What Size of Bags and Boards Do I Need to Protect my Comic Books?
While today’s comic books are normally 6 5/8″ wide by 10 3/16″ high (Current size), these dimensions were not always standardized. Throughout the history of comic books, publishers have made comics is different sizes (learn more from this article). For the purpose of bag and board sizes, BCW has simplified the sizes into three groups, or ages.
- Golden Age – circa 1938 to 1955
- Regular/Silver Age – circa 1956 to 1969
- Current/Modern Age – circa 1970 to present
To keep comic books preserved, they’re normally stored in bags with boards and you’ll want to get bags and boards sized appropriately for your collection. If you’re not sure what size of bags and boards you need, please measure your comics, and compare with the sizes listed below.
| BACKING BOARDS | ||||
| Modern Backing Boards Same width as Current comics | 6 5/8″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk 1000/case | 1-BBMOD 1-BBMOD-BULK | |
| Current Backing Boards Slightly wider than Current comics | 6 3/4″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk 1000/case | 1-BBCUR 1-BBCUR-BULK | |
| Regular Backing Boards Same width as Silver comics | 6 7/8″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk 1000/case | 1-BBREG 1-BBREG-BULK | |
| Silver Backing Boards Slightly wider than Silver comics | 7″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk 1000/case | 1-BBSIL 1-BBSIL-BULK | |
| Golden Age Backing Boards Slightly wider than Golden Age comics | 7 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-BBGOL | |
| BAGS – Polypropylene | ||||
| Modern/Current Bags Fit with Modern or Current boards | 6 7/8″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-CUR | |
| Modern/Current Bags With Resealable Strip Fit with Modern or Current boards | 6 7/8″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-CUR-R | |
| Modern/Current Bags For Thick Comics Fit with Modern or Current boards | 7″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-CUR-THICK | |
| Modern/Current Bags With Resealable Strip For Thick Comics Fit with Modern or Current boards | 7″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-CUR-R-THICK | |
| Regular/Silver Bags Fit with Regular or Silver boards | 7 1/8″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-SIL | |
| Regular/Silver Bags With Resealable Strip Fit with Regular or Silver boards | 7 1/8″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-SIL-R | |
| Regular/Silver Bags For Thick Comics Fit with Regular or Silver boards | 7 1/4″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-SIL-THICK | |
| Regular/Silver Bags With Resealable Strips For Thick Comics Fit with Regular or Silver boards | 7 1/4″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-SIL-R-THICK | |
| Golden Age Bags | 7 5/8″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-GOL | |
| Golden Age Bags With Resealable Strip | 7 5/8″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-GOL-R | |
| Golden Age Bags For Thick Comics | 8″ x 10 1/2″ | 100pk | 1-GOL-THICK | |
| Golden Age Bags With Resealable Strips For Thick Comics | 8″ x 10 1/2″ | 100/pk | 1-GOL-R-THICK | |
| ARCHIVALS – Mylar Bags | ||||
| 2 Mil Mylar Current Bags | 7″ x 10 1/2″ | 50/pk | 1-CUR-M2 | |
| 4 Mil Mylar Current Archivals | 7 1/4″ x 10 1/2″ | 25/pk | 1-CUR-M4 | |
| 2 Mil Mylar Silver Archivals | 7 1/4″ x 10 1/2″ | 50/pk | 1-SIL-M2 | |
| 4 Mil Mylar Silver Archivals | 7 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ | 25/pk | 1-SIL-M4 | |
| 2 Mil Mylar Golden Age Archivals | 8″ x 10 1/2″ | 50/pk | 1-GOL-M2 | |
| 4 Mil Mylar Golden Age Archivals | 8 1/4″ x 10 1/2″ | 25/pk | 1-GOL-M4 | |
Do you need larger bags and boards?
Treasury-size comic bags and boards
Magazine and book supplies
Graded comic bags
See all of BCW’s comic book supplies.
I like mylar silver age for my better books and regular bags and boards for my newer stuff
Hi, I am searching the net trying to find out what to do with Volumes, hardcover and paperback. Any advice would be great. I know single issues can use bag and board, but what to do I do with the thick 150 pages plus or even 250 pages plus Volume collections of comics?
