Printing and Manufacturing Errors

All the big comic book publishers employ quality assurance processes to their manufacturing processes, and despite their best efforts, sometimes a misprint slips through.

In the earlier (physical) manufacturing days of print presses and the like, maintenance was left to teams to ensure adequate ink, colours, paper type, staples, etc.

Given these manufacturing-based defects were not caused by reading or by the collector, these errors are generally unique and demand a higher premium from the marketplace.

How do these Errors Happen?

Comic book manufacturing errors, such as missing staples, incorrect ink, or added pages, stem from the complex interplay of machinery, materials, and human oversight in the printing and binding processes. Below, we explain the typical machinery involved in comic book production and the likely causes of these specific errors, covering both vintage (pre-1980s) and modern (post-1980s) eras, as the processes have evolved.

Overview of Comic Book Manufacturing

Comic books are mass-produced using industrial printing and binding equipment. The process involves several stages: pre-press (preparing artwork and plates), printing (applying ink to paper), and binding (cutting, folding, and assembling the pages).

Errors can occur at any stage due to mechanical failures, human error, or material issues. The machinery and techniques differ slightly between vintage and modern production, but the core principles remain similar.

Key Machinery Involved

  1. Printing Presses:
    • Vintage Era (Pre-1980s): Letterpress or offset lithography presses were common. Letterpress used raised metal plates, while offset presses used plates to transfer ink via rubber blankets. These were often large, mechanical systems like the Harris or Goss presses.
    • Modern Era (Post-1980s): Computer-controlled offset lithography dominates, with digital presses (e.g., Heidelberg Speedmaster) for smaller runs. These use digital files and automated ink systems for precision.
  2. Paper Handling Systems:
    • Feeders and Conveyors: Feed paper into the press and move it through stages.
    • Cutting Machines: Guillotine or rotary cutters trim paper to size.
    • Folding Machines: Fold printed sheets into signatures (groups of pages).
  3. Binding and Finishing Equipment:
    • Saddle Stitchers: Staple folded signatures together to form the comic book.
    • Collators: Gather signatures in the correct order before binding.
    • Cover Applicators: Attach covers, often with adhesive or staples.
  4. Ink Delivery Systems:
    • Ink Fountains and Rollers: Distribute ink to plates. Modern presses use automated ink key systems for colour consistency.

Examples of Double Covers

 

Common Manufacturing Errors and Their Causes

Here’s a breakdown of the different types of errors and their likely causes, and how they relate to the machinery or process in vintage and modern contexts:

1. Missing Staples
  • Description: A comic book lacks one or more staples, causing pages to be loose or detached.
  • Causes:
    • Saddle Stitcher Malfunction: The stapling mechanism fails to fire or misaligns, missing the paper entirely. In vintage presses, mechanical stitchers (e.g., Mueller Martini) relied on manual calibration, and worn parts could skip staples. Modern stitchers are automated but can still jam or misfeed.
    • Paper Misfeed: If signatures are not properly aligned in the stitcher, staples may not penetrate the paper. This was more common in vintage setups with less precise feeders.
    • Operator Error: In vintage production, operators might fail to reload staple wire or notice a malfunction. Modern systems have sensors, but overrides or ignored alerts can cause errors.
    • Material Issues: Thin or brittle paper (common in vintage comics due to lower-quality newsprint) might tear or slip, preventing staples from securing properly.
  • Vintage vs. Modern: Vintage comics were more prone to this due to manual processes and less reliable machinery. Modern automation reduces but doesn’t eliminate the issue, as high-speed production can still lead to undetected misfeeds.
2. Incorrect Ink (Color Errors, Smudging, or Missing Colors)
  • Description: Pages have wrong colors, faded ink, smudged ink, or missing color layers (e.g., only cyan or magenta appears).
  • Causes:
    • Ink Fountain Issues: In vintage offset presses, ink was manually adjusted in fountains for each color (CMYK: cyan, magenta, yellow, black). Incorrect mixing or clogged fountains could lead to wrong colors or uneven application. Modern presses use automated ink keys, but calibration errors or software glitches can cause similar issues.
    • Plate Misalignment: Offset presses use plates for each color. If plates are misaligned (more common in vintage presses due to manual setup), colors overlap incorrectly, creating muddy or shifted images.
    • Ink Contamination: Foreign particles or improper cleaning of rollers can mix colors, especially in vintage presses where cleaning was less automated.
    • Drying Issues: If ink doesn’t dry properly before pages are folded or stacked, smudging occurs. Vintage presses had slower drying times due to less advanced dryers (e.g., heat or UV systems). Modern presses use UV curing, but high-speed runs can still cause wet ink to transfer.
    • Plate or File Errors: In modern production, digital files might have incorrect color profiles (e.g., RGB instead of CMYK), leading to unexpected color output. Vintage comics relied on physical color separations, where human error in preparing plates could cause missing or incorrect colors.
  • Vintage vs. Modern: Vintage comics often had color errors due to manual color separation and less precise ink control. Modern digital workflows reduce human error, but software or sensor issues can still lead to mistakes.
3. Added Pages (Extra or Misplaced Pages)
  • Description: A comic contains duplicate pages, pages from another comic, or pages in the wrong order.
  • Causes:
    • Collator Errors: The collating machine, which gathers signatures, can malfunction, grabbing extra sheets or sheets from another job running simultaneously. Vintage collators were manually monitored, increasing the chance of errors. Modern collators are automated but can misfeed if sensors fail.
    • Operator Oversight: In vintage production, workers might accidentally include pages from another comic, especially in busy print shops handling multiple titles. Modern automation reduces this, but human setup of print runs can still cause mix-ups.
    • Paper Handling Issues: Sheets can stick together due to static or improper cutting, leading to extra pages being folded into a signature. This was more common with vintage newsprint, which was prone to sticking.
    • Printing Multiple Titles: Print shops often run multiple comics on the same press to save costs. If jobs aren’t properly separated, pages from one title can end up in another. This was especially common in vintage production with less stringent quality control.
  • Vintage vs. Modern: Vintage comics were more susceptible due to manual collation and lower-quality paper. Modern automation and quality control systems (e.g., barcode scanning) minimize but don’t eliminate these errors.

