PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Printing Defects and Variations Questions and Answers

Question 1

A grader is evaluating a modern chrome card and observes a faint, perfectly straight, hairline scratch running vertically across the entire card front. This defect can only be seen when tilting the card in the light. Which printing defect does this describe?

Accepted Answer

A roller mark

Answer

A roller mark is a factory defect caused by the printing machinery, often appearing as a perfectly straight hairline scratch or indentation across the card. A print line is typically an issue with ink application, not a physical indentation. A surface scratch from handling is usually not perfectly straight, and a die-cut line relates to the cutting process, not a surface flaw.

Question 2

Which of the following scenarios describes a printing variation that is LEAST likely to be penalized with a lower numerical grade by PSA?

Accepted Answer

A well-known rookie card that has a specific, documented print line present on every known copy.

Answer

If a specific printing flaw is documented and accepted as being present on every known copy of a card (e.g., the 1984 Topps Don Mattingly rookie), PSA will not downgrade the card for that specific defect. Other random or severe defects, especially those in focal areas like a player's face or those that significantly alter the card's intended appearance, will typically result in a lower grade.

Question 3

A collector submits a card that has the correct player image on the front, but the back contains the statistics and biographical information for a different player from the same set. How would PSA most likely categorize this item?

Accepted Answer

As a Wrong Back error

Answer

This specific type of error, where the front of the card does not match the back, is known as a "Wrong Back." While it is a printing error, it has a specific classification distinct from a simple print dot or line (PD) or a Blank Back, where no information is printed on the reverse. PSA does grade such error cards.

Question 4

A grader identifies a small, circular area on a card's surface where the ink has failed to adhere, creating a tiny, uncolored dot. This common defect is widely known in the hobby as a:

Accepted Answer

Fish eye

Answer

A 'fish eye' is a common printing defect characterized by a small, circular spot where ink has vacated, often due to a defect in the card's coating or a foreign substance on the media during printing. 'Print snow' refers to a pattern of fine white specks, while a roller mark is a line, and a dimple is a physical indentation.

Question 5

During an evaluation of a vintage card, a grader notes that the four-color printing process was not perfectly aligned, causing a slightly blurry or shadowed effect around the player's image. Which PSA qualifier or grading description best fits this flaw?

Accepted Answer

Out of Focus / Out of Register

Answer

When the different color printing plates are not perfectly aligned, it results in an image that is 'Out of Register,' which PSA also refers to as 'Out of Focus' (OF). This causes the image to appear blurry or have color halos. While technically a print defect, 'Out of Focus' is the more specific and accurate description for this registration issue.

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Practice Test

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Practice Test

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Printing Defects and Variations Questions and Answers