Sports cards

X-Fractor

Also written: X-Fractors · XFractor

A refractor whose reflective layer is etched into a grid of small rectangles — the pattern reads as an X-shaped weave.

PatternThe reflective layer is textured or shaped

An X-Fractor is a refractor whose refractive layer has been etched into a regular grid of small rectangles. Under an angled light the grid catches separately from the background, so the sheen breaks up into a woven, cross-hatched texture instead of sweeping across the card in one piece.

How to spot it

• Tilt the card and look at the texture of the shine, not its colour. A plain refractor shines as one continuous field; an X-Fractor shines as a grid.
• The pattern covers the whole card, including over the photograph — it is in the finish, not printed into the design.
• Hold it beside a plain refractor of any card from the same product. Side by side the difference is unmistakable; alone it is easy to miss.

X-Fractors have appeared across Topps chrome-based products for a long time, sometimes as a plain silver version and sometimes with colour tints stacked on top. As with every pattern parallel, a pattern generally sits above the plain refractor of the same colour, and where exactly it sits is a per-product question the checklist answers.

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