How to Grade Pokémon Cards: A Complete Guide for 2026
Whether you're submitting to PSA for the first time or screening cards with AI, understanding the four grading criteria is essential.
Last reviewed: April 2026. Service information, grading standards, and market context were checked against current hobby guidance and official source pages where applicable.
The Four Grading Criteria
Every major grading service — PSA, BGS, and CGC — evaluates trading cards on four fundamental criteria. While the specific weighting varies between services, the criteria remain consistent:
📐 1. Centering (20% of grade)
Centering measures how well the printed image is centered within the card's borders. This is measured as a ratio — perfect centering is 50/50 on both axes.
- PSA 10 (Gem Mint): 55/45 or better on front, 75/25 or better on back
- PSA 9 (Mint): 60/40 or better on front, 90/10 or better on back
- PSA 8 (NM-Mint): 65/35 or better on front
💡 Tip: Centering is the easiest criterion to check at home. Hold the card at eye level and compare border widths.
📏 2. Corners (25% of grade)
Corners are examined under magnification for sharpness, rounding, and damage. Even minor softening can drop a grade.
- Gem Mint: All four corners perfectly sharp with no wear
- Mint: One corner may show barely perceptible softening
- NM-Mint: 1-2 corners may show slight rounding
💡 Tip: Examine corners with a 10x loupe. What looks sharp to the naked eye may have micro-rounding.
🔲 3. Edges (25% of grade)
Edges are checked for whitening, chipping, nicks, and rough cuts along all four sides.
- Gem Mint: Clean, sharp edges with zero whitening
- Mint: Minimal whitening, barely visible
- NM-Mint: Light whitening on 1-2 edges
💡 Tip: Edge whitening is most visible on dark-bordered cards. Check under bright light at an angle.
✨ 4. Surface (30% of grade)
Surface is the most complex criterion, covering scratches, print lines, dents, creases, ink spots, and holofoil damage.
- Gem Mint: Flawless surface, no factory or handling defects
- Mint: One minor factory print line allowed
- NM-Mint: Minor surface wear, small scratch, or print line
💡 Tip: Tilt holofoil cards under a light to reveal surface scratches that aren't visible head-on.
When to Use AI Grading
AI grading tools like Master Grade are perfect for:
- Pre-screening: Check if a card is worth the $30+ PSA submission fee
- Bulk screening: Quickly sort through hundreds of cards to find the gems
- Learning: Understand what graders look for and train your eye
- Buying/selling raw: Estimate condition and value before making deals
Ready to grade your cards?
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