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Posted By: davidcycleback

If a modern fake is unique or close to it, it's likely a computer print.
This is because there are big upfront costs to making lithographs and similar
'printing house' prints, so there has to be a big print run to bring the cost per card down. In
other words, if someone made a modern lithograph Babe Ruth fake, there would
probably be tons of the cards floating around-- just as we see Fro Joy reprints
all around. On the other hand, a forger can make a single fake on his home computer
at reasonable cost.

Certain kinds of computer printing, in particular laser printing and
photcopiers, are simple to identify with a microscope. And, obviously, if a card
is a laser print it's modern. This type of printing was invented in 1937,
didn't come into widespread use until years later and MLB cards, scorecards
or calendars have never been made by photocopiers or home laser printers.
Not even Donruss or Upper Deck ever made a baseball card on a photocopier.