What Lowers a Card's Grade? The 7 Most Common Reasons Cards Miss PSA 10

The seven most common reasons a card misses PSA 10 are: corner wear, edge chipping, surface scratches, poor centering, print defects, staining or residue, and creases. Any one of these flaws — even a single soft corner or a barely visible print line — is enough to drop a card from Gem Mint to Mint or lower. Understanding exactly what graders look for is the difference between a PSA 9 and a PSA 10, which can mean thousands of dollars on a key card.

Most collectors assume their card is in better shape than it actually is. It looked perfect coming out of the pack. You sleeved it immediately. You handled it carefully. And then PSA sends back a 9 — or worse, an 8. This guide breaks down each grading flaw in detail, explains how graders find them, and tells you what to look for before you submit.

(New to grading grades altogether? Start with our hub: What Is a PSA 10? Understanding Card Grades 1–10)

How PSA Grades Cards: The Four Categories

Before diving into what goes wrong, it helps to understand how PSA evaluates cards. Every submission is assessed across four categories: corners, edges, surface, and centering. Graders examine cards under magnification and consistent lighting. A flaw in any single category can cap the overall grade, regardless of how clean the rest of the card looks.

PSA does not publish a weighted breakdown of how much each category contributes to the final grade, but in practice, corners and centering are the most common deal-breakers for modern cards, while surface issues and print defects cause the most surprises for collectors who thought their card was clean.

The 7 Most Common Reasons Cards Miss PSA 10

1. Corner Wear

Corner wear is the single most common reason a card misses PSA 10. All four corners must be perfectly sharp — no fraying, fuzzing, rounding, or dimpling anywhere. Under magnification, even a corner that looks sharp to the naked eye can show fine fiber separation that graders will catch.

Corner wear happens at almost every stage of a card's life. Pack collation machines drag cards against each other as they're assembled. Removing a card from a pack can nick a corner if the pack is opened carelessly. Even sliding a card into a sleeve incorrectly can cause microscopic corner damage that shows up under a loupe.

What to look for: Hold the card at an angle under a bright light and examine each corner individually. Rotate the card so light catches each corner from different directions. Fuzzing — tiny fiber strands — is the most common issue and is easiest to see with a 10x jeweler's loupe.

What it costs you: A single soft corner typically drops a card from PSA 10 to PSA 9. Two or more soft corners can push a card to PSA 8 or lower depending on severity.

2. Poor Centering

Centering is the only grading category that can be objectively measured before submission. PSA requires the front of a card to be centered 55/45 or better — meaning the border on the wider side can be no more than 55% of the total combined border width. The back must be 60/40 or better.

Centering problems are almost always factory defects — there is nothing a collector can do to a card after it's printed to fix off-center borders. This makes centering one of the most frustrating reasons to miss PSA 10, because you can identify it immediately and simply choose not to submit.

What to look for: Use a ruler or a centering tool to measure the borders on all four sides. Apps like Card Grader or PSA's own tools can help. Measure left-to-right and top-to-bottom separately — a card can be perfectly centered one way and badly off the other.

What it costs you: A card measuring 58/42 on the front will not receive a PSA 10 under any circumstances. There is no subjectivity here — centering either meets the threshold or it doesn't. Submitting a clearly off-center card is a submission fee wasted.

3. Surface Scratches

Surface scratches are the sneakiest grading flaw because they're often introduced by collectors who think they're protecting their cards. Sliding a card in and out of a sleeve repeatedly, using a low-quality sleeve with debris inside, or stacking sleeved cards face-to-face can all create fine surface scratches that are invisible at arm's length but glaring under grading lights.

The card's foil, gloss, or holographic elements are particularly vulnerable. A scratch across a foil parallel that would be invisible on a matte card surface will catch light dramatically under magnification.

What to look for: Tilt the card slowly under a single bright light source — a flashlight or desk lamp works better than overhead lighting. Scratches appear as fine lines that reflect differently from the rest of the surface as you change the angle. Check the center of the card's face, which takes the most contact from sleeves.

What it costs you: Light surface scratching typically results in PSA 8 or PSA 9 depending on severity and location. A prominent scratch across a player's face or a key design element will pull the grade down more than the same scratch in a border area.

4. Print Defects

Print defects are factory flaws — problems that exist on the card before it ever leaves the printing facility. They include print lines (thin streaks across the card surface), print dots (small ink spots in unintended locations), ink smears, misregistration (colors slightly out of alignment), and haze (a cloudy or dull appearance to the card's surface).

