PSA Printing Defects and Variations 2

Question 1

What is a miscut card and how does PSA handle it during grading?

Accepted Answer

A card cut off-center or at an angle during manufacturing, noted with an MC qualifier while still receiving a numeric grade

Answer

A miscut card was cut improperly during manufacturing, resulting in irregular borders or angled edges. PSA still grades it numerically but applies an MC qualifier to note the factory cutting defect.

Question 2

What is a double print in baseball card production and how is it relevant to collectors?

Accepted Answer

A card that was printed twice as often as other cards in the same series, resulting in greater availability

Answer

In traditional baseball card production, a double print is a card that was printed twice on the same press sheet due to sheet configuration, resulting in twice as many copies in packs as other cards in the set.

Question 3

What is a color shift printing defect on a trading card?

Accepted Answer

A misalignment of one or more color printing layers, causing colors to appear offset from their correct position

Answer

A color shift occurs when one or more of the color printing layers (cyan, magenta, yellow, or black) is misaligned, causing elements like the player's image to appear with a colored fringe or shadow effect.

Question 4

What distinguishes a rookie variation from a printing variation in the trading card market?

Accepted Answer

A rookie variation refers to different versions of a first-year player's card intentionally produced; a printing variation is an unintentional production anomaly

Answer

Rookie variations are intentionally produced alternate versions of a player's rookie card by the manufacturer, while printing variations are accidental production anomalies that created cards differing from the standard design.

Question 5

PSA uses the ST qualifier on graded cards. What does ST stand for?

Accepted Answer

Stain

Answer

ST stands for Stain, indicating that the card has a visible stain on its surface that was noted by PSA graders as a condition-affecting factor warranting specific disclosure.

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Practice Test

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Practice Test

PSA Printing Defects and Variations 2