A Centering Check studyJuly 202610,000 graded cards
The first public card-by-card audit of PSA's centering standard.
1 in 11PSA 10 Pokémon cards graded under today's standard exceed PSA's own centering limit
We measured 10,000 randomly sampled PSA-graded cards and compared the 4,840 fronts with a datable standard against the limit PSA published when each was graded. Among gem mints graded under the stricter 2025 standard, 9.0% of fronts are past the 55/45 line - about 1 in 11. Under the older 60/40 standard it is 0.3%, and 4.0% across every datable PSA 10.
The whole PSA 10 pool, measured against its own limit
Each dot below is one PSA 10 front - compliant cards included, colored from harmless to confirmed. Grey dots measured inside PSA's limit; white dots measured a hair past it, within the measurement margin we refuse to call a violation; amber and orange dots are the violations we confirmed by hand. Recent cards are held to the stricter 55/45 limit they were graded under, cards from before the 2025 tightening to the older 60/40.
106 cards measure a hair past the line but inside the one-point measurement margin - not counted as violations.
28 cards measure a hair past the line but inside the one-point measurement margin - not counted as violations.
Two things stand out. Violations concentrate in the 2025 era: the pool graded under the stricter limit misses it 9.0% of the time, versus 0.3% for the older era. And the older pool spreads far past today's line: 588 of its 1,570 cards (37%) measure past 55/45 - centering that would not meet a 2025 gem-mint label, sitting under an older one.
What "past the limit" means - on a real card
A centering ratio splits the border between opposite sides: 55/45 means the wider side takes at most 55% of the total margin. PSA publishes a maximum ratio for every grade, and tightened the front numbers in early 2025. On the scans below, the solid cream line is the card's cut edge and the solid dark line is the printed frame. Centering is how evenly the space between those two lines is split - left against right, top against bottom - and every card is captioned with its measured ratio next to the limit it was graded against. Click either card to inspect it full-size.
PSA 10 · 2021 POKEMON CELEBRATIONS CLASSIC COLLECTION #4 CHARIZARD-HOLO CLASSIC COLL-BASE SET
Verify on PSA →PSA 10 · 2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV1S-SCARLET ex #098 TEAM STAR GRUNT SUPER RARE
Verify on PSA →| Grade | Front · before 2025 | Front · 2025 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | 60/40 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| PSA 9 | 65/35 | 60/40 | 90/10 |
| PSA 8 | 70/30 | 65/35 | 90/10 |
| PSA 7 | 75/25 | 70/30 | 90/10 |
| PSA 6 | 80/20 | 80/20 | 90/10 |
Because a printed grade reflects the standard in force at grading time, every card this study rates is tested against the front limit published when it was graded - the older numbers for older certificates, the 2025 numbers for recent ones.
Reading this as a buyer, a submitter, or a vintage holder
Buying a graded card
A gem-mint label does not guarantee gem-mint centering: 1 in 11 of the PSA 10 fronts graded under the current standard is past PSA's own limit. On a high-value purchase, measure the centering from the listing photo before you pay the premium - it takes seconds and the label will not do it for you.
Submitting raw cards
Centering is the one grading factor you can measure exactly before paying a grading fee. Check your card against the current 55/45 front standard first: if it measures past the limit, you know the centering risk going in - before the fee, not after.
Holding older slabs
An older PSA 10 certifies the older, looser standard. 37% of pre-2025 gem mints we measured sit past today's 55/45 line (20% even allowing two points of measurement error). When old and new slabs of the same card trade at the same price, the label is not promising the same centering.
From 10,000 random cards to 115 confirmed cases
- 1
Sample
10,000 PSA-graded Pokémon cards drawn uniformly at random by certificate number, grades 6 to 10. About 54% are PSA 10 and 46% are Japanese - no cherry-picking, no curated lists.
- 2
Measure
Each PSA scan runs through the same Centering Check pipeline anyone can use: the card is detected, flattened to a straight-on view, and the gaps between its cut edge and printed frame are measured into front and back centering ratios.
