REMOVE WRITING INDENTATIONS FROM COMIC BOOKS

Writing indentations are one of those defects most beginners don’t notice until they tilt the book under a raked light. They can be tricky, because even if the ink is long gone (erased or faded), the physical impressions in the paper fibers remain. 

A writing indentation is a physical impression left behind when someone wrote on the top of a stack of comics or paper. The pen or pencil pressure doesn’t always leave ink, but it presses the fibers of the comic below into grooves. These grooves can affect:

· The front or back cover.

· The first few interior pages (if the pressure was strong).

· They look like faint “ghost writing” 

Someone used a comic book as a writing surface (for signatures, notes, etc.). Storing books under piles of paper where writing transfers pressure through. Even a kid tracing shapes on top of a comic can leave permanent indentations.

· Visible as lines, letters, or scribbles with no ink.

· On glossy covers, they reflect light differently.

· On matte or vintage newsprint, grooves under fingertip.

 Yes — but only if the fibers are compressed, not torn. Writing indentations are generally pressable defects, since they’re just displaced fibers.

 Unfixed indentations: Graders will catch them under angled light; even light writing impressions can hold a book back from 9.8 to 9.4.

After pressing: If fully removed, graders won’t note them at all. If fibers are torn (deep gouges): Permanent. You can flatten, but paper fiber damage will always show. Ink cannot be removed. 

 Writing indentations are much more common on modern glossy comics, because the smooth coating shows every mark under light. Never press too hard with the tack iron — gloss loss from over-burnishing can be worse than the indentation itself. Always inspect under a raked light source before grading — these are often invisible until the last second.