How to Review Trading Card Condition: Centering, Corners, Edges and Surface
A useful condition record explains what you saw, where you saw it, and what the photo could not show. Check both sides across centering, corners, edges, and surface before interpreting a score.
1. Start with usable front and back photos
Keep all four edges in frame, use a plain background, and reduce glare. A sleeve reflection can look like a mark on the card; dust or a shadow can also be misleading. If you cannot tell where a mark comes from, take another photo rather than recording a confirmed defect.
Use the card photo checklist first. Do not bend, rub, or otherwise risk damaging a card to make a feature more visible. For a valuable or ambiguous card, arrange an in-person inspection.
2. Inspect the four dimensions separately
| Dimension | What to check | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Centering | Compare corresponding printed borders on both axes after calibration. | Left/right and top/bottom ratios, chosen reference lines, and any perspective uncertainty. |
| Corners | Magnify all four corners. Look for visible shape changes, whitening, or worn areas. | Which side and corner, a crop, and whether glare or a sleeve obscures the outline. |
| Edges | Follow each edge, looking for visible chips, whitening, or interruptions in the outline. | The edge and location. Distinguish the card edge from the sleeve or background. |
| Surface | Inspect visible marks, lines, and areas affected by reflections. Compare another photo when needed. | What the photo shows and which areas remain unclear. A single photo cannot rule out fine scratches or dents. |
Centering is one part of this record. Use the centering formula and worked example without treating the ratio as an overall condition result.
3. Separate a candidate from confirmed evidence
CardAlign’s on-device AI marks candidate areas for you to review. Inspect each candidate, then confirm, classify, or exclude it. Review the rest of the image too: no marker does not mean no defect.
For example, a pale line near an edge may be a visible card mark or a sleeve reflection. Compare an additional photo under different lighting. If you still cannot distinguish them, record the uncertainty in your review notes instead of presenting the mark as established damage.
Preserve the card side and location with a magnified crop when recording evidence. That makes a later review more useful than a score with no supporting context.
4. Understand the 1–100 CardAlign condition score
CardAlign forms a 1–100 condition score using its own scoring criteria across centering, corners, edges, and surface, based on visible evidence you confirm. Review the dimensions, evidence, and limitations alongside that number.
The score is not an official grade, authentication, valuation, or guarantee. It does not map to a grading company’s scale. Different photos or confirmed findings can affect a review, and a photo-based result does not replace inspecting the physical card.
5. Keep the evidence with the card
Keep front and back photos in the same card profile, revisit saved reviews, and export images or PDF reports when you want to share the findings. Explain any obscured areas when sharing a result.
A full local archive can be exported and merged on another device. Exported backups are not encrypted, so store them somewhere trusted. Photo features require agreement to the current terms and privacy policy; images and related assessment data are uploaded and retained for results, evidence integrity, security, and support. Photo features are for ages 14 and older.
Review your next card on iPhone
CardAlign is available for iOS 17 or later. Complete condition reviews use one-time credit packs; see current prices in the app.