For thicker comics, we offer Thick Comics Bags, which refers to the thickness of the comic (the polypropylene is not thicker). For the larger bound collections, jump to a Silver or Golden bag and board. You’ll need to measure your bound books, as the binding makes those wider than a Current comic. Of course they have more depth too. So compare those dimensions with the sizes listed above. Select the bag/board that’s slightly larger than your books width and height, allowing for the thickness of the book.
Hello,
I like my boards to be snug with my bags. I collect mostly modern age books and hate when they they slide around. Will the 6 5/8 boards and 6 7/8 bags be right for a sung fit?
Thank you
Both the Modern and Current Backing Boards will fit inside the Modern/Current Bags. The Current Bags are slightly larger than the Modern Bags, so you’ll prefer the Current Boards inside Modern/Current Bags. I suggest the Modern/Current Bags with the resealable strip on the back.
Ted, where you wrote “The Current Bags are slightly larger than the Modern Bags, so you’ll prefer the Current Boards inside Modern/Current Bags…” I think you must have meant the Current BOARDS are slightly larger than the Modern Boards.
My LCS has always used comic-size Modern boards, and I find that the sides of the comics are not well-protected enough, so I have always replaced them with the slightly wider Current Boards.
Problem now is – since DC has switched to non-glossy paper, the books are clearly thicker and no longer fit well with the Current Boards inside the Modern/Current Bags. In fact the comics are quite obviously warped slightly, at least at first. They’ll probably flatten out when stored in boxes.
The LCS suggests switching to a thicker bag. I don’t have any, but do have Silver bags and boards, though, and I find these work with the thicker DC. I’ve been using the wider Silver Boards with Regular/Silver bags, though the Regular Boards would probably work just as well. I do like the board to fully fill the bag width though.
About a third of my collection consist of TPBs. No omnibuses or hard covers, just the collections of 4-6 issues TPB. For uniformity in storage, I want to bag and board them too. What do you suggest I try first? Thanks in advance for reading and responding.
A Silver Thick Resealable Bag (1-SIL-R-THICK) sounds best. Please measure the thickness of your TPB to confirm. If you need to go larger, try the Golden Age Resealable Bags.
Can your resealble bags be used without a backer board? What is the distance from the bottom of the bag to the seal strip?
Yes, the comic bags can be used without a backing board. The exact distance from the bottom of the bag to the resealable strip depends upon which bag you use (Current, Silver, or Golden). If you need extra space, you can get a bag without the resealable strip (the standard bags can simply be taped close). We also have larger magazine bags at https://www.bcwsupplies.com/other-accessories/magazine-accessories
Hi,
I am looking at re bagging/boarding my Iron Man Vol 1 collection. Starting in 1968 through 1996. Should I use CURRENT Mylar bags and CURRENT boards for best fit?
thanks
Yes, the Current Bags and Board are appropriate. Thanks
What size of protective bag and board is proper for Batman: Damned dimension? Thanks
To protect the new Batman Damned comic, use a Magazine Bag and Board. Our 5mm Thick Magazine Toploaders also work great, but you cannot fit the Mag Bag/Board inside the Mag Toploader, as the bags are too wide. https://www.bcwsupplies.com/other-accessories/magazine-accessories
How often do you recommend changing bags and boards?
Thanks
We recommended you change your comic book bags and boards every 3 – 5 years.
Hi. which comic sleeves would fit for 6.8 x 0.2 x 10.2 inches paperback that contain three issues into one. the comic started in 2015 so it could be around modern but I’m not sure which one.
I recommend the Current Bags for Thick Comics – https://www.bcwsupplies.com/resealable-current-comic-book-bags-thick
Would silver age bag&board be a good “one size fits all” for modern tpb? Is there any harm in having excess space in a bag?
There’s no harm in extra space if you use larger bags. Trade paperbacks are not standardized in size (some are thicker than others, some have hardback covers, etc.), so there may still be instances when a bag larger than Silver Age is needed. When placing a TPB in a Silver Bag, you’ll need a Current Backing Board, as a Silver Board will be too large when the TPB is enclosed.
Thanks for the response.
What about a Silver Age Thick bag with board? Would that be adequate for like a 300 page or less TPB?
I have been researching which comic bags would be best for The Walking Dead Volumes but I still can not find one. I am new to reading comics so I don’t really know much about them but i am looking for one about 6.5 X 10.1 X 0.4
I recommend the Current Bags For Thick Comics with the Resealable Strip: http://www.bcwsupplies.com/1-CUR-R-THICK
Has any one heard of a giant size bronze age books where the books are physically huge? Not just thick with a lot of pages.