Print defects are particularly common in certain sets and certain print runs. Collectors who track PSA population reports know which sets have historically low PSA 10 rates because of endemic print quality issues.

What to look for: Examine the card's surface under magnification in good lighting. Print lines run parallel to the card's long or short edge and appear as thin, slightly raised or differently shaded streaks. Dots appear as small circular anomalies in the color. Misregistration is visible at the card's edges where colors may appear slightly doubled or blurred.

What it costs you: A single prominent print line visible to the naked eye will typically prevent PSA 10. Subtle print dots in low-visibility areas may allow PSA 9 or even PSA 10 in borderline cases, but this is grader-dependent. Print defects in the subject's face or a key design area are weighted more heavily than defects in borders.

5. Edge Chipping

Edge chipping refers to small nicks or chips along the card's four edges — not the corners, but the straight border sections between them. Edge chips are most common on cards with dark-colored borders, where a tiny chip of the top layer exposes the white card stock underneath and creates high visual contrast.

Topps sets with black borders — like 2011 Topps Update, various Bowman Chrome releases, and Prizm base cards — are notorious for edge chipping. The dark border makes any chip immediately visible, and the chips frequently occur during factory collation or pack opening.

What to look for: Examine all four edges under magnification with light raking across the surface at a low angle. On dark-bordered cards, look for any white specks or spots along the edges. On light-bordered cards, look for slight roughness or fiber raising along the edge line.

What it costs you: A single visible edge chip on a dark-bordered card will typically prevent PSA 10 and often results in PSA 8 or PSA 9. On light-bordered cards, minor edge roughness may still allow PSA 9 or PSA 10 depending on severity.

6. Staining or Residue

Staining covers a broad category: anything on the card's surface that shouldn't be there. This includes fingerprints (oils from skin contact), moisture stains, adhesive residue from price stickers or tape, ink from markers, and oxidation or toning on vintage cards.

Fingerprints are the most common form of staining on modern cards and are almost entirely preventable. The oils in human skin can leave residue that's invisible immediately after contact but becomes visible as it oxidizes over time — sometimes days or weeks later. This is why handling cards by the edges, or with cotton gloves, is standard practice for serious collectors.

What to look for: Tilt the card under a single light source to check for fingerprint smears or any cloudy residue on the surface. On vintage cards, look for any yellowing, browning, or uneven coloration that suggests moisture damage or toning. Check the back of the card carefully — the back is graded just as rigorously as the front.

What it costs you: Any visible staining will drop a card below PSA 10. Significant staining — a visible fingerprint, a moisture ring, or a price sticker ghost — can push a card to PSA 6 or below depending on severity.

Important note: Never attempt to clean a card before grading. Wiping a card with any material — even a soft cloth — risks creating new surface scratches and constitutes alteration that can result in a PSA Authentic designation rather than a numerical grade. Submit cards exactly as they are. (CardVault by Tom Brady's policy is the same: cards are submitted exactly as received. See: CardVault Grading FAQ)

7. Creases

A crease is a fold or bend in the card stock that disrupts the surface. Creases range from barely visible stress lines — sometimes called "hidden creases" — to full bends across the card face. Any crease, regardless of severity, will prevent a PSA 10 and in most cases will prevent PSA 9 as well.

Hidden creases are the most common surprise in this category. A card can look completely flat to the naked eye but have a stress line in the card stock that becomes visible under raking light or when the card is flexed slightly. These are often introduced during pack insertion at the factory.

What to look for: Hold the card at a very low angle under a bright single light source and look along the card's surface from edge to edge. Any crease will appear as a shadow line or a slight ridge in the otherwise flat surface. Flex the card very gently — creases often become visible as the card bends slightly.

What it costs you: Any detectable crease will cap the grade at PSA 8 at best, and significant creases result in PSA 5 or lower. If you find a crease, the card is generally not worth submitting unless it is extremely valuable at lower grades.

The Factors That Are Outside Your Control

Not every grading flaw is preventable. Print defects, factory centering, and factory-induced corner or edge damage all exist before a card reaches the collector. Understanding which flaws are within your control — and which aren't — helps you set realistic expectations.

Within your control: How you handle the card (fingerprints, surface scratches from improper sleeving), how you store the card (humidity, pressure from stacking), and whether you submit cards with known flaws that will prevent high grades.

Outside your control: Centering, print defects, factory corner wear, and edge chipping that occurred during collation. You can only select or reject these cards — you cannot fix them.

