How to Photograph Cards for Grading (PSA, CGC, and AI Screens)

Lighting, angle, and background setup that reveals true condition — the same shots Detect Grading needs for a useful estimate.

Bad photos hide defects and make AI (and buyers) too optimistic. Good photos are boring: square, sharp, even light, no glare. That is what PSA submission photos, eBay listings, and TCGdetect Detect Grading all need.

Setup that actually works

Background: plain black or dark gray; no wood grain, no clutter
Light: two lamps at ~45 degrees, or bright shade near a window — not a bare overhead LED
Camera: phone is fine; turn off beauty filters and HDR if they smear the holo
Distance: fill the frame with the card, then crop; don't zoom digitally until it is already sharp

The shots to take

Front, camera parallel to the card (no keystone tilt)
Back, same setup
Optional: a raked-light front shot that shows holo scratches

Detect Grading accepts multiple images (Free/Pro up to 6, Elite up to 20). Extra close-ups of a suspect corner help more than five identical fronts.

Glare and holos

If the holo is a white blob, move the lights, not the card, until you can see the artwork and the texture. Graders will see every scratch you washed out with glare. Buyers will too.

What not to do

Flash straight-on
Fingers in the frame (oils + it looks untrustworthy)
Editing contrast to “hide” whitening
Only photographing the pretty front

Use the same photos twice

Shoot once, then run Detect Grading and reuse the images for your listing or your PSA/CGC submission packet. If the AI flags surface issues you cannot see, reshoot with raked light before you pay a lab.

Quick quality check

Zoom to 100% on a corner. If you cannot tell whether it is white, the photo is not good enough to decide on grading. Fix lighting and reshoot — it is cheaper than a surprise PSA 8.