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Centering

Centering is how evenly a card's borders frame its picture. It is written as a ratio such as 55/45, and a top grade allows only a small shift.

ConditionGrading
How a centering split is worked out A card whose printed frame sits off center. Its left border measures 1.5 mm and its right border 2.5 mm, 4 mm together. The right border is the wider, and 2.5 divided by 4 is 62.5%, so the split is 62.5/37.5, the share of the wider border first. On a scale running from 50/50, that split falls between 60/40 and 65/35: it misses the 60/40 that SGC, and CGC for sports cards, ask for at 9, and fits the 65/35 both allow at 8. The top and bottom borders are compared the same way. 1.5 mm 2.5 mm Top Bottom Left and right borders 1.5 mm + 2.5 mm = 4 mm The right border is the wider 2.5 divided by 4 is 62.5% Split: 62.5/37.5 50/50 60/40 65/35 62.5/37.5 Misses the 60/40 that SGC, and CGC for sports cards, ask for at 9. Fits the 65/35 both allow at 8. Do the same for the top and bottom.

In more detail

A card is perfectly centered when its left and right borders are the same width and its top and bottom borders match. Graders write the split as two numbers that add up to 100, so 50/50 is perfect and 60/40 is a visible shift toward one side.

CGC's scale shows how tight the limits are at the top. A Pristine 10 has 50/50 centering, and an ordinary 10 allows roughly 55/45 on the front, with the back allowed up to 75/25. Lower grades loosen the limit step by step.

Centering is one of the four things a grader checks, with corners, edges and surface. A card that is sharp in every other way can still be held back by it. Look at the borders before you submit.

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