Vinyl Label Archive | Pressing Forensics Lab
Pressing Forensics Lab · Archive Nº 001
Every Pressing
Leaves a Trace.
Two records can look alike and carry different histories. Read the small evidence in their labels, deadwax, and manufacturing marks.
Look closer. Compare what changed.
Label twin · A / B
A pressing is a set of clues.
Compare label typography, logo placement, rim text, catalog number, pressing ring, and the marks cut into the runout groove.
- Record what you can see
- Separate evidence from interpretation
- Keep uncertain identifications open
This archive documents observations; a single matrix or ring detail does not prove a pressing plant or first pressing.
From observation to archive.
Label Twin Detector
Place two label photographs side by side and note changes in type, spacing, rim text, color, and layout.
Map the runout
Log each inscription by side and clock position. Mark hand-etched letters, machine stamps, symbols, and unreadable characters.
Build a pressing record
Bring label, matrix, pressing-ring, sleeve, and source notes together. Distinguish a release, a variant, and your physical copy.
Discover → Compare → Identify → Archive
- Photograph. Capture the label, runout, and sleeve details in even light.
- Compare. Align the center hole and outer circle; inspect one feature at a time.
- Record. Enter catalog number, A/B matrices, inscriptions, and what remains unclear.
- Assess. Cite the evidence and source; label conclusions confirmed, probable, or unverified.
Every copy holds a small history.
Pressing Mystery Cases
Unidentified label variants, partial runout codes, and competing pressing hypotheses—with the clues that could resolve them.
Notes from the inspection desk
Practical guides to label anatomy, deadwax marks, pressing rings, first-pressing myths, and responsible identification.
K-Pressing Archive
Observe Korean license pressings, local label text, distributor marks, sleeves, and inserts alongside their source editions.
Archive principle
Evidence first. Certainty when earned.
A small matrix variation may reflect a stamper or manufacturing difference within a release. It does not automatically define a separate edition. We preserve observations, sources, and confidence levels so future collectors can revisit the record.
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