn’t see this until I got another comment from somebody else. I’ll report back when I get the info. Thanks for watching!

[@ComicsAltruism]

I searched all over for the instruction manual and couldn't find it, and there's no label on mine, but I found a link to the exact same product here: www.aliexpress.com/item/32871690911.html . Mine was cheaper and from a different distributor, but this will lead you in the right direction.

[@stevecapaldi1999]

I new to this process and watching video. I honestly don’t have a ton of home time, my question is; this seems time consuming is it really worth it? Do you gain grade? I’m in agreement with your last statement of “cheating” but warming up to being a cheater

[@meetuluse2]

What is a good press machine for comics. They all tell time in seconds. I have seen people say 30 mins plus for pressing

[@ComicsAltruism]

Ryan Chhabra I think those times are for super-low temperatures, which is a good way to go if you know you’ll be around. A medium temperature, followed by shutting the press off, serves the same purpose. Let me get back to you about the press I use, but I know it’s cheap. Thanks for checking it out!

[@ComicsAltruism]

I searched all over for the instruction manual and couldn't find it, and there's no label on mine, but I found a link to the exact same product here: www.aliexpress.com/item/32871690911.html . Mine was cheaper and from a different distributor, but this will lead you in the right direction.

[@toasty-toast]

Great tutorial. Are you from Canada? I recognize that water bottle.

[@ComicsAltruism]

Yes I am! I'm in London, Ontario. Thanks for watching!

[@jasonb9081]

Any tips for fixing spine dents?

[@ComicsAltruism]

I’ve seen people use an iron (dry) with silicon sheets but I thought about it and that’s the same process as this whole pressing technique, the difference being that you’re isolating one spot, which puts less risk on the rest of the book. If you try it, let me know how it goes.

[@InfamyOrDeath-__-]

A bunch of books that I’ve got from *DC* over the last few months all have the cover shorter than the pages of the book. Like when the book is closed the pages of the comic stick out past the cover, is this a problem with all the comics or just the ones I received? Most of the *Death* *Metal* comics & *Generations* *Forged,* *Generations* *Shattered* all had this issue. Have you heard of this?

[@ComicsAltruism]

I’ve only heard about with old-school printing defects. Interesting! So yes, I’ve heard of it but not with anything since the ‘70s. It would be one thing if the printers screwed up once but repeatedly is strange.

[@InfamyOrDeath-__-]

@@aryanmohammad1552 This is about the one hundredth time I’ve seen this post, why would I want to hack someone else’s *Instagram* accounts? I don’t even want to look at my own, why would I want to look at someone else’s?

[@huntincomics]

Learned a lot from this vid, thanks! Would be very interested in seeing a vid dedicated to just cleaning. Is the putty eraser you showed the same thing as absorene? Thanks

[@ComicsAltruism]

Glad to hear it! I'll hopefully be doing a cleaning video in the near future since I barely touched on it here. Absorene is a little softer but it gives the same results overall...I just can't find absorene at a reasonable price (or in smaller quantities). Thanks for watching!

[@Bowchigabowwow]

Is that an Alex Maleev Elektra print behind you?

[@ComicsAltruism]

I had to look that one up. It’s actually Bill Sienkiewicz from 2016. Thanks for watching!

[@tonymoretti2347]

What kind of press and where did you get it? Thanks

[@tonymoretti2347]

Still waiting for a reply....

[@PedroSanchez-ww8hu]

Have you ever used a humidifier instead of a steamer

[@ComicsAltruism]

Pedro Sanchez I have not because I don’t have one, but I’ve seen enclosed setups where the books are laid out on racks and humidity is piped in. If I had the space, I think the extra time and effort would be well worth it.

[@geraldshukert9780]

Can I get a model number or UPC on that Staedtler eraser? Searching isn't getting me anywhere.

[@ComicsAltruism]

Yes, if you are in the U.S. it should be “925 11 BK2A6 NA”. Those first 5 digits are different in Canada, U.S.A. and Malaysia. The UPC on mine is “31901 95059” but it’s probably different for the American one. Hope that helps!

[@user-kz9ot4zv5e]

Those are good erasers. Here's a tip: to clean the eraser itself, run it back and forth on a scrap of carpet.

[@Julian-iz7kb]

Hi

[@stanlee5465]

HAHA, The alarm is to ensure that there ISN'T a fire!

[@ComicsAltruism]

Stan Lee True that!

[@smokebanshee9298]

Yeah. I tried to follow you on Instagram and found absolutely nothing?

[@ComicsAltruism]

Weird. You might have to type it in as comics.altruism but typing it just like the KZbin channel should’ve pulled it up. Let me know if the alternate way works.

[@ComicsAltruism]

Another way would be to search sasquatchcomic and click on the LinkTree in the bio. That opens into everything.