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Inspect both sides under bright, angled light and rate visible scratches, print defects, gloss loss, and staining. The tool summarizes your selections into a manual surface-condition score, not an official professional grade.
A trading card's surface is the printed front and back. Surface inspection looks for scratches, scuffs, print lines or dots, stains, gloss loss, indentations, creases, and other visible changes. Check both sides from several angles because glare can hide—or imitate—damage.
This manual tool covers four common issue groups and cannot see the card for you. Read the card edge and surface grading guide, review whitening with the edge grading tool, and measure alignment with the centering tool.
The percentages are CardGrade's internal tool weights for summarizing your selections. They are not PSA, Beckett, CGC, or other professional formulas.
Rate all surface conditions on both sides to see your manual tool score
0/8 conditions rated
Learn what each category means before recording your own observations
Surface-level marks caused by sliding, handling, or contact with an abrasive surface. Hairline scratches may appear at only one light angle, while deeper marks remain visible as the card rotates.
Manufacturing imperfections such as ink dots, print lines, registration errors, and missing ink. A professional grader decides how the defect affects the physical card.
Loss of the original surface finish, typically the glossy coating. Caused by friction, handling, or environmental exposure. Appears as dulled or matte areas where the card once had a uniform sheen.
Color changes from exposure to moisture, oils, chemicals, or UV light. Includes yellowing, water spots, wax stains from old packs, and fingerprint oils that have set over time.
There is no universal surface percentage shared by professional grading companies. Beckett evaluates surface alongside centering, corners, and edges, while PSA's published grade descriptions consider factors such as gloss, staining, printing imperfections, and surface wrinkles as part of the whole card.
Both handling damage—such as scratches, wear, and staining—and manufacturing defects—such as print lines, dots, and registration issues—can affect a result. Severity, location, the rest of the card, and the chosen company's standards determine the outcome; this tool does not reproduce that professional process.
Check the current PSA grading standards and Beckett grading standards before a paid submission because professional criteria can change.
Defects frequently identified during professional surface evaluation
Thin lines running across the card surface from the printing roller. A factory defect common in certain print runs.
Subtle impressions left by printing equipment. Often only visible at certain angles under direct light.
Residue from old wax packs that seeps into the card surface. Common on vintage cards from the 1980s and earlier.
White marks or spots on the card face from pressure or bending. Different from edge whitening as it occurs on the flat surface.
Light surface scratches from cards being shuffled or stacked without sleeves. Often run in parallel lines.
Oils from handling that dull the surface finish over time. May appear as smudges or slightly discolored areas.
Use the observation, then record only what you can actually see
A straight line stays in the same place while the card and light rotate, instead of moving with the reflection.
Record the visible line as a print defect. Check several angles so ordinary foil glare is not mistaken for damage.
A translucent or discolored patch remains visible on the front or back of an older card under diffuse light.
Record the stain and leave the surface alone. Do not apply heat, liquid, solvent, or pressure to try to remove it.
A shallow depression interrupts the reflected light when you look across the card from a low angle.
Treat it as a separate red flag. This four-category score does not reliably model dents, creases, or alterations.
Many handling-related defects are preventable with careful storage. If a mark is already present, attempting to remove it can add damage or alter the card.
CGI Vision AI reviews visible surface concerns captured in your photos. Sleeves, glare, reflections, and missing angles can still hide defects.
Run a full AI pre-screenA trading card surface is the printed front and back. Surface inspection looks for visible scratches, scuffs, print lines or dots, stains, gloss loss, indentations, creases, and other changes to the finish or card stock.
Remove glare-producing outer holders when it is safe to do so, use bright angled light, and slowly rotate the card while checking both sides. Compare several angles because a reflection can hide or imitate a scratch.
They can. Published grading standards include printing imperfections among the condition factors a grader may consider, but the effect depends on the line, the rest of the card, and the grading company's standards.
Do not wipe, polish, erase, press, or apply liquids or chemicals to a collectible card. Cleaning can add scratches or alter the surface, and a professional grader may reject a card that shows restoration or tampering.
No. It is a CardGrade manual self-assessment based only on the conditions you select. PSA, Beckett, CGC, and other grading companies inspect the physical card and apply their own standards.
No. The tool cannot authenticate a card, detect every alteration, or certify that a card is genuine. Authentication and encapsulation require a professional service to examine the physical card.
Use both diffuse and angled light, then rotate the card and light separately. A fixed scratch or print line stays in place, while glare and the intended foil pattern change with the viewing angle.
Professional grading considers the entire physical card. The back can show scratches, stains, wax residue, writing impressions, or gloss loss that is not visible from the front.
Surface is one part of card condition. Upload clear front and back photos for an image-based estimate across centering, corners, edges, and visible surface concerns.