Corners, edges, surface and centering
Learn to separate four visible areas of card condition and interpret their evidence without confusing defects, reflections or camera perspective.
Visible condition is commonly organised into four areas: centering, corners, edges and surface. Keeping them separate prevents an overall impression from replacing evidence. It also explains why two cards that look similar at first can have different limiting factors.
Centering: the position of the design
Centering describes how the printed design sits within the card’s physical boundaries. It is considered horizontally and vertically on both front and back. It is not wear, and it should not be measured from a tilted photograph.
The card and camera should be aligned before interpreting centering. If one edge is closer to the camera, it will appear larger even though the print has not changed. That is why a reliable perspective and centering capture comes before any ratio.
Corners: four small areas with dense detail
A corner can show rounding, material loss, a bend, layer separation or a small impact. A useful observation identifies which corner, which side and what visible evidence supports it. “Weak corners” says less than a located, visible change.
Blur can also make a corner look rounded. If the outline is inconsistent or falls outside the focus plane, confidence should decrease. A precise number cannot compensate for a corner that is not visible.
Edges: continuity around the card
Edges should be reviewed along the whole perimeter. They can show light or dark points, roughness, small notches, ink loss or separation of the stock. Front and back may show different evidence, so each side should be traced independently.
Frontal light helps with continuity and colour. Low-angle light can reveal relief, but it also creates strong highlights. Combining both phases lowers the risk of treating a line of light as actual wear.
Surface: print, gloss and visible relief
Surface evidence includes scratches, scuffing, stains, print lines, creases, visible indentations and changes in gloss. Not all of it comes from handling; some features may come from printing or finish. A responsible visual estimate describes what is visible without inventing its cause.
Raking light is useful because a surface change interrupts the path of the light. Evidence becomes stronger when it appears from more than one angle and remains in the same location. A signal seen only in one bright image may be glare.
Turning observations into a report
Professional graders use their own scales and may weigh these areas differently. BGT gives you an independent visual result to help you understand the card before choosing what to do next.
Read the marked areas before the large number. The guide to reading a visual report explains how severity, side, evidence and confidence work together. When a category lacks sufficient coverage, recapture is more honest than assuming it is perfect.
Examples to check before assigning a score
| What you see | What to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| A corner looks rounded | Is it in focus and fully visible in the original? | Retake the photo if the outline is unclear. |
| A bright line crosses foil | Does it change when the light moves? | Compare another lighting condition; one view does not confirm a scratch. |
| One border looks wider | Is the camera parallel to the card? | Correct perspective before comparing corresponding printed borders. |
| A white spot touches the edge | Is it on the card, background or sleeve? | Inspect the original and the other side; retain uncertainty if unresolved. |
These examples guide inspection; they do not assign a grade. Borderless or asymmetric designs require a suitable reference: do not assume both printed margins should be equal.
Make the inspection repeatable
- Keep an original photo of each side with all four corners visible.
- Record the side and location before interpreting the cause of a mark.
- Check the same location under another light without bending or pressing the card.
- Separate “not visible” from “no defect observed”.
- Compare the observations afterwards, not just the final score.
From the guide to your collection
Explore the interactive examples and their simulated observations. You can create your collection on the web and browse your saved entries. Capture and evaluation take place in the iPhone app; illustrative examples do not demonstrate accuracy on your card.
