surface bubbles and what causes them?

[highstreeters]

I'm not even sure if 'surface bubble' is the technical term for what look like zits on the face of the card. I've never seen one on the reverse so I'm assuming it is factory defect and something to do with the ink? Any thoughts or ideas on this and are 'surface bubbles' a big deduct when grading cards...as they seem to be more visible in angled light only?

[66_Fiat]

I'm assuming Chrome of some type. Are you referring to an auto/ink, or just the card stock?

[highstreeters]

I don't know about chrome. I should have mentioned the type of cards I have seen these bubbles on are vintage from the 1960's.

[discostu]

A bubble in the ink as it comes off of the drum, or a droplet of water on the sheet as it's fed through.

[highstreeters]

do you grade a lot of vintage cards? (1960's). Do you find graders deduct for these surface bubbles?

[theshowandme]

I imagine the mix of heat + ink when printing is what causes them

[Randallk34]

Da fuk you talking about

a card from the 60's with a surface bubble, yes that will deduct from grading

[rega311]

Its probably wax build up from the packaging or gum stains

[highstreeters]

ok i guess the surface bubble would fall under 'printing blemish' then.

[Myerburg311]

I believe you are referring to a fish eye, no? it is a printing flaw

[Svabinsky78]

I posted about this recently. I have Greinke's Bowman Chrome rookie and have a fisheye/surface bubble/blister.... whatever you want to call it on the back of the card. It seems to be a common issue with some of the Bowman Chrome sets. The back of the card has a very fine film. Sometimes during the manufacturing process, and sometimes later on when the card bows a little, these blisters form. It's annoying as it definitely is a condition issue which presumably affects the grade...but it is what it is

[highstreeters]

Originally Posted by Myerburg311

I believe you are referring to a fish eye, no? it is a printing flaw

no but thanks to you pointing this out I now understand what a fish eye is as I read some previous post on this.

what I am talking about is more like a blister. It is something very hard to see when viewing the card normally but if you look at the card in angled light you can see what looks like a blister or what I have been calling a surface bubble.

is there a correct technical term for this? I have been focusing on 1960's vintage cards so I do not know if this blemish is prevalent in 1970's cards for example. But it is quite prevalent in 1969.

[Archangel1775]

Vintage Topps cards with those bubbles will get a deduction on surface. You can only hope the grader misses it which is difficult as it sticks out like a sore thumb when the card is held at an angle. You can see the raise in the ink. As for the back, I dont recall ever seeing a surface "bubble" on the plain cardboard. I have seen stains though.

[corndog]

It would help if the OP could post a picture of the bubbles on 1960s cards.

On a newer card, a bubble would have most likely originated during the UV coating application.

[highstreeters]

Originally Posted by Archangel1775

Vintage Topps cards with those bubbles will get a deduction on surface. You can only hope the grader misses it which is difficult as it sticks out like a sore thumb when the card is held at an angle. You can see the raise in the ink. As for the back, I dont recall ever seeing a surface "bubble" on the plain cardboard. I have seen stains though.

thank you for that. I also have never seen a surface bubble on the reverse. Is there a correct technical term for these blisters or surface bubbles? PSA or SGC don't breakout the surface like BVG does so I wonder what kind of impact these printing blemishes have? At any rate I do not like them.