How do I use Centering Check?
Centering Check does the analysis for you - there are just two things you need to do:
Upload your card
Start by giving the tool a photo of the card you want to check. On desktop you can upload an image from your device, or drag one straight in from another website.
Next, decide whether to use our state-of-the-art Warp Method, which flattens the card into a straight-on, bird's-eye view before measuring.
We recommend leaving this on: without it, camera perspective can throw off both the border lines and the centering ratio. If a warped result ever looks wrong, just untick the box and measure the photo as-is.
The tool works best with a clear, well-lit photo of the whole card with nothing in front of it. It supports your favorite TCGs/CCGs like Pokémon, One Piece, Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!, plus sports cards - with more on the way.
Adjust the borders and rotation
After a few seconds, Centering Check returns your card with its estimated inner and outer borders drawn in, along with front- and back-side centering grades for PSA, CGC, BGS and TAG.
From here you can drag the border handles to line them up exactly with the card, and use the rotation slider to straighten a tilted card. If the tool can't detect the card automatically, you can set the lines yourself - the measurement still works.
Tips for an accurate measurement
- Use even, indirect light and avoid glare or reflections on the surface.
- Shoot against a plain background that contrasts with the card's border.
- Fill the frame with the card and keep all four edges in view.
- Photograph the card as straight-on as you can - or leave the Warp Method on to correct the angle for you.
- If you can, take the card out of its sleeve or toploader to avoid extra edges and reflections.
Reading your results
Centering is shown two ways. The L/R and T/B values are the measured ratios for the left-right and top-bottom borders - the closer to 50/50, the better. The grade cards show the centering subgrade your card would earn from each company, and you can switch between Front and Back.
For each company, your centering grade is the lower of your L/R and T/B grades - a card can't grade better than its weaker axis. Compare every company's exact tolerances on our Grading Standards page.
That's all there is to it - upload a card and see its centering in seconds.