📘 Galar Alerts guide · Updated 31 October 2026
Pokémon card centering explained, with a free centering checker
Centering is how evenly the picture is printed inside the card’s borders. Graders measure it as a ratio, like 55/45: the bigger border’s share against the smaller one. It’s one of the first things that decides whether a card can get a 10.
Quick answer: Centering is the split between opposite borders, written like 55/45. A PSA 10 allows up to 55/45 on the front and 75/25 on the back; a PSA 9 allows 60/40 on the front. You can measure your card’s centering free with the Galar Alerts grader on this page, which reads all four borders in millimetres.
At a glance
| Status | Galar Alerts guide |
|---|---|
| Reported | Saturday, 31 October 2026 |
What does 55/45 mean?
Measure the left and right borders. If the left is 2.2 mm and the right 1.8 mm, the left is 55% of the total (4 mm) and the right 45%: that’s 55/45. The same goes for top and bottom. Graders use the worse of the two.
PSA centering limits
| PSA grade | Front | Back |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Gem Mint | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| 9 Mint | 60/40 | 90/10 |
| 8 NM-MT | 65/35 | 90/10 |
| 7 NM | 70/30 | 90/10 |
| 6 EX-MT | 80/20 | 90/10 |
| 5 and 4 | 85/15 | 90/10 |
Beckett, CGC and ACE centering
| Company | For a 10 (front) | Back |
|---|---|---|
| Beckett (BGS) | 50/50 | 60/40 |
| CGC | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| ACE | 60/40 | 60/40 |
Beckett’s 9.5 allows 55/45 on the front. Each company publishes its own table: they’re not the same.
How to check centering yourself
With a ruler or calipers, measure each border at its middle, then work out each side’s share. Full arts and borderless cards have no plain border, so the frame lines in the design are used instead, which is hard by eye.
Free centering checker
Our grader measures all four borders on the front and back from your phone’s photos and gives you the ratio each company would see, alongside the corners, edges and surface.
🔔 Tap 📸 Grade my card free: the camera opens on your phone, no account needed.
📸 Grade my card freeReported by Galar Alerts. Photos: Galar Alerts.
Questions
What centering do you need for a PSA 10?
55/45 or better on the front and 75/25 or better on the back.
What does 60/40 centering mean?
One border takes 60% of the space and the opposite one 40%. That’s the most a PSA 9 allows on the front.
How do you check centering on a Pokémon card?
Measure the opposite borders and work out each one’s share, or use our free grader, which measures them from photos.
Is there a centering app for Pokémon cards?
Yes: the Galar Alerts grader measures centering free from your phone, along with the rest of the card.
Does Beckett have stricter centering than PSA?
Yes for a 10: Beckett wants 50/50 on the front, PSA allows 55/45.
Does back centering matter?
Yes, but less: PSA allows 75/25 on the back for a 10.
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