recoloring-detection

name	recoloring-detection
description	Use when inspecting a card suspected of having recolored borders, ink, or surface. Common restoration in 1980s-90s on vintage.

Recoloring Detection

Recoloring touches up ink to hide whitening or scratches. Detection: ink density mismatch, UV response, microscope inspection, and grader's standard authentication pass.

Recoloring signals

1. Uneven ink density at color boundaries
2. Ink appears 'flat' (no original printing layer pattern)
3. UV fluorescence different from rest of card
4. Microscope view: brush strokes visible on the recolored area
5. Color slightly off-shade vs comp images of pristine examples

Common recoloring patterns

• Black border touch-up on Pokemon (Charizard #4)
• Red border recolor on T206
• Yellow background fill on 1952 Topps
• Player image touch-up on Mantle, Ruth, Wagner

Penalty schedule

Detected recoloring:

• Authenticated, NOT graded (no number)
• Auction houses reject
• Resale 30-60% off comparable clean grade
• Some auction houses 'recolored' label sells but at deep discount

Where this fits in the X3 empire

Sentry tool flags suspected recoloring via color-uniformity analysis.