Centering
gradingA grading criterion that measures how well the card's printed image is positioned within its borders.
Centering refers to how accurately the printed image and text on a trading card are positioned within the card’s borders. When a card is perfectly centered, the border widths are equal on all four sides — left matches right, and top matches bottom. Centering is expressed as a ratio, such as 50/50 (perfect) or 60/40 (slightly off-center). Every major grading company evaluates centering as a key component of a card’s grade, and both PSA and BGS measure centering on both the front and back of the card independently. PSA requires centering within 55/45 on the front and 75/25 on the back for a Gem Mint 10, while BGS has similarly strict tolerances for its highest grades.
Centering issues are among the most common reasons trading cards fail to achieve top grades, because centering is determined entirely during the manufacturing process and cannot be improved after the fact. Unlike corners or edges, which might remain perfect through careful handling, centering is locked in the moment the card is cut from the print sheet. Some sets and manufacturers are notorious for poor centering — certain vintage sets and even some modern print runs consistently produce cards that are shifted left, right, up, or down. Collectors who care about grades learn to quickly eyeball centering by comparing border widths, and serious submitters use centering tools or apps to measure the ratio before sending cards in for grading.
For TCG collectors, centering is a critical factor to evaluate when purchasing raw cards intended for grading submissions. A card with razor-sharp corners, pristine surfaces, and clean edges can still be denied a PSA 10 or BGS 9.5 if the centering falls outside acceptable tolerances. When buying raw cards online, always ask for photos that clearly show the borders, and be especially cautious with cards from sets known for centering issues. If you’re sorting through packs or bulk looking for grading candidates, centering should be your first screening criterion — it’s the easiest flaw to spot and the one thing you absolutely cannot fix.