I mean these books are like twice the height of a normal book and also a lot wider. The cover and back page were really think
Has anyone ever seen these books??
That might be the size we call Treasury.
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/catalogsearch/advanced/result/?name=Treasury
Please measure to see if that’s the correct size. Thanks
How do you properly seal/close the flaps for 4 mil current mylars? Since they are thick, I can’t seem to have the flaps stick snug/flat on the bag and leaves a curved section on the top part that might let air in
Once you have folded the Mylar in the correct location, you’ll need to add a hard crease. Mylar resists folding, so this step is needed. Running the back of your fingernail along the fold should do the trick. Then tape the back flap like normal.
Hi! So I wanna be able to preserve my comics, TPBs/,Volumes and Epics.
For the most part numbers my head hurt. I cant find a site where it kinda just visually shows me if a book with 3-400 would fit in said bag.
Would anyone be able to guide me with the measurements below to what bags/boards I need. My collection so far doesnt have single issues yet, so they’re mostly volumes/TPBs but ranging from 100-200 pages to up to over 400 pages
6.8 x 1 x 10.2 inches- largest ones
6.6 x 0.8 x 10.2 inches
6.7 x 0.8 x 10.2 inches
6.6 x 0.8 x 10.2 inches
7 x 0.5 x 10.5 inches
6.8 x 0.2 x 10.2 inches
6.6 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
6.8 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
6.7 x 0.6 x 10.2 inches
6.9 x 0.8 x 10.1 inches
6.8 x 0.5 x 10.2 inches
6.8 x 0.6 x 10.2 inches
6.6 x 0.2 x 10.2 inches
6.8 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
6.8 x 0.2 x 10.5 inches
6.8 x 0.2 x 10.2 inches
Cody, Please review this new blog post.
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/blog/2019/09/26/protecting-tpbs/
I think it will help answer your questions.
Looking for the right bag size for my old Conan black and white magazines – Conan Saga and such.
Our magazine bags, boards and other mag supplies can be found at https://www.bcwsupplies.com/other-accessories/magazine-accessories . Please measure your larger comics to get the correct size of supplies. Thanks
For modern comics I tried using current backing boards (6 3/4″ x 10 1/2″) with 2 Mil Mylar Current Bags (7″ x 10 1/2″) and felt that the fit was too loose. The fit was loose enough that the comics would not be supported entirely by the boards and would result in board not completely covering the back of the comic.
I switched to regular backing boards (6 7/8″ x 10 1/2″) with the same 2 Mil Mylar Current Bags (7″ x 10 1/2″) and books fit more securely. Could this tight fit result in damage to the comics?
Should i switch back to the current backing boards and deal with loose fit and potential movement of the comics in their bags?
Hi, I recently obtained a signed Mr. Miracle (2019) HC and would like to bag and board it. What combination of bag and board would best accommodate the depth of this 12-issue hardcover? (10.5“ x 7” x 3/4”) Thank you!
The Golden Comic Bags for Thick Comics looks best. If you don’t think that’s large enough, please see our Magazine Bags at https://www.bcwsupplies.com/other-accessories/magazine-accessories .
I’m trying to get the right size board for Golden Age Mylar 8 x 10.5 Mylar bags?
The a Golden Age Board I have are 7.5 x 10.5 and they seem too small.
Thanks.
You should include the sizes in metric too.
I am bagging and boarding a bunch of old comic books that I have found that are still in good shape. Some of the books measure 6-5/8″ W x 10-3/16″ H, while newer ones measure 6-3/4″ W x 10-3/16″ H. Is it OK to buy “Current” bags and boards (6-3/4″ W boards) since the comics barely fit the boards and may possibly curl over edges. I Also have some older ones that look like they are 6-7/8″ W. Would it be OK to just order “Regular/Silver Age” bags and boards or am I better off purchasing different sizes? Are there issues with storing the smaller comics in the Regular size bags/boards?
There are no issues with placing Current comics in larger Regular/Silver Bags and Boards. If you want to be consistent, get the larger bags and boards for your collection. Thanks
I have a stack of DC’s treasury sized Limited Collector’s Editions from the 1970s. Does BCW carry any products that would be appropriate for storing these?