- 3
Date the standard
PSA tightened its front standard in early 2025, so each card is compared against the limit in force when it was graded. Cards graded too close to the change to date reliably - about half the sample - are excluded from every rate rather than guessed at, leaving 4,840 fronts with a datable standard.
- 4
Verify by hand
Every card exceeding its limit was inspected manually. Measurements that misplaced a border were rejected, ambiguous cases were set aside rather than counted, and only confirmed violations are counted and shown. As a robustness check, the entire sample was also measured by two independently trained detector versions - the headline rate held.
Primary sources: PSA's published grading standards, and every card's public certificate on psacard.com - linked on each card below.
Every confirmed case, verifiable on PSA's own site
All 115 front violations confirmed by direct measurement. On each scan, the solid cream line is the card's cut edge and the solid dark line is the printed frame; every caption shows the measured ratio next to the limit the card was graded against. 61 are clear-cut; 54 sit close enough to the limit that measurement error could matter, and are labelled accordingly. Click any card to inspect it full-size and step through them one by one; each also links to its public certificate on psacard.com, so you can confirm the grade yourself.
limit 60/40
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV3a-RAGING SURF #089 PARASOL LADY SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 60/40
2021 POKEMON SWORD & SHIELD FUSION STRIKE #270 FA/ESPEON VMAX FUSION STRIKE-SECRET
Verify on PSA →limit 60/40
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV1S-SCARLET ex #098 TEAM STAR GRUNT SUPER RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 60/40
2024 POKEMON SVP EN-SV BLACK STAR PROMO #132 GRENINJA ex SFA SPECIAL ILLUSTRATION COLL
Verify on PSA →limit 60/40
2021 POKEMON JAPANESE SWORD & SHIELD START DECK 100 #419 FA/MARNIE'S PRIDE START DECK 100
Verify on PSA →limit 60/40
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M1S-MEGA SYMPHONIA #090 ACEROLA'S MISCHIEF SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 60/40
2025 POKEMON SVP EN-SV BLACK STAR PROMO #174 EEVEE ex PRE SUPER-PREMIUM COLLECTION
Verify on PSA →limit 60/40
2023 POKEMON MEW EN-151 #198 VENUSAUR ex SPECIAL ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 60/40
2022 POKEMON GO #031 MEWTWO VSTAR
Verify on PSA →limit 60/40
2025 POKEMON JTG EN-JOURNEY TOGETHER #167 N'S RESHIRAM ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 60/40
2025 POKEMON MEG EN-MEGA EVOLUTION #184 LILLIE'S DETERMINATION SPECIAL ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2008 POKEMON JAPANESE GIRATINA VS. DIALGA #007 DIALGA-HOLO G/D-DIALGA-1ST EDITION
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV-P PROMO #232 IONO'S WATTREL SV9 BOX PURCHASE CAMPAIGN
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON WHT EN-WHITE FLARE #171 HILDA SPECIAL ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV2a-POKEMON 151 #181 SNORLAX ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M2-INFERNO X #013 MEGA CHARIZARD X ex
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M1L-MEGA BRAVE #091 LILLIE'S DETERMINATION SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2019 POKEMON SUN & MOON UNIFIED MINDS #79 JIRACHI GX UNIFIED MINDS
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV4a-SHINY TREASURE ex #331 CHARIZARD ex SSR
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2020 POKEMON JAPANESE S PROMO #125 PIKACHU PIKAPIKA! PIKACHU! CMPGN.
