The easiest way to spot a Fake
After just learning about UPC stickers, and realising that such a sticker would be very easy to replicate, I thought it might be nice to share probably the easiest ways to spot a fake. Whether it be an artwork sleeve or a manual you suspect might not be legit, there is one sure-fire way to work out if its original or not.
Original printed materials are Offset printed using pigmented inks that soak into the paper. Under magnification you will see the image consists of a very distinct dot pattern. Fakes or repros will undoubtedly be laser or ink-ject printed and although the images will be made up of tiny dots, they will not be made up of the same distinct dot pattern that your originals are made up of. Laser images are also toner based and are prone to cracking along folds and since toner does not soak into paper, but rather sits on top of it, laser images can be prone to scraping off also.
Use your phone and zoom in to check out the dot pattern on an original artwork sleeve of yours and then compare with that of a repro and you will see the difference.
When in doubt, look for the dot pattern.
Hope this helps.
Original printed materials are Offset printed using pigmented inks that soak into the paper. Under magnification you will see the image consists of a very distinct dot pattern. Fakes or repros will undoubtedly be laser or ink-ject printed and although the images will be made up of tiny dots, they will not be made up of the same distinct dot pattern that your originals are made up of. Laser images are also toner based and are prone to cracking along folds and since toner does not soak into paper, but rather sits on top of it, laser images can be prone to scraping off also.
Use your phone and zoom in to check out the dot pattern on an original artwork sleeve of yours and then compare with that of a repro and you will see the difference.
When in doubt, look for the dot pattern.
Hope this helps.
Comments
The picture below is of the dot pattern I was talking about. If you're unsure if any printed material is original, this is what you will see under magnification if it is. Pretty distinct as I mentioned. Laser printed stuff will not look anything like that.
the stickers almost look like they have a silvery backing like you see on scratch off tickets.
Originally posted by: bigbacon
i bet the UPC would be fairly easy to tell if it was fake or not by looking at the back side of the sticker (remove label art and look)
the stickers almost look like they have a silvery backing like you see on scratch off tickets.
Was not aware of the sliver backing. That wouldn't be easy to fake (which must be a relief for MS collectors who like their UPCs).
Originally posted by: Curious
this is what you will see under magnification if it is.
So do you carry around a loupe whilst game hunting?
Originally posted by: flatuswalrus
Originally posted by: Curious
this is what you will see under magnification if it is.
So do you carry around a loupe whilst game hunting?
I do carry one in my utility belt along with my fake moustache and explosive pellets for those occassions I wish to disappear in a puff of smoke, but a mobile phone camera works pretty well also