Centering decides more grades than most collectors expect. Here’s what it actually measures, what numbers like 45/55 mean, and three real cards we’ve graded that show the difference between a 10, a 9 and an 8.

Centering is about the borders

Cards are printed on big sheets and then cut. If the cut lands slightly to one side, one border ends up wider than the one opposite. Centering is how even those borders are: left against right, and top against bottom, on both the front and the back.

It isn’t measured from the middle of the card or the artwork. It’s the width of each border, from the cut edge of the card to the edge of the printed design.

What the numbers mean

Centering is written as two numbers that add up to 100, like 45/55. They show each border’s share of the two borders together. 50/50 is perfect. 45/55 on the left and right means the right border is a little wider than the left.

You can work it out yourself. Say the left border is 2.2 mm and the right border is 2.8 mm. Together they’re 5.0 mm. The left border is 2.2 ÷ 5.0 = 44% of that, so the split is 44/56.

Three real cards we’ve graded

All three are on the Registry, so you can open the full report for each one and check the numbers yourself.

Armarouge, cert CLBR-0000601: borders almost even on all sides, centering scored 10
Centering 10 · Armarouge
Front: left/right 51/49, top/bottom 47/53. Back: 50/50 both ways. Its overall grade is 9.5, because its edges scored 9.7. See its report
Mega Starmie ex, cert CLBR-0000296: right border wider than the left on the front, 45/55, centering scored 9
Centering 9 · Mega Starmie ex
Front: left/right 45/55. Back: top/bottom 56/44. Corners, edges and surface all scored 10, so centering set the grade: 9. See its report
Iono's Bellibolt ex, cert CLBR-0000235: top border much wider than the bottom, 61/39 on the front, centering scored 8
Centering 8 · Iono’s Bellibolt ex
Front: top/bottom 61/39. Back: top/bottom 60/40. Perfect corners, edges and surface, and still an 8. See its report

Why it matters so much

A card’s grade is set by its lowest score, not an average. So you can have flawless corners, clean edges and a perfect surface, and the card still can’t go higher than its centering allows. That’s exactly what happened to the Bellibolt above.

Centering is also fixed the moment the card is cut. Careful storage protects corners, edges and surface, but nothing changes centering, which is why well-centred copies of a card are the ones collectors hunt for.

Front and back both count

A card can look well centred on the front and be off on the back. Grading looks at both faces, so turn the card over before you decide it’s a top-grade candidate.

Check your own card at home

  • Measure the left and right borders on the front with a ruler, in millimetres.
  • Add them together, then divide the left border by the total. That’s your left/right split.
  • Do the same for the top and bottom, then turn the card over and repeat.
  • Anything close to 50/50 on all four is a good sign. For the full ten-minute check, see how to check your card’s condition at home.

How CALIBRE measures it

We don’t eyeball it. Every card is scanned and its borders measured on both faces, so centering is a measurement, taken the same way on every card. Your report shows the front and back splits, so you can see exactly where the score came from. See how it works.

Think you can spot it? Play Guess the grade with ten real cards, or get your own card graded →