Photography Guide

Get the most accurate grade

Photo quality directly impacts prediction accuracy. Follow these tips to get results that closely match professional PSA grades.

The #1 rule: Light background, shoot straight down
A white or light grey surface with your camera directly above the card eliminates most photo artifacts that cause inaccurate predictions.
Use a light background
Place your card on a white, cream, or light grey surface. Avoid dark, textured, or patterned backgrounds.
Do
White desk or table
Plain sheet of paper
Light grey counter
Don't
Dark wood or black surfaces
Patterned tablecloths or carpets
Card binder pages (reflections)
Why it matters
Dark backgrounds cause the analysis to misread card edges and borders. Our testing showed a 1-1.5 point accuracy improvement when switching from dark to light backgrounds.
Shoot straight down
Hold your phone directly above the card, parallel to the surface. The card should fill most of the frame.
Do
Camera directly overhead
Card fills 70-80% of the frame
All four edges visible with small margin
Don't
Angled shots (skews centering measurement)
Card too small in the frame
Edges cut off or cropped
Why it matters
Angled photos distort the card's proportions, making the analysis misjudge centering ratios. Even a slight tilt can shift a centering score by a full point.
Even, natural lighting
Use soft, diffused light. Avoid direct overhead lights that create harsh shadows or glare, especially on holographic cards.
Do
Natural daylight from a window (indirect)
Evenly lit room with multiple light sources
Diffused desk lamp off to the side
Don't
Direct flash (creates hot spots)
Single harsh overhead light (strong shadows)
Shooting near a bright window with sun on the card
Why it matters
Glare and shadows can look like scratches or surface damage to the analysis. Holographic cards are especially affected. Their natural prismatic reflections can be misread as flaws under harsh lighting.
Sharp focus, steady hands
Tap on the card to focus before shooting. Hold steady or prop your phone against something to avoid blur.
Do
Tap to focus on the card center
Hold steady for 1-2 seconds before shooting
Use the volume button as a shutter (less shake)
Don't
Blurry or motion-smeared photos
Zoomed in digitally (reduces quality)
Screenshots of other photos (loses detail)
Why it matters
Corner wear and edge detail are measured at the pixel level. A blurry image makes the analysis unable to distinguish between soft corners and camera shake, often resulting in a lower predicted grade.
Common mistakes that lower your predicted grade
Fingers visible in the frame
Fix: Set the card down flat, don't hold it
Card in a penny sleeve or toploader
Fix: Remove the card from any sleeve or case before scanning
Photo taken at night under yellow light
Fix: Wait for daylight or use a white-light desk lamp
Holding the card in hand at an angle
Fix: Lay it flat on a surface and shoot from above
Card on a busy or cluttered background
Fix: Use a plain light surface with nothing else visible
A note on holographic and special cards

Holo, rainbow rare, and foil cards naturally reflect light in complex patterns. Our analysis is designed to recognize these as normal card features, not damage. However, strong direct light can create artifacts that even our adjustments can't fully account for. For holo cards especially, diffused lighting makes a significant difference in accuracy.

About prediction accuracy

ClearGrade's analysis is calibrated to be conservative. This means predicted grades tend to be slightly lower than actual PSA grades, especially for cards photographed in less-than-ideal conditions. A card predicted at 8.5 may grade as a 9 or higher in person. We do this intentionally so you're never surprised by a grade that comes back lower than expected.

Scan a Card Now
Follow the tips above for the most accurate prediction