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The simple answer is YES.

From the very point of them being printed the colour fast process is subject to deteriation unless perfect storage conditions can be adhered to which in the case of Lesney...Hmm!

Ghosthunter.

With sunfade on models you can usually see the original colour on areas hidden from the sun, would it be the same for boxes or does card/ink react differently?

grifterkid wrote:I know it sounds like an odd comment but...

Could colour variations in these (and other) boxes stem from how they were stored at the factory?!

For example, if some pre-made boxes were sitting on the top of a pile ready to go they would have had more exposure to light prior to being made up for dispatch.

Just a thought...

Yes, it could be.
As formerly in this or a different thread discussed, there are more possibilities.
- less colours in different printing runs
- storage environments in the factory
- last not least the storage environments at the collectors side.
My personal opinion is they didn't use the same quantity of colour at each printing run.
But I can confirm there are some sun faded boxes out there.
Sven

johnboy wrote:With sunfade on models you can usually see the original colour on areas hidden from the sun, would it be the same for boxes or does card/ink react differently?

I would say the same like the models.
I've seen sunfaded boxes with normal colour on the opposite site (shadow site).
Sven

SuperFast wrote:

johnboy wrote:With sunfade on models you can usually see the original colour on areas hidden from the sun, would it be the same for boxes or does card/ink react differently?

I would say the same like the models.
I've seen sunfaded boxes with normal colour on the opposite site (shadow site).
Sven

Thanks Sven, so close inspection of all sides and tabs is needed.

I wonder if the cardboard itself could affect the way the colours display. If one batch of cardborad were darker in colour, wouldn't that automatically give the printing a darker hue?

Idris wrote:I wonder if the cardboard itself could affect the way the colours display. If one batch of cardborad were darker in colour, wouldn't that automatically give the printing a darker hue?

Yes it would. Printing on dark colours such as card stock would affect the shades we see compaired to printing on light card such as the creams used by Lesney.

If Lesney specify all cream stock then there should not be any significant difference with the printed artwork on the usable side, so outside sources will be the only way to change those colours and this is where the colour fast properties will be affected by light, chemicals (as vapour) and or the envoirenment they are subjected to.

Colours can be changed on toy box arwork without having to be in direct Sunlight and you find the cheaper the toy the cheaper the printing was so a weaker colour fast!

Ghosthunter.