MagicFakes - Alaska (nAK)

Intro: Got it cuz Alaska is funny ice state. Pretty much can only be used in WA or maybe Canada if that's your jam (I happen to go to both often, so I could actually use it a lot more than most). That being said, it's a cool ass ID and it's pretty unique in the amount of raised graphics and microprinting it has all over, on top of a very clean design I think it's just a cool one to have. Shoutout Barry for the fucking snowman one lol.

I really do try not to be biased in these reviews but I can see how getting them for free can lead to unconciously shitting out a positive review, but I always try to be fair and critical equally regardless of vendor and price. I spend a lot of time on these reviews and I hope it's reflected in paragraph and picture quality (which I recently dropped some money on some lenses and a better UV light).

Uncertainty factor: High - Comparing to 2021 barbook/internet pictures only (as in, it is not a perfect resource and isn't the most reliable source).

Cost: Got it for free for review like I mentioned, but they normally run $90 each which quickly decreases as group size increases. Also Magic has fucking DEALS; 50 percent off just ended but there's still MG35 for 35 percent for now.

Communication: If there's one thing I really fucking love about Magic it's how active their CS is. Not that I've had problems with other vendors, but holy fuck these guys are on every platform imaginable for 12 hours a day, CS is NA based (I'm assuming because they speak perfect English). They are always super communicative and respond fast.

Shipping: Came in a package with 3 IDs, took 2.5 weeks from order placed to package being in hand. Standard - never had anything from Magic take longer than 3 weeks. Tracking number never updated on the website which I’ve never had happen, so I messaged them after about two weeks of no news and they said it shipped out and would update it, arrived a few days later.

Photoshop: Normally one of the biggest giveaways on IDs is the shadows especially behind the ears because it makes it look cut out and fake. But from what I can tell from the Alaska pictures, the physical doesn't seem to have any shadows on the back which the fake replicates well; cutout is very clean. Only complaint I could say is that the physical seems a bit more washed out compared to this one but that's also with a pasty ass white girl and I have a darker skin color so I don't know if that is Magic's fault.

Template: Ok so let me first say this template is one of the coolest ones and I wish a more common state was built like this. That being said, Magic's version does a good amount right but also leaves a lot to be desired.

• Pros: In terms of card template, all the pictures themselves look right and it is crisp. The microprinting seems to be all good with the correct wording which is legible with a macro lens. All the text that should be raised is raised (with the important exception of signature, I believe it should be raised!). And holy shit, my favorite part about the template is the slightly lower, clear raised pictures of the state, the big dipper, the word ALASKA and a design which just feels nice.

• Cons: Ok so like I mentioned while it has some things going for it, there is still a lot to work on. First, the raised text (DL#, bday, last name, DL logo) are all way way too bold compared to the physical. In fact, all the fonts seem to be just a bit off, which I think is one of the things vendors making states, especially with raised text, mess up the most. Lastly and probably most important is the color. The pictures I've seen are so much more vibrant/saturated compared to Magic's template which is a bit dull. The state logos and text at the top colors are also a bit off. In terms of the ghost image, the picture seems to be like 1/2 a mm shifted to the right of the center. The date of birth on top of the ghost image is a lot darker than from what I see in the BarBook and again the font is slightly off.

• Other template notes: The back "ALASKA" text should have a feature called "rainbow printing" which don't fucking ask me what that means, but the Magic one doesn't change color based on the angle I hold it at. Again, I don't really know what rainbow printing is so it actually could have that for all I know, I just know it is different from OVI (which this ID has). Wasn't sure if I should categorize this as a con so I just put it in other. All the other text formatting/DL# formatting is correct too.

Look and Feel: I would describe this card as fairly sturdy, comparable to Washington or Wisconsin phsyicals I've felt which is standard for polycarb IDs. Again, the raised clear graphics are so fucking cool, the only other ID I've seen which has it is nTX but there could be more I don't know about.

Hologram/OVI/UV: No holograms on this ID. There's an OVI flower on the back and the color looks exactly right, going from a lightish gold/green to a darker green. Not much to say about the UV on the front but there is a huge flaw with the UV on the back. Per the Barbook, there should be a yellow UV whale on top of the blue bubble(?) design which is present, however it is competely missing.

Signature: So the signature looks exactly like I submitted and size/shape look perfect. BUT it is supposed to be raised, which it is not which kinda sucks because I know they can do that from the raised text on the ID and they do raised signatures on their nCA.

Conclusion: Not that much more to say. It's an obscure, strange, sparsely populated state that probably isn't in that high of demand. While there are a few redeeming factors, most of the ID is stuff that I can see them easily fixing but I don't think they will unless Alaska decides to join the rest of the continent. See the pictures, I made sure to include lots of high quality microprint ones on top of just the plain ones.

Pics: https://imgur.com/a/7wuiCrn Sorry, the UV pics are abosolute shit. If anyone wants better ones you can PM me and I'll find a place with better lighting.