How to Detect Inked TCG Cards

7th August 2025 EDT FEATURES

All the general information about inked cards and how to detect them, right here.

Inked cards have become an increasingly pertinent issue within various TCG communities. Although inked cards are not counterfeits, they have nonetheless been tampered with so as to appear to be in better condition than they really are.

If a card has been found to be an inked card, its value typically plummets because it’s no longer in its original form. Inked cards are also ineligible to be graded.

But what exactly is an inked card, and how is one detected? Let’s discuss that now.

What Is an Inked Card?

An inked card is a TCG card that has had any imperfections, such as those shown in the picture above, covered up with ink. The size and shape of these covered imperfections may vary; the larger the original imperfection and thus the inked area, the greater the reduction of the card’s value.

Inked areas on a card can be detected using various methods, including black light, magnifying glass, high-definition digital microscope, or infrared camera. Although larger inked areas can be detected via the naked eye, in most cases, the inked area will be too small for this to be the case.

Black Light

By placing an inked card under black light, the portions of the card that have been colored in can be seen more readily. This is because the inked portions are usually not visible to the naked eye. Using black light makes the color differences caused by the ink to become visible.

However, if the inked portion is too small or there’s not enough ink used, the inked portion might not show up even under black light.

Magnifying Glass

This same difference in color can be detected by way of a magnifying glass. The use of a magnifying glass makes any difference in color more obviously visible; however, this is the crudest of all the methods listed here because it’s sometimes possible that even a magnifying glass might miss out on smaller inked areas.

High-Definition Digital Microscope

For a more in-depth look at the inked card, a high-definition digital microscope can be used. Through the microscope, the details of the card’s texture can be seen, allowing any discrepancies to become clearly distinguishable.

If the microscope picks up a glossy finish or a pen-like ink texture, that should raise an obvious red flag as either would indicate that the card is most likely inked.

Infrared Camera

Any areas of a card that have been found to be darker than usual or discolored can be picked up by an infrared camera. In addition, an infrared camera is able to detect areas that have a different color intensity than what would ordinarily be expected.

Conclusion

Of course, it’s important to remember that the list of methods to detect an inked card that we’ve listed isn’t an exhaustive one. In addition, there are some inked cards that might not even necessarily be detectable by any known method as of yet because the manufacturing technology used to produce inked cards is also developing in its own right, making inked cards more difficult for non-experts to pick out.

At SNKRDUNK, we carry out extremely high-precision authentication by professional appraisers, thus confirming that every card we sell is not only genuine, they are not inked.

On a final note, we’ve also made a video about the points detailed in this article. SNKRDUNK also posts the latest authentication information on social media such as X, Instagram, and TikTok, so be sure to check them out.

What is SNKRDUNK Lab?

As a leader in the industry, our lab is dedicated to tackling the social and economic problems caused by counterfeit goods. We aim to improve authentication technology and raise awareness about fakes by strengthening our partnerships with domestic and international experts and research institutions.

By combining technology, data, and human expertise, we are creating the future standard for what is authentic.

Our Main Activities

Investigating and Researching Counterfeit Goods

SNKRDUNK currently maintains an authentication accuracy rate of 99.97%. We will continue to conduct research and investigations, utilizing Japan’s largest database of counterfeit products to stay ahead of the curve.

Improving Our Authentication Technology

By introducing and researching various tools, including X-ray, infrared, and microscopes, we are enhancing our technology to ensure we can authenticate every single item.

Communicating for Public Awareness

We will regularly publish market reports based on our partnerships with external organizations and experts, as well as on insights and research findings gathered from the field.

Follow us on: