How to Grade a Pokémon Card with Cardemon (Step by Step)

Grading a card with Cardemon takes under a minute once you know the flow. Here is a step-by-step walkthrough to get accurate results every time.

Step 1: Prepare the card

Place the card on a flat, solid surface with even, indirect lighting. Remove it from any sleeve or toploader so reflections and glare do not interfere with the scan.

Step 2: Scan the front

Open Cardemon and start a new scan. Hold your phone directly above the card, parallel to its surface, and use the on-screen guides to line it up. Wait for a crisp, glare-free shot before capturing.

Step 3: Scan the back

Flip the card and capture the back the same way. The back is essential — it reveals centering and surface issues that a front-only scan would miss, and it is what makes the grade accurate.

Step 4: Let the AI analyze

Cardemon's AI inspects centering, corners, edges, and surface, then identifies the exact card, set, year, and variant. This takes only a few seconds.

Step 5: Read your results

You will see:

• An overall 1–10 grade.
• Sub-grades for centering, corners, edges, and surface.
• A list of the flaws the AI detected.
• A low-to-high value estimate for the card.

Step 6: Decide what to do next

Use the results to decide whether to grade the card officially, sell it, or add it to a binder. Cards estimated near the top grade are your best official-submission candidates.

Tips for the best results

• Use soft, even light and avoid harsh overhead bulbs.
• Keep the card flat and the camera square.
• Scan both sides every time.

That is the whole process. Scan a few cards and the flow becomes second nature — and your collection becomes a cataloged, valued, pre-graded library.