1955 Topps Coloring--Killebrew

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Guys, I've bought many, many 50s Topps cards over my collecting life, but I just noticed this today about '55 Topps, specifically the Killebrew. What accounts for the difference in the color between these two cards?? These almost don't even look like the same player. The hat, background, etc. look totally different. Did the one on the right miss some color passes? I apologize for the pic not being the best, it's a little blurry, but the differences are apparent.

[JollyElm]

The yellow balance on the card on the left is much 'stronger' (especially in the flesh tones) than the one on the right. Not sure which card is the 'correct' version, but that seems to be the issue. Perhaps the left card was printed when the yellow ink was full, and the one on the right was printed as it began to run low?

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

It seems like for most cards in '55 Topps, the Killer on the left is more typical. I have seen cards from this set over the years that seemed a bit more pale. It was striking to see the difference side by side. Your explanation is more than likely correct, and I suppose that would also explain the much darker hat on the card on the right. It would be interesting (and expensive) to see if most cards in this set have the bright and pale versions.

[swarmee]

Since yellow fades under sunlight fastest, it could just be damage over time due to UV light exposure.

The pressman running the press had the yellow too saturated on the run causing the yellow to be brighter not only in the yellow but in all the colors which all have yellow in them to a certain degree. Notice the hat intensity and the more orange red shade of the bottom bar. His flesh tone is also has more of a yellow tone. During the run the pages are compared to a prepress proof that has been signed by the client to manage color accuracy. The pressman's job is too match that on press by adjusting the four colors on press of cyan, yellow, magenta and black. The slightest move on press of any one color can throw the entire page out of whack and it happens all the time. The pressmen pull sheets randomly along the print run to make sure the colors are consistent. If it's not they adjust that color on the press controls. It always varies though. I've done hundreds of press checks over the last thirty years. It's really interesting to watch the process and how complicated it really is. Very different now with so many digital printing processes.

Originally Posted by swarmee

Since yellow fades under sunlight fastest, it could just be damage over time due to UV light exposure.

Actually red fades the fastest. Red has the longest wavelength of visible colors which causes it to fade quicker than others. Generally the higher wavelength the absorbed light, the more likely it is to cause a pigment breakdown. This is because the energy of each photon in light is proportional to the wavelength (Energy of a photon = Planck's constant times wavelength). Blue dyes reflect higher visible wavelengths (not absorb) so are therefore likely to have a minor fade resistance advantage over other colors. The science of it is even more complicated than that and way over my head but this is the cliff note version.

[jchcollins]

Interesting thread, Robert.

Topps color variation gets even more all over the place when you start looking at late 60's and early 70's cards. '73 is particularly inconsistent. I've had several cards in my collection that I've thought looked fine before, until I see them side by side with a copy of the same card that got a more favorable factory coloring, and it can be eye opening.

To my knowledge, none of the major TPG's downgrade for coloring unless there is a huge problem. I've seen "dull versions" of some cards still grade PSA 9.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Wimberleycardcollector

Actually red fades the fastest. Red has the longest wavelength of visible colors which causes it to fade quicker than others. Generally the higher wavelength the absorbed light, the more likely it is to cause a pigment breakdown. This is because the energy of each photon in light is proportional to the wavelength (Energy of a photon = Planck's constant times wavelength). Blue dyes reflect higher visible wavelengths (not absorb) so are therefore likely to have a minor fade resistance advantage over other colors. The science of it is even more complicated than that and way over my head but this is the cliff note version.

That is weird. I have seen a lot of faded baseball cards and never once have I seen magenta fade before yellow.