FAQ's
Answers to Some of Our Most Asked Questions
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Do I need a bag and board when I frame a comic book?
No it is not necessary but it is up to you! Here are a few things to consider:
1) A backer board is never necessary as the acrylic front and hard plastic backer are much more rigid than any backer board.
2) A sleeve(or bag) does add an extra layer of protection for your comic book if you prefer however just so you know all plastic used in The Collectors Resource Brand frames are completely safe for direct contact with comic books.
3) If you do decide you want to use a sleeve we suggest using a Mylar or Polyester type of sleeve and never a Polyethylene (or Poly) bag as it will wrinkle. A Mylar (Mylite) sleeve is much more rigid and clear and looks MUCH nicer in the frame. Depending on the size of the sleeve it may be necessary to trim the Mylar sleeve top and sides down so that it fits better inside the pocket of the frame.
I can say that we have never used any type of sleeve when displaying any of our comics in our frames(and we have been doing it for 10 years!) but we have tested using them just so we can offer solid advice and the Mylar works well.
Again, this choice is strictly up to you and these are just recommendations should you chose to put your comic in a sleeve before mounting it into the frame.
Will putting my comic book in a frame damage the book?
When mounted properly, in no way should a frame damage a comic book as long as the frame is designed to hold a comic book. Take your time, center the book in the frame and adjust the screws and tabs to have just enough pressure to secure your particular comic in the frame and it will actually provide more protection than a bag and board. If you use a frame not intended for a comic book such as a photograph frame there may not be enough room for the thickness of the book and smashing the comic in between two pieces of glass or acrylic can cause damage such as spine splitting or indentations in the pages or covers from the staples. Also if the materials used in the frame are not safe to have long term direct contact with papers or printed materials your comic could stick to the materials when you try to take it out.
How do I know which frame is right for my comic book?
Most Silver Age to Current comic books fit into all of our frames, even Some Golden Age comics. These books range in size from 6.625"-7" wide and 10.125-10.25" tall and these will all fit in any of our various Comic Book Frames. Exceptions here are if you have a thicker than normal book, with page counts of usually more than 68 or so pages. These thicker books will not have enough room in the standard pocket depth of the frames and cause the backer to stick out the back of the frame. This does have an easy solution, when you place an order for a frame that will hold a thicker book simply add a note to your order that you require a deeper pocket and we will modify that frame(or frames) to accommodate your needs!
If your comic book is wider than 7" our Frame for Golden Age Comic Books will bet fit your books.
For even larger comic books or magazines check out our 2Book Connecting Cover Frame for books ups to 10.5" wide and 13.25" tall.
Should I worry about UV damage to my comic books?
Of course, yes! But that does not mean you can't display them safely. We use Framing Grade Archival Safe 98% UV filtering acrylic in all of our frames for ungraded comic books, where the comics come in direct contact with the acrylic. This is literally the same material used by museums, art houses and the Library of Congress for document preservation and protection! Short of displaying your comic book behind a piece of solid opaque material this is the safes option for displaying your comic book, unless you prefer to display your book in a frame behind a piece of opaque material so that you cannot see the book at all..
However even when using the UV filtering acrylic we still do not recommend hanging your books in direct sunlight, seems like common sense but we still just have to say it!
For more detailed information on safely displaying your comics and the rooms you display them in read this.
Are CGC Cases (Slabs) UV Protected?
No, CGC Cases are not UV safe. They are made from an archival quality plastic that is safe for your comic book but they have no added UV inhibitors to the material that would protect the comics from any damaging UV rays.
Are CBCS Cases (Slabs) UV Protected?
No, CBCS Cases are not UV safe. They are made from an archival quality plastic that is safe for your comic book but they have no added UV inhibitors to the material that would protect the comics from any damaging UV rays.