This is why pre-grading your own cards carefully before submission is the single most impactful thing you can do to improve your results. (For a full step-by-step preparation guide, see: How to Prepare Sports Cards for Professional Grading)

What Grade Do Cards With These Flaws Typically Receive?

Grade impacts are estimates based on common outcomes. PSA grading involves human judgment and results can vary. Always check recent population data for your specific card.

Can You Fix These Flaws Before Submitting?

The short answer is no, and attempting to fix card flaws before submission is considered alteration, which PSA takes extremely seriously. Cleaning, pressing, trimming, or chemically treating a card are all forms of alteration. A card that has been altered receives a PSA Authentic designation with no numerical grade, which destroys its collectible value.

What you can do is select carefully. Examine every card under magnification before submitting. Pull cards with obvious centering issues, visible creases, or prominent staining. Submit only cards that realistically have a chance at the grade you're targeting, and know the population of your card at each grade level so you can set realistic value expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a card with a print defect still get a PSA 10?

Rarely, but yes — it depends entirely on the severity and location of the defect. A very minor print dot in an unobtrusive border area may not prevent PSA 10 if the rest of the card is flawless. However, any print defect visible to the naked eye without magnification will typically prevent the top grade. PSA grades based on the overall impression of the card, and a visible factory flaw shifts that impression.

Does PSA weigh some flaws more heavily than others?

PSA does not publish a formal weighting system, but in practice corners and centering are the most commonly cited reasons for missing PSA 10 on modern cards. Surface issues tend to have a wider range of impact depending on severity. Creases are treated harshly at any level because they represent structural damage to the card stock itself.

What's the difference between a surface scratch and a print line?

A surface scratch is physical damage to the card's surface created after the card was printed, by contact with sleeves, other cards, or handling. A print line is a factory defect embedded in the ink layer during printing. The distinction matters because scratches can sometimes be attributed to collector handling, while print lines are inherently the card's fault. Both can prevent PSA 10, but they require different light angles to identify scratches reflected under raking light, while print lines are more visible under direct overhead illumination.

Should I still submit a card I think will grade PSA 9?

It depends on the card's value at PSA 9. Check recent sold listings for that specific card at PSA 9 and compare to the submission cost plus shipping. For high-demand rookie cards where PSA 9 still carries real market value, submitting is often worthwhile. For common base cards where PSA 9 sells for $15–$20, the math usually doesn't work. (See our full guide on this decision: What Is a PSA 10? Understanding Card Grades 1–10)

Does touching a card always leave fingerprints?

Not always visibly, but the oils from skin can transfer to the card surface even when a fingerprint isn't immediately visible. Over time, those oils oxidize and become more apparent. The safest practice is to handle cards only by their edges, or to use clean cotton gloves when examining cards you plan to submit for grading.

Can a card grade PSA 10 with a visible factory crease?

No. Any detectable crease, even one caused by factory collation rather than collector handling, will prevent a PSA 10. PSA grades the card's condition as it arrives, regardless of how the damage occurred. If you believe a crease was factory-caused, it doesn't change the grade outcome.

What tools do I need to inspect a card before submitting?

A 10x jeweler's loupe is the most useful tool for examining corners and edges. A single bright directional light source, a flashlight or a focused desk lamp, is essential for catching surface scratches and hidden creases. A centering tool or ruler lets you measure borders precisely. None of these are expensive, and together they give you a grading-level view of your card before it ever reaches PSA.

Submit Your Cards Through CardVault by Tom Brady: Official PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC Partner

Now that you know exactly what graders look for, the next step is getting your best cards submitted. CardVault by Tom Brady is an official partner of PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC meaning you can access all three grading companies through a single drop-off at any CardVault retail location.

The team handles all packaging, shipping, and tracking on your behalf. When your slabs are ready, they're returned to the same CardVault location where you dropped off. No portals to navigate. No guessing at submission requirements.

Have questions about which tier is right for your card, or want to know if your submission qualifies for a higher-value service level? Reach out directly at Grading@CardVaultByTomBrady.com.

View Full Grading Pricing & FAQs at CardVault by Tom Brady →

Want to learn how to prepare your cards before submitting? See: The Ultimate Guide to Sports Card Grading and How to Prepare Sports Cards for Professional Grading

Not sure which grading company to use? See: PSA vs BGS vs SGC vs CGC: Which Grader Is Right for Your Cards?