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2019 POKEMON JAPANESE S PROMO #001 FA/PIKACHU SWSH PRE-ORDER
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON MEW EN-151 #207 BASIC PSYCHIC ENERGY HYPER RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2019 POKEMON JAPANESE SUN & MOON GG END #008 RACH & ALN.RAICHU GX GG END
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON MEW EN-151 #171 WARTORTLE ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON KOREAN SV-P PROMO #173 DITTO METAMONG PROJECT STMP RLY
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV-P PROMO #098 DETECTIVE PIKACHU DET PIKACHU RTRNS PRE-ORDER
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV10-GLORY OF TEAM ROCKET #102 CLAMPERL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV-P PROMO #242 PIKACHU ILLUSTRATION CONTEST 2024
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV2a-POKEMON 151 #170 SQUIRTLE ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV9a-HEAT WAVE ARENA #086 ETHAN'S HO-OH ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON PRE EN-PRISMATIC EVOLUTIONS #153 JOLTEON ex SPECIAL ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV2a-POKEMON 151 #203 ALAKAZAM ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON JAPANESE SV8a-TERASTAL FEST ex #214 IRON CROWN ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2022 POKEMON SWORD & SHIELD BRILLIANT STARS #TG12 FA/ORANGURU BRILLIANT STARS
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2008 POKEMON JAPANESE STORMFRONT #071 DIALGA-HOLO STORMFRONT-1ST ED.
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2016 POKEMON JAPANESE MYTHICAL & LEGENDARY DREAM SHINE COLLECTION #007 FA/VICTINI MYTH. & LEG. DRM.SHN.COLL.
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON BLK EN-BLACK BOLT #168 EXCADRILL ex SPECIAL ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON MEG EN-MEGA EVOLUTION #138 VULPIX ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M1S-MEGA SYMPHONIA #089 MEGA KANGASKHAN ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2019 POKEMON SM BLACK STAR PROMO #SM167 FA/CELEBI & VENUSR.GX PROMO-TAG TEAM TINS
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2022 POKEMON JAPANESE SWORD & SHIELD VSTAR UNIVERSE #189 FA/SOLROCK VSTAR UNIVERSE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON JAPANESE SV5a-CRIMSON HAZE #092 PERRIN SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2019 POKEMON JAPANESE SUN & MOON TAG TEAM GX ALL STARS #041 PIKACHU & ZEKROM GX TAG TEAM GX ALL STARS
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M1L-MEGA BRAVE #091 LILLIE'S DETERMINATION SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2022 POKEMON JAPANESE SWORD & SHIELD DARK PHANTASMA #073 FA/PIKACHU DARK PHANTASMA
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON TEF EN-TEMPORAL FORCES #211 MORTY'S CONVICTION SPECIAL ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M2-INFERNO X #094 MEGA CHARIZARD X ex SUPER RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON OBF EN-OBSIDIAN FLAMES #223 CHARIZARD ex SPECIAL ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON TWM EN-TWILIGHT MASQUERADE #170 DIPPLIN ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2021 POKEMON JAPANESE S PROMO #208 PIKACHU YU NAGABA X PCG CAMPAIGN
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON DRI EN-DESTINED RIVALS #213 ROCKET'S MEWTWO ex ULTRA RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV11B-BLACK BOLT #173 N'S PLOT SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON JAPANESE SV-P PROMO #218 PIKACHU SUMMER GET CAMPAIGN PACK
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2022 POKEMON JAPANESE SWORD & SHIELD VSTAR UNIVERSE #048 GENGAR-HOLO VSTAR UNIVERSE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2021 POKEMON JAPANESE S PROMO #208 PIKACHU YU NAGABA X PCG CAMPAIGN
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON MEG EN-MEGA EVOLUTION #134 IVYSAUR ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON MEW EN-151 #150 MEWTWO
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON DRI EN-DESTINED RIVALS #230 ETHAN'S HO-OH ex SPECIAL ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON JAPANESE SV8a-TERASTAL FEST ex #051 JOLTEON MASTER BALL REVERSE HOLO
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV2a-POKEMON 151 #181 SNORLAX ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2019 POKEMON SUN & MOON UNBROKEN BONDS #20 RESHRM. & CHARZRD.GX UNBROKEN BONDS
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON SWORD AND SHIELD CROWN ZENITH #GG50 FA/DARKRAI VSTAR CROWN ZENITH
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON SWORD AND SHIELD CROWN ZENITH #GG40 FA/GLACEON VSTAR CROWN ZENITH
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M2-INFERNO X #110 MEGA CHARIZARD X ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2017 POKEMON JAPANESE SUN & MOON TO HAVE SEEN THE BATTLE RAINBOW #052 FA/CHARIZARD GX TO HAVE SEEN BTL.RNBW.
