Excerpted from "The Official CGC Guide to Grading Comics"
CGC Grader Notes Guide for Comics
Table of Contents:
Introduction
During the grading process, CGC records the presence of some or all of the defects on a comic book. These are called “grader notes” and can be obtained for free online for many comics that have been certified by CGC. The Official CGC Guide to Grading Comics describes the terms used for grader notes in more detail, and we’ve excerpted parts of this section of the guide as a reference for collectors.
Crease
This category contains defects that involve a folding or bending of the paper of a comic book, and usually occurs on the cover, although creasing is sometimes evident on interior pages as well.
Explore Crease Defects: Bend | Crease | Crunch | Dent | Finger Bends | Finger Creases | Indent | Polybag Crease | Reader Crease | Reverse Spine Roll | Spine Roll | Stacking Bend | Staple Impression | Stress Lines | Subscription Crease | Vein | Writing Indent
Distortion
The category of distortion encompasses the broadest range of defects among the seven classifications, involving both aesthetic and structural effects.
Explore Distortion Defects: Blade Pulls | Butterfly | Canvassing | Cockling | Crushed Spine | Fade | Ink Distortion | Ink Smear | Miscut | Miswrap | Off-Register | Pebbling | Printer Crease | Rippling | Shadow | Siamese Pages | Signature Smudged | Staple Altered | Staple Extra (manufacturing) | Warping
Missing Part
This category refers to any original part of a comic book that is gone.
Explore Missing Part Defects: Binder/Punch Holes | Bindery Chip | Brittleness Chipping | Burn | Chews | Erasure Marks | Fraying | Gloss Loss | Hole | Ink Lift | Ink Loss | Ink Missing | Marvel Chipping | Missing Coupon/Panel | Missing Cover | Missing Insert | Missing Page | Missing Piece | Missing Wrap | Paper Lift | Printer Hole | Scratch | Scuff | Silverfish Damage | Staple Holes | Staple Missing | Staple Removed | Tape Pull | Wear | Wormhole
Stain
This category involves blemishes on the comic that affect the appearance of the paper, ink and gloss, making them aesthetic defects.
Explore Stain Defects: Foxing | Mold/Mildew | Odor | Rust Stains | Smoke Damage | Stain | Tape Stain | Transfer Stain
Substance
This category involves foreign objects becoming affixed to the surface of a comic, usually the cover.
Explore Substance Defects: Color Copy | Distribution Ink | Fingerprints | Ink Transfer | Lamination | Married Wrong | Name Written on Cover | Soiling | Stamp | Staple Extra (after manufacturing) | Staple Rust | Sticker | Substance | Tape | Tape Reattachment | Tape Residue | Writing
Tanning
The smallest category of the seven, tanning involves the darkening of comic paper through exposure to the elements.
Tear
Defects in this category involve the separation of paper anywhere on the book and is also considered a structural defect.
Explore Tear Defects: Bindery Tear | Brittleness Splitting | Detached Cover | Detached Insert | Detached Page | Detached Piece | Detached Wrap | Marvel Tears | Printer Tear | Slice | Spine Split | Staple Detached | Staple Poking Through Cover | Staple Recessed | Staple Tears | Tear