Good pressing candidates
Look for dents, waviness, light spine roll, folded corners and bends where the ink is not broken. A relatively clean, valuable book held back mainly by presentation defects is the clearest candidate.
Vintage books need individual assessment because paper quality, staples, previous work and brittleness affect handling risk.
When to skip pressing
Skip it when the comic is low value, already lies flat, or its grade is limited by permanent defects. Additional handling is not automatically beneficial.
If the book has suspected restoration, mould, active moisture damage or fragile paper, seek specialist advice before any treatment.
Set the right expectation
Pressing prepares the physical book; it does not assign a grade. CGC independently evaluates the whole comic, including defects a press cannot change.
No responsible presser can promise a 9.8 or a specific numerical increase.
What to do next
Use this guidance to shortlist suitable comics, then use the Fantasy Road submission form for current prices and service eligibility. CGC assigns the final grade and its published turnaround times are estimates, not guarantees.
