Polishing

Polishing is one of the most visually rewarding restoration techniques. A properly polished card can transform from dull and scratched to vibrant and glossy in minutes. This guide covers the fundamentals of card polishing - the "wet look" that makes holos shine.

Polish works primarily on the coating layer. It fills micro-imperfections and creates a uniform surface for light reflection.

Wax-based polishes (like Kurt's/Giovanni's):

Also on this page
  • Overview
  • Understanding Card Surfaces
  • Surface Layers
  • Why Polish Works
  • Products
  • Kurt's Card Polish / Giovanni's Polish
  • Hyper Potion
  • Supporting Materials
  • The Polishing Process
  • Preparation
  • Step 1: Load the Applicator
  • Step 2: Apply to Card
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This page is part of the Card Conservation Wiki member library — the working reference behind The Cardboard Alchemists. Technique pages with tested settings, the Card Sensitivity Database, logged incidents with the exact parameters that caused them, and community experiments you will not find written down anywhere else.
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