Pokémon Card Centering: How It Is Measured and What Each Grade Allows
Centering is the one part of condition you can measure yourself with some confidence. Here is how graders measure it and the limits PSA and CGC publish for their top grades.
Facts checked October 8, 2026 · 4 min read
How centering is measured
Graders compare the border widths on opposite sides of the card, left against right and top against bottom, and express the result as a ratio such as 55/45. A perfectly centered card is 50/50. CGC describes graders using a ruler on the margins and, when borders are hard to see, judging by the card's design elements and intended layout.
The front and the back are judged separately, and the back is allowed to be further off center.
Published centering limits
| Grade | Front | Back |
|---|---|---|
| CGC Pristine 10 | 50/50 | 50/50 |
| PSA 10 Gem Mint and CGC Gem Mint 10 | About 55/45 | About 75/25 |
| PSA 9 Mint | About 60/40 | About 90/10 |
| PSA 8 NM-MT | About 65/35 | About 90/10 |
Checking your own card
- Photograph the card flat and straight on, so the borders are not distorted by angle.
- Measure the narrowest and widest border on each axis and divide each by their total.
- Do the back as well. Many cards that look fine from the front miss on the back.
- Treat a phone photo as an estimate. Lens distortion and cropping can shift the result by a few points.
Cardmatic Condition reports include precision centering tools that let you place the border lines yourself on your photo, alongside an explanation of visible corner, edge and surface issues.
Put it into practice
Cardmatic scans your cards, tracks their value and helps you decide what to grade. The Free plan needs no credit card.