 

Double, Triple (or more) Cover Errors

Double and triple covers are rare comic book manufacturing errors where a comic has two or three covers attached instead of the usual single cover. These errors occur during the binding and finishing stages of production and are highly sought after by collectors due to their rarity and visual appeal.

What Are Double and Triple Covers?

  • Double Cover: A comic book with two covers, one nested inside the other. The outer cover is typically the one visible, while the inner cover is identical (same issue, same printing) but tucked inside, often only noticeable upon close inspection.
  • Triple Cover: An even rarer error where a comic has three covers, again identical and nested. The inner covers are usually pristine, as they’re protected by the outer cover.
  • Appearance: The covers are typically from the same print run, meaning they’re not different variants but duplicates of the same issue’s cover. The interior pages are usually unaffected, with the correct number of pages and no duplication of content.
  • Collectibility: These errors are prized by collectors, especially for key issues (e.g., first appearances or significant issues like Amazing Spider-Man #129). The value depends on the comic’s rarity, condition, and the number of covers. Inner covers, being protected, are often in better condition, adding to the appeal.

Professional Grading Double or Triple Covers

CGC will grade both (or all) covers in the comic book, and will subset the Blue Label with a grade for each.

The Large Grading (The overall grade) is generally given to the innermost cover.

Causes of Double and Triple Covers

The primary cause is a malfunction or error in the collation or feeding process, where extra covers are inadvertently added to a single comic. Specific causes include:
  1. Paper Feed Misalignment or Overfeed:
    • What Happens: The feeder mechanism grabs two or three covers instead of one due to static cling, suction issues, or improper calibration. This is more common with thin, lightweight cover stock, especially in vintage comics using newsprint or low-grade glossy paper.
    • Vintage Context: Vintage feeders were less precise, relying on mechanical suction or rollers. Static electricity or sticky paper (due to humidity or ink residue) could cause multiple covers to stick together and feed as one.
    • Modern Context: Modern feeders use advanced sensors and vacuum systems, but high-speed production or worn parts can still cause overfeeding. Miscalibrated sensors might fail to detect the extra cover.
  2. Collator Error:
    • What Happens: The collator places multiple covers onto a single set of interior pages. This can occur if the cover stack isn’t properly separated or if the machine double-feeds covers into the collation stream.
    • Vintage Context: Manual or semi-automated collators were prone to human error, such as improper stack loading or failure to notice overfeeding. Operators might not catch the error during fast-paced runs.
    • Modern Context: Automated collators are more precise, but software glitches or mechanical jams can cause extra covers to be included. High-speed runs (common in modern printing) increase the risk if quality control isn’t rigorous.
  3. Saddle Stitcher Misfeed:
    • What Happens: The saddle stitcher binds multiple covers to the interior pages because the extra covers were not detected during collation. The stapling process treats the extra covers as part of the single comic.
    • Vintage Context: Vintage stitchers had limited error detection, so extra covers could easily pass through unnoticed. Worn or misaligned stapling heads might also fail to secure covers properly, masking the error until later.
    • Modern Context: Modern stitchers have sensors to detect page count or thickness, but these can be bypassed or miscalibrated, allowing errors to slip through.
  4. Human Oversight:
    • Vintage Context: In the vintage era (pre-1980s), comic production relied heavily on manual oversight. Workers might not notice extra covers during collation or binding, especially in high-volume print shops producing multiple titles simultaneously.
    • Modern Context: While automation reduces human error, operators setting up or monitoring machines can still miss issues, especially if quality control checks are skipped to meet deadlines.
  5. Material Issues:
    • Paper Stickiness: Thin cover stock, especially vintage newsprint, could stick together due to static, humidity, or ink residue, causing multiple covers to feed as one.
    • Modern Paper: Modern comics use glossy or coated cover stock, which is less prone to sticking but can still cause issues if not properly handled or if static builds up during high-speed feeding.

Why Are Extra Covers Identical?

Double and triple covers typically involve identical covers from the same print run because comics are printed in large batches, with covers stacked together before collation. The error occurs when the machinery grabs multiple covers from this stack, not from different issues or variants. However, in rare cases, a cover from a different comic might be included if multiple titles are printed simultaneously and collator separation fails (this is less common and not typically what’s meant by double/triple covers).