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV-P PROMO #289 FUKUOKA'S PIKACHU SPECIAL BOX PC FUKUOKA
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M2-INFERNO X #084 DEWGONG ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON MEG EN-MEGA EVOLUTION #134 IVYSAUR ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M-P PROMO #020 PIKACHU McDONALD'S
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M2-INFERNO X #091 WIGGLYTUFF ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON SCR EN-STELLAR CROWN #148 SQUIRTLE ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2021 POKEMON JAPANESE PROMO CARD PACK 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION #005 DARK GYARADOS-HOLO PCP 25TH ANNIVERSARY ED.
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON MEG EN-MEGA EVOLUTION #187 MEGA GARDEVOIR ex MEGA HYPER RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M2-INFERNO X #110 MEGA CHARIZARD X ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV-P PROMO #232 IONO'S WATTREL SV9 BOX PURCHASE CAMPAIGN
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2021 POKEMON JAPANESE SWORD & SHIELD VMAX CLIMAX #195 FA/ZEKROM VMAX CLIMAX
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2022 POKEMON SWORD & SHIELD BRILLIANT STARS #TG05 FA/ZEKROM BRILLIANT STARS
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV11B-BLACK BOLT #159 SERPERIOR ex SUPER RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV11B-BLACK BOLT #167 SERPERIOR ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON JAPANESE SV8a-TERASTAL FEST ex #224 EEVEE ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV4a-SHINY TREASURE ex #236 PIKACHU S
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M1L-MEGA BRAVE #069 MARSHADOW ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M2-INFERNO X #091 WIGGLYTUFF ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON SSP EN-SURGING SPARKS #212 SLAKOTH ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON JAPANESE SV8a-TERASTAL FEST ex #217 UMBREON ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON BLK EN-BLACK BOLT #172 ZEKROM ex BLACK WHITE RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M1L-MEGA BRAVE #087 MEGA VENUSAUR ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON JAPANESE SV8a-TERASTAL FEST ex #051 JOLTEON MASTER BALL REVERSE HOLO
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2019 POKEMON SUN & MOON TEAM UP #33 PIKACHU & ZEKROM GX TEAM UP
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2017 POKEMON JAPANESE SUN & MOON GX BATTLE BOOST #028 PIKACHU GX BATTLE BOOST
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2019 POKEMON SM BLACK STAR PROMO #SM211 CHARIZARD GX PROMO-HIDDEN FATES TINS
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE MBG-MEGA STARTER SET MEGA GENGAR ex #022 HAUNTER
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2020 POKEMON JAPANESE S PROMO #126 PIKACHU PIKAPIKA! PIKACHU! CMPGN.
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON SIMPLIFIED CHINESE CBB1 C-GEM PACK VOL 1 #09 CAPTAIN PIKACHU
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON SVP EN-SV BLACK STAR PROMO #085 PIKACHU/GREY FELT HAT POKEMON X VAN GOGH
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M-P PROMO #020 PIKACHU McDONALD'S
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV2D-CLAY BURST #078 NACLI ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M2-INFERNO X #111 ORICORIO ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2017 POKEMON SUN & MOON BURNING SHADOWS #20 CHARIZARD GX BURNING SHADOWS
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON BLK EN-BLACK BOLT #092 LILLIGANT ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV-P PROMO #289 FUKUOKA'S PIKACHU SPECIAL BOX PC FUKUOKA
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2018 POKEMON JAPANESE SM PROMO #222 ALTARIA-HOLO DRAGON STORM BSTR. CMPGN.
