Home › Blog › What Is Card Centering and Why It Matters

What Is Card Centering and Why It Matters

The Bubble Art · 5 min read

Of all the things graders look at, centering is the one most likely to cap a card at a 9 instead of a 10 — and it's the one you can check yourself in seconds.

What centering means

Centering describes how evenly the card's image and border sit within its edges. A perfectly centered card has equal border width on left and right, and on top and bottom. Cards are printed on large sheets and then cut, and small shifts in that cut leave one border wider than the other. Centering is judged on both the front and the back — a card can look centered face-up and be off on the reverse.

How it's measured

Centering is expressed as a ratio, like 55/45 — meaning one side's border is 55% of the combined border width and the other is 45%. The closer to 50/50, the better. Top grades demand tight centering (often around 55/45 or better on the front); as the ratio skews toward 60/40, 70/30 and beyond, the achievable grade drops. Because it's measured left-right and top-bottom, a card needs to be well-centered in both axes.

A flawless card with poor centering will not get a 10. Centering is the ceiling other factors can't exceed.

Check it before you grade

Before spending on grading, measure centering yourself: compare opposite borders by eye, with a ruler, or with a centering tool or app. Do it for the front and the back. If a card is noticeably off-centre on either side, factor that into whether grading is worth it — our guide on whether a card is worth grading covers the trade-off. Centering is also worth noting honestly in a listing: buyers of high-grade cards look closely, and a well-centered copy is a selling point.

Have a well-centered gem? List it graded and let real demand set the price — 0% commission, keep 97%.

Sell your cards

Frequently asked questions

What is card centering?

How evenly the image and borders sit within the card's edges, judged on both front and back. Equal borders (near 50/50) is ideal; skewed borders lower the achievable grade.

How is centering measured?

As a ratio like 55/45 — one border's share of the combined border width versus the other, measured both left-right and top-bottom. Closer to 50/50 is better.

Does centering really affect the grade that much?

Yes — it often sets the ceiling. A card that's perfect in every other way but poorly centered will not reach the top grade.