After many times of sorting through all kinds of item fodder, I'm beginning to appreciate the concept of an alternative means of indicating the quality of the item. For the purists, the prefix and suffix combinations work just fine. The problem occurs when different tilesets and graphical elements are used, these gauges get translated into meaningless tiles and pictures. So, it might be prudent to include an option in the settings to allow a simple prefix system that uses numbers rather than remapped character indicators.
Example Format:
Qn-(Item)
The prefix is "Qn-" where "Q" indicates that it is a quality measurement and "n" is a number indicative of quality. The "-" is the delimiter to show it separate from the item, but still be visually indicative of which item it is referring to. (Too many spaces can cause the eye to get lost.) Another additional option is to allow color coding this prefix.
Example Number mappings (4-bit fit):
0 - Crap (Tattered)
1 - Standard
2 - Well-crafted
3 - Finely-crafted
4 - Superior quality
5 - Exceptional
6 - Masterful
7 - Artifact
This prefix system would make it easier to select items (especially when you are trying to pawn offer all your crap) and avoid the pitfalls of tilesets and graphics remapping. With color coding, it'd also make it easier to blaze through lists and do scans of inventory without missing too much.