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV-P PROMO #260 TOHOKU'S PIKACHU SPECIAL BOX PC TOHOKU
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M-P PROMO #020 PIKACHU McDONALD'S
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2021 POKEMON JAPANESE SWORD & SHIELD VMAX CLIMAX #208 FA/BRONZONG VMAX CLIMAX
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
1999 POKEMON JAPANESE GYM 2 #130 GIOVANNI'S GYARADOS HOLO
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2022 POKEMON JAPANESE SWORD & SHIELD STAR BIRTH #103 FA/CHARIZARD V STAR BIRTH
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV2a-POKEMON 151 #205 MEW ex SPECIAL ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV2a-POKEMON 151 #167 IVYSAUR ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON SIMPLIFIED CHINESE CBB2 C-GEM PACK VOL 2 #15 LEAFEON
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2024 POKEMON TWM EN-TWILIGHT MASQUERADE #188 EEVEE ILLUSTRATION RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SVF-RULER OF THE BLACK FLAME DECK BUILD BOX #001 RADIANT CHARIZARD
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE SV-P PROMO #261 HIROSHIMA'S PIKACHU SPECIAL BOX PC HIROSHIMA
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON JAPANESE M1L-MEGA BRAVE #073 STEELIX ART RARE
Verify on PSA →limit 55/45
2025 POKEMON SIMPLIFIED CHINESE CBB2 C-GEM PACK VOL 2 #15 SYLVEON
Verify on PSA →What this study does and does not show
It is our measurement, not PSA's
We measure from PSA's published scan; PSA grades the card in hand and weighs centering alongside corners, edges, and surface. A card past the centering line can still earn its grade on overall eye appeal - so this measures compliance with the published centering rule, not whether any individual grade was "wrong."
Cards near the line are uncertain
The 55/45 standard sits close to dead-center, and a card measured a hair past it can be within our measurement error. Those cases are labelled "near the line" and kept separate from the clear-cut ones everywhere on this page - including the headline split.
Not every card was hand-checked
Manual review covered every card measured past its limit. Cards measured well inside the limit were not individually verified, so the grey dots carry ordinary measurement noise in both directions - a few more true violations may hide just below the line, which makes the headline conservative in that respect.
Half the sample has no datable standard
Cards graded too close to the early-2025 standard change cannot be assigned a limit honestly, so they are excluded from every rate rather than guessed at. An excluded card can hide a violation from our count, but it can never add one - the error from this exclusion runs in PSA's favor, not against it.
Common questions
- Can a PSA 10 Pokémon card be off-center?
- Yes. In a random sample of 10,000 PSA-graded Pokémon cards, 9.0% of PSA 10 fronts graded under the current 55/45 standard (104 of 1,159) exceed PSA's own published centering limit - about 1 in 11. Across every PSA 10 with a datable standard it is 4.0%. Every case was confirmed by hand and can be checked against its public PSA certificate.
- Did PSA change its centering standard?
- Yes. In early 2025 PSA tightened its published front centering tolerances - a PSA 10 front went from 60/40 to 55/45. Back tolerances were unchanged. Cards in this study are tested against the standard in force when they were graded.
- Are older PSA 10s more off-center than new ones?
- Older gem mints were graded against a looser standard, so the same red label certifies less centering: 37% of the pre-2025 PSA 10 fronts we measured sit past today's 55/45 limit (20% even after allowing two points of measurement error), versus 0.3% past the standard they were actually graded under.
- Does back centering matter for PSA grades?
- In practice, barely. PSA's published back tolerance is loose (75/25 for a PSA 10), and 0 of the 4,840 backs we measured exceeded it. The back standard is effectively unenforced because it is nearly impossible to fail.
- How do I check a card's centering before buying or submitting?
- Measure it instead of eyeballing it. The free Centering Check tool - the same measurement pipeline used for this study - reads the centering ratios from a photo or scan in seconds and compares them against every major grading standard.
The same measurement, on your card
Every number on this page came from a pipeline you can use for free. Upload a photo, get an objective centering read in seconds, and compare it against every grading company's standard - before you buy, and before you submit.