BCW offer bags and boards for treasury-sized comics:
Treasury Bags
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/treasury-comic-book-bags
Resealable Treasury Bags
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/resealable-treasury-comic-book-bags
Treasury Backing Boards
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/treasury-comic-book-backing-boards
Please measure your comics to confirm they will fit inside these bags. Our Treasury Backing Boards are 10 1/4 x 13 1/2 inches.
Thanks
what bags should i get for my Dad’s Eagle comics (1st issue)
Sorry, I don’t know the dimensions of Eagle comics. Please measure those and compare to the bag and board dimensions listed above.
Hey Ted, I have been bagging my Current Comics in the appropriate bag with the appropriate board from BCW (all Current). It’s snug, but is it too snug? The board closely frames the comic within the bag, but I do notice that the snugness of the bag might bend the open side of the comic. Is this just normal and needless worry? Or should I choose a bag that has more room? Thanks.
Hey Jon. Your comics are safe if the bend is on the short side (you don’t want the comics to bend on the long side as the spine could get damaged). Nonetheless, most collectors want everything to stay flat. If you have thicker comics, with lots of pages likely, then the added size will push the bag causing that bend. If that’s the situation, try our Current Bags for Thick Comics that are a bit larger to accommodate for those thick books ( https://www.bcwsupplies.com/comic-book-storage/comic-bags ). If the comics are normal, thin books, then the bags are likely too small by a millimeter or two. It’s possible the boards are too wide, but not likely. You can take a ruler to the bags and boards and compare those sizes with what is listed on the packaging. If the sizes are off and not to your satisfaction, we’ll send replacements. If you order your supplies directly from BCW, sending replacements is straight-forward. If you purchase BCW products from a shop or other online store, we’ll figure it out. If replacements are required, please take a pic and send the details to our Customer Service team at https://www.bcwsupplies.com/contact-us
Hi,
I have the Invincible Compendium Vol 1 and was wondering what size of bag and boards do you recommend getting?
Im a little confused with the sizes please and thank you!
Alejandro, this blog pot describes how to size bags and boards for thick comics: https://www.bcwsupplies.com/blog/2019/09/26/protecting-tpbs/ . In this instance the comic is super thick, so it’s more difficult to size. We’ll test at our local shop. Thanks
Hi,
Just wondering if you can advise which would be the best protectors for my son’s thick comic books
175x265x10
Also what would be the best backing board.
It is hard to find ones with books 10mm thick
Thanks
Diane – This blog post better describes how to size bags and boards for the extra thick comics (trade paperbacks) – https://www.bcwsupplies.com/blog/2019/09/26/protecting-tpbs/
Hi Ted,
I would like to protect my The Maxx : Maxximized hardcover collection and am having difficulty finding the right bag for the job. The dimensions are a tad longer than the standard magazine bags. 7 & a half wide / about 11 and a half long (half an inch thick roughly). I thought for sure that the bags would fit, but the flap does not quite reach the bag in back. Would the “thick” magazine bag help in closing the itty bitty gap?
The “Mag Bags for Thick Magazines” have the same height at the normal Magazine Bags, so will not solve your problem. The Sheet Music Bags are the next larger size, but those need to be taped close (no resealable strip). Here’s the progression of sizes of bags/boards around that size are:
Resealable Magazine Bags
8 3/4″ x 11 1/8″
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/resealable-magazine-bags
Resealable Magazine Bags – Thick
8 7/8″ x 11 1/8″, plus flap
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/resealable-magazine-bags-thick
Magazine Backing Boards
8 1/2″ x 11″
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/magazine-backing-boards
Sheet Music Bags
9 3/8″ X 12 1/4″, plus flap
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/music-supply/sheet-music
Sheet Music Backing Boards
9 1/4″ X 12 1/8″
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/sheet-music-backing-boards
Resealable Book Bags
10″ x 13″
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/resealable-book-bags-10×13
I can see there’s a big wait for a lot of bag sizes… Is there any disadvantage to storing modern/current comics in larger bags as long as the backer matches the size of the bag? For example, if I wanted to store a NM comic from 1989 in a 4mil ‘Silver’ or ‘Golden’ age Mylar bag with a matching Golden or Silver backer (Maybe a full back just to ensure stiffness) would it be as protected as if it were in a modern/current bag or would I be taking a risk?
Assuming the comic is not moving around, the oversized bag and board system will work fine. Sorry for the shortage. We are working hard to get enough inventory to match the increased demand.
