Defects & condition · 8 min read · Updated 7 May 2026

Surface scratches and PSA grades: a 2026 reference

Surface scratches are the silent grade-killers - visible only under raking light at the right angle, but responsible for half the unexpected PSA 9s on cards that look mint to the eye. This reference covers the scratch hierarchy PSA applies, why holo and Special Illustration Rare cards are particularly affected, the inspection technique that catches scratches at home, and the decision rule for when scratches make a card not worth grading.

The PSA surface scratch hierarchy

• Hairline scratches - only visible at oblique angles under direct light. Caps at PSA 9 if they cross the focal area; PSA 10 still possible if confined to non-focal areas (borders, background).
• Visible scratches - readable under normal lighting but only when you're looking for them. Caps at PSA 7 or 8.
• Deep scratches - gouges into the print layer that visibly catch the light from any angle. Caps at PSA 5 or 6.
• Cuts or splits in the surface - PSA 4 or below.

Focal area vs non-focal area

PSA sub-graders weight the focal area heavily - the face, the eyes, the central artwork. A hairline crossing the focal area on a Charizard ex caps you at PSA 9. The same hairline across the bottom border doesn't. When you inspect a card, prioritise the focal area first; if it's clean, work outward to the borders.

Why holo Pokemon cards have it worst

Holo and foil surfaces are scratch magnets. The reflective foil reveals every micro- imperfection from packaging through to handling. Modern cards are particularly affected:

• Charizard ex (Surging Sparks, 151): textured holo is soft, scratches appear in the focal area regularly.
• Mew ex, Pikachu ex: same etched holo behaviour.
• V / VMax / VStar cards: heavy foil coverage, prone to hairlines in the centre.
• Special Illustration Rares (SIRs): notoriously soft surface; hairlines appear out of the pack on some print runs.

How to inspect Pokemon cards under raking light

1. Hold the card under a single, oblique light source. A desk lamp at a low angle works perfectly. The harsher the angle, the more scratches reveal.
2. Slowly rotate the card. Scratches show as bright lines on the foil, briefly catching the light as the angle changes.
3. Repeat at 90° rotation. Some scratches only show at one orientation because they run parallel to the light source at one angle and perpendicular at the other.
4. Inspect the focal area first; sub-graders prioritise this region.
5. Repeat for the back of the card. Back scratches affect the surface sub-grade too.

Common scratch locations on modern Pokemon

• Centre of the holo - from sleeve insertion at the wrong angle.
• Across the artwork frame - from cards stacking against each other in a pile.
• Diagonal across the focal area - from a single moment of mishandling.
• Near the energy symbols - sleeve seam abrasion over months.

Holo bleeding: what it is and how PSA grades it

Holo bleeding is a print defect where the foil pattern extends past the artwork edge into the borders. It's a manufacturing flaw, not damage - the foil was applied at the wrong tolerance during printing. PSA does not typically penalise holo bleeding because it's not a condition issue, but it does affect resale demand for some buyers who consider it visually unappealing. Don't mistake holo bleed for a scratch when inspecting - bleeding follows the artwork edge cleanly, scratches are irregular.

Why a guided checklist beats ML scratch detection

Computer vision models trained on small datasets hallucinate scratches that aren't there - and miss ones that are. Worse, they can't distinguish a scratch from holo bleeding, dust, or a sleeve seam reflection. A guided checklist with annotated zoom views gives you, the human, the final say - and you can see exactly why the verdict landed.

That's our position at CardPreGrading. We require an angled-front shot precisely so you can see scratches that hide flat-on, then ask you to rate severity (none / minor / noticeable / heavy) per zone. We translate that to the PSA ceiling using PSA's published rules. As we collect labelled data, ML detection will roll out - but only where it materially outperforms the guided checklist on real cards.

Preventing surface scratches on Pokemon cards

• Inner sleeves before outer sleeves. Perfect-fit inner sleeves protect the surface from sleeve-seam abrasion.
• Insert cards face-up into top-loaders to keep the holo away from friction surfaces.
• Don't stack raw cards. Holo-on-holo contact creates scratches even with light pressure.
• Avoid sliding the card across any surface. Lift, don't drag.
• Stable humidity - the same rule that prevents whitening prevents surface micro-cracking on holo foil. See the whitening prevention guide.

The scratch decision rule for grading

• No scratches visible under raking light: PSA 10 ceiling.
• Hairlines confined to non-focal areas: PSA 10 still possible. Send if centering and corners are also clean.
• Hairlines in the focal area: PSA 9 ceiling. Send only if raw value is high enough that PSA 9 covers fees.
• Visible under normal light: PSA 7-8. Almost never profitable on modern cards.
• Multiple visible scratches or deep marks: skip. Below break-even on virtually everything modern.

Combine this with centering measurement and whitening assessment for the full sub-grade prediction. Then run through the should-I-grade decision tree.