Baseball card production question--pondering gloss
 

Would someone please explain the use of gloss in pre-war cards? We all know it when we see it, but what exactly is it, how and why is it applied in the process, and what function does it serve? Are there different types of gloss, and is its makeup or application different in lithograph cards than in photograph cards? Any help appreciated.

There are different types.

The gloss on photos is partly the surface finish of the paper and partly the emulsion that makes the photo.

Lithographed cards can have a layer of Gloss which is a clear substance like ink that's applied with the press as a separate color pass.


I've had a few postcards where the gloss was peeling like a thin layer of plastic. I believe that's actually a layer of celluloid or similar plastic that's been added to make the card shiny.

Steve B

In general, for best color lithography (T206s, Topps, Bowman, T3s, etc) you want a white background (glossy smooth is nice not but required) and for the best monotone photoengraving (1910s Sporting News inserts, others) you want super smooth (which translates to glossy). You can print photoengraving on matte paper (see old newspapers and magazines) but it won't be as sharp-- and, in fact, early 1900s newspaper pictures are pretty crude. If the Sporing News were color photoengravings, they'd probably be on white stock.

The printers picked the stock they wanted beforehand and for super glossy front cards such as the Sporting News inserts, they chose a glossy front stock. Notice with the Sporting News inserts that only the fronts are glossy, and with the T206s only front has the white coating. That's because the player pictures are only on the fronts and the backs are just text.

The gloss or lack there of was added during manufacture of the cardstock or paper itself, not during or after printing. The printers picked the stock based on the type of printing they were using and the desired quality of the final product. You would want a newspaper's premium on 'fancier' stock and probably with better quality graphics than the daily newspaper. And notice that the picture sections of many many books are on whiter, smoother paper than the rest of the book.

As already noted, real photo cards have a transparent coating to hold the photochemicals to the paper, and that gives the fronts a typical gloss. Again, the coating was added during the manufacture of the paper.

As far as authenticating and fake detecting baseball cards, correct gloss is one of the hardest things to duplicate. Nearly all counterfeits and reprints have a different gloss than the genuine cards. Even Topps' reprints of their own cards have different glosses.

And, in fact, there is a small scientific instrument called the glossmeter that measures gloss. Put it in on the surface of something and it gives a numerical reading. The inside of the instrument shines a beam of light off the surface and measures how much is reflected off. A mirror, which is designed to reflect back a clear image, measures at 99.9 percent glossy-- the highest reading the glossmeter will give. The glossmeter is usually used for quality control by paint manufacturers, but can be used as easily on trading cards.

All of the post is generally correct, with exceptions that mostly relate to the quoted section.

Some inks are shinier than others, and will appear slightly glossy depending on how heavily they're applied. A heavy application on a glossy card stock will come out very glossy.

Certain sets had a clear gloss layer applied. T210, T212, probably others. Many of the old glosses will yellow over time. Here's a T210 that only got about half the glosscoat. Not all T210s got the gloss, once you know to look for the yellowish vs very white they're easy to spot.
http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...pictureid=6670

Most Topps sets in the 70's and 80's had a glosscoat, but done more subtly so it appears normal. It's a way of making the entire front look evenly glossy. (And for the crazy variety collectors, some of it yellows, some doesn't) Starting with the super glossy sets like some inserts and the tiffany sets they used a very heavy coating.

Steve B

I have some late 80's and early 90's sheets and they all have a added gloss coating. The 89 Fleer sheets stick out the most as they are getting a very slight yellow to them. The gloss covers the cards but does not go all the way to the edge of the sheet.

Thanks for the replies--very useful information.

I am interested in knowing more about the cards that had a separate coat of gloss applied. Specifically, the T212-2s are known for the crazing or light wrinkling throughout. Is that a flaw in the gloss that causes problems in the stock, a problem with the stock itself or the gloss itself? None of the above?(it's really hard to pick up in a scan or I'd show one)

Here are two Gimbel's cards that are typical of that set where light colored backgrounds are found, and below them two other m101-4s that have a different ad back. Note how the Gimbels have a "cloud-line" appearance in the sky that is actually some sort of effect on either the gloss or the photo--this is only found on Gimbels of the various m101-4s. Any clue what caused this?

http://photos.imageevent.com/imoverh...ge/Capture.JPG