Hi, I’m trying to get my head around what bag and backing sizes I need. I’m trying to preserve my 1987 thundercats comics, but struggling to find what sizes I need for them. Any help is greatly appreciated thanks.
Please measure you comics and compare to sizes listed above. If your comics are too large for those sizes, please see this similar list for larger Magazine Bags and Boards – https://www.bcwsupplies.com/blog/2020/10/07/bags-boards-magazine/
My husband collects French comics (hardcover and thicker than US comic books). What size bag do you recommend?
Please measure those comics and refer to the sizes listed above. If those bags and boards are not large enough, here’s a list of larger bags and boards for magazines – https://www.bcwsupplies.com/blog/2020/10/07/bags-boards-magazine/ . Thanks
i have a lot of old comics and i want to get some bags/boards for them, but do i need specific sized bags or can i just get the biggest to fit all the sizes of comics i have?
thanks
There’s no problem with placing a smaller comic (Current size) in a larger comic bag with the larger board (Silver or Golden Age). Most collectors simply want the comics, bags, and boards to be a particular size to have a nice presentation and to prevent the comic from moving around inside the bag. However if you prefer to get larger bags and boards to have a uniform collection, that’s fine too. Just make sure you get a storage box that’s large enough to accommodate the larger bags and boards to keep everything straight.
I bought 200 bags and boards to protect my 60’s collection of comics ( Silver Age ) and i have come across some Gold Key comics that will not fit these bags.
For example, Space Family Robinson. The with is 7 1/4 inches wide.
Will I be able to use the Regular/Silver Bags for Thick Comics to put these in.
Thank You
I would recommend you get some Golden Age bags and boards for those Gold Key comics. You want the bags to be slightly larger than the comics to accommodate for the depth of the comics.
what would you suggest for my copy of Crisis On Infinite Earths ? according to your suggestion of adding the thickness of the book to the width, I get 7.5 inches.
Should I go for the 8 inch bags ? It is a paperback book so I’d also need to know which boards to use.
Is there a good one size fits all combo bag and boards almost like universal fit my collection is modern bronze maybe a few silver who knows but I was guessing current thick bags with regular boards or current boards or silver age bags with silver age boards or regular size boards. Please end the headache and let me know what one size fits all of you had to choose thank you so much.
If you are only getting one size, silver bags and boards will work for most comics. More recent comics will have extra room in the bag however.
I have some tpb books that I want to bag and board, but I’m not sure of which bags and boards to get. the books are 6 5/8″ wide and 2/8″ (1/4″) thick.
some of them are already well bagged and boarded and I’ll be getting more and want them bagged, too. the tpbs are firmly but not really tight in the bag. I don’t want to have them slide all around in the bag.
If I were to get the bags for thick comics, wouldn’t there be way too much space ? The comics have 64 pages.
I wish you could pick bags by the measurement of the bags instead of the comics.
the bag and board I have one of the tpbs in is 7 inches wide. but on the measurement list, 7 inchescis the width of the comic.
Any ideas ?
all those sizes are too small for british comics such as old era 2000AD, I much prefer the bigger sizes of british comics, the US comics are a bit claustrophobic. They did do some british reprints of some Marvel comics such as spiderman which are a bigger size and much nicer to read. The boards I need are about 28.7cm x 24.1cm ie 11 1/4″ x 9 1/2 “. Much further back in time there were even huger comics eg the old era Beezer and also Look & Learn comics. The Disneyland comic also much nicer large size.
What size bag and board will give snug fit to 1970 era Warren magazines?
If what I’m reading about the dimensions is correct, standard magazine bags and boards would be the closest fit. The bags are 8 3/4″ x 11 1/8″, the extra material accounting for the thickness of the magazine itself. You can also check https://www.bcwsupplies.com/blog/2020/10/07/bags-boards-magazine/ for some more options.
Hi, I’m looking for a solution for some of Image’s Artist Proof Editions. They are 11-in. x 17-in. The art print bags look like they would be large enough but I’m concerned they have not have any depth since they are for prints and not comics. Do you have any suggestions?
Would the 12×18 art print bags or sleeves work for this with these using the 11×17 art print boards? What is the difference between the art print bags and the art print sleeves?
Hi, for the Omnibus The Dead Of Superman, whats Is the bag that’s recomendded
What are the dimensions of the book?