PSA centering limits for every grade
PSA measures centering on both sides of the card and compares the worse axis on each side with the limits below. A front that is 54/46 left to right and 57/43 top to bottom counts as 57/43, which is outside the 10 limit.
| Grade | Front centering (worse axis) | Back centering (worse axis) |
|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 Gem Mint | 55/45 or better | 75/25 or better |
| PSA 9 Mint | 60/40 or better | 90/10 or better |
| PSA 8 NM-MT | 65/35 or better | 90/10 or better |
| PSA 7 Near Mint | 70/30 or better | 90/10 or better |
| PSA 6 EX-MT | 80/20 or better | 90/10 or better |
| PSA 5 Excellent | 85/15 or better | 90/10 or better |
| PSA 4 VG-EX | 85/15 or better | 90/10 or better |
| PSA 3 Very Good | 90/10 or better | 90/10 or better |
| PSA 2 Good | 90/10 or better | 90/10 or better |
| PSA 1 Poor | 90/10 or better | 90/10 or better |
PSA writes these figures as approximate. Its standards add that a small variance may be allowed at the grader's discretion when the card's overall eye appeal is strong, and that eye appeal can also work against a card that technically measures inside a grade.
What 55/45 actually looks like
A 55/45 ratio means the wider border is 55% of the two opposite borders added together. On a standard trading card with roughly 3mm borders, that is a difference of only about 0.6mm between the left and right border, a bit less than the thickness of a credit card. That is why so many cards that look centered at arm's length miss a 10 when measured.
| Left border | Right border | Ratio | Best PSA centering grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0mm | 3.0mm | 50/50 | 10 |
| 3.3mm | 2.7mm | 55/45 | 10 (right at the limit) |
| 3.6mm | 2.4mm | 60/40 | 9 |
| 3.9mm | 2.1mm | 65/35 | 8 |
The front centering leeway
PSA's standards include a leeway on front centering for cards grading PSA 7 or better. PSA's own example is that a card meeting every other PSA 9 requirement at 60/40 automatically meets the 9 centering standard, and one at 65/35 may still qualify if its eye appeal is good. Treat the leeway as a possibility, not a plan. Measure against the published limit and count anything past it as a risk.
Back centering for a PSA 10
The back limit for a 10 is approximately 75/25, much looser than the front. It still catches cards. Some modern sets and many vintage cards ship with backs that are visibly shifted, and a 78/22 back caps an otherwise perfect card at a 9. Always measure the back as well as the front.
Off-center cards and the OC qualifier
PSA's standards say an off-center card is either given the OC qualifier or a numerical grade that reflects the minimum centering allowed for that grade. A qualified grade such as PSA 8 OC usually sells for less than a plain PSA 8, so it helps to know in advance whether your card sits near a limit.
How to check your card against the PSA 10 limit
- Take the card out of its sleeve and lay it flat on a plain surface that contrasts with the border.
- Photograph the front and back straight down, then upload both to the free card centering calculator. It finds the card, corrects the angle and measures each border for you.
- Check the worse axis on each side against the table above. The calculator also shows the best PSA, BGS and TAG grade your centering allows.
- If centering allows a 10, check corners, edges and surface next with our pre-grading checklist.
Centering vs the other three grading factors
Centering is the easiest factor to measure and the one you can't fix. Corners, edges and surface are judged by eye, and a single soft corner or print line can drop a perfectly centered card to an 8. For the full picture, read PSA 10 vs PSA 9 and our guide to card grading criteria.
Source, checked October 2026: PSA grading standards.
