How to Prep Cards for Grading

Before the card comes out of its sleeve, set up your workspace.

Use a clean, soft, non-abrasive mat and a bright adjustable light positioned at a low angle to the card. Overhead lighting is fine for general inspection, but angled or "raking" light is what reveals fine scratches, print lines, dimples, fingerprints, and other surface issues.

• Wash and completely dry your hands. Skip hand lotion.
• Handle raw cards by the edges whenever possible.
• Never place a card directly on a hard or dirty desk.
• Keep cards, sleeves, cloths, and tools in separate areas so debris doesn't transfer between them.
• Lift cards from the surface. Don't slide them.

Gear for this step

Workspace MatSoft, non-abrasive surface for face-down cards.View on Amazon Neewer LED LightAdjustable, bright, and easy to angle low.View on Amazon Tabletop TripodHolds the light at a raking angle, hands free.View on Amazon

We only link to gear we use or recommend. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Before you clean, sleeve, or submit a card, figure out what you have.

Inspect the corners, edges, centering, and surface on both the front and back. Use magnification to find the defects that are easy to miss with the naked eye.

Focus on these four areas:

Corners

Look for whitening, softness, fraying, bends, or compression. On high-grade modern cards, even a small corner defect can matter.

Edges

Check for chipping, rough cuts, whitening, dents, and factory edge issues. Dark-bordered cards make edge wear especially easy to see.

Centering

Compare the left/right and top/bottom borders. Don't assume an otherwise flawless card is a Gem Mint candidate if the centering isn't there.

PSA's current published standard for a PSA 10 allows approximately 55/45 centering on the front (55% of the border on one side, 45% on the other). Grading is still subjective, and eye appeal matters.

5545

50/5055/4560/4065/3570/30

10Max

Max gradePSA 10

Left/right on the front, per PSA's published centering standard. Top/bottom is judged the same way; back centering is more forgiving.

Surface

Tilt the card slowly under angled light. Look for:

• Scratches
• Print lines
• Dimples
• Indentations
• Roller marks
• Fingerprints
• Loose dust or debris
• Staining or discoloration

Gear for this step

Digital MicroscopeCorners and edges at magnification, on a screen.View on Amazon

The safest kind of card prep removes loose, superficial contamination without changing the card itself. Think dust, fibers, or a light fingerprint on an appropriate glossy surface.

Use a clean, extremely soft microfiber cloth with almost no pressure. If something doesn't come away easily, stop.

On our bench, grime that a dry cloth won't lift on chrome and other glossy modern cards gets a small amount of a mild cleaner we make in house. Older cardboard stock gets a dry wipe only. The cleaner is for surface grime only. It never goes after stains, scratches or anything that's part of the card.

Don't try to fix the card

A scratch is not dirt.A print line is not dirt.A stain is not dirt.A damaged surface is not dirt.

Trying to remove those defects can turn an imperfect but gradable card into an altered card.

Avoid abrasive compounds, erasers, household cleaners, alcohol, whitening products, waxes, polishes, or anything designed to remove material from the card's surface.

Be especially conservative with vintage and uncoated paper stock. In many cases, the safest cleaning method is no cleaning at all.

Gear for this step

MagicFiber Microfiber ClothsExtremely soft; lifts dust without pressure.View on Amazon Lint-Free Cotton WipesFor edges and corners where a cloth is too big.View on Amazon

After handling or removing loose contamination, put the card back under the same lighting you used during the initial evaluation.

Fingerprints and debris can hide surface defects, so once the surface is clean, scratches, print lines, indentations, or other flaws may be easier to see.

Check all four areas again:

1. Corners→
2. Edges→
3. Centering→
4. Surface

Then make the grading decision. Ask yourself:

If this card comes back one grade lower than I'm hoping for, does submitting it still make sense?

If the answer is no, that's usually the card to keep raw.

And if you find yourself thinking, "I can probably fix that," stop. That's where prep ends and alteration begins.

Once you're finished inspecting the card, protect it immediately.

For standard cards, place the card into a clean penny sleeve and then into the appropriate semi-rigid holder. Don't force a card into a tight sleeve or holder. That's how corners get damaged during prep.

• One card per holder.
• Keep both sides of the card clearly visible.
• Don't tape the holder closed.
• Don't attach sticky notes or pull tabs unless the grader asks for them.
• Keep cards in the exact order listed on your submission form.

For PSA submissions, semi-rigid holders such as Card Saver I are the standard format today. Whichever grader you use, check its current requirements before you ship.

Gear for this step

Card Saver I Semi-Rigid HoldersThe standard semi-rigid holder for PSA submissions.View on Amazon

You've done all the work. Don't lose a corner in shipping.

Keep the submitted cards together in order and protect the stack between rigid cardboard or purpose-built submission protectors. Secure the stack firmly enough that the cards can't shift, but not so tightly that the holders bend or compress.

Then place the protected stack inside a sturdy shipping box with padding around it so nothing moves during transit.

Before you close the box:

• Confirm the cards match your submission form.
• Include any paperwork the grader requires.
• Photograph the cards and the packed box for your records.
• Use tracking.
• Insure valuable shipments appropriately.
• Keep your tracking and submission information until the cards are safely returned.

Gear for this step

Hobby Armor 4×6 ProtectorsRigid protection for the stack in the box.View on Amazon