How DCM Optic Produces a Grade: From Three Passes to the Final Result

In two sentences: DCM Optic grades a card from photos of its front and back by running three independent evaluations of centering, corners, edges and surface, taking the median of each, and re-examining corners, edges and surface on magnified crops. Each category scores as the lower of its front and back, and the final whole-number grade from 1 to 10 is the lowest of the four categories.

That is the whole method. The rest of this article walks through each step in order and then applies it to a real card graded this month.

DCM grading flow: front and back photos, image check A to D, three independent passes, median per category, magnified inspection of corners, edges and surface, each category takes the lower of front and back, and the final grade is the lowest of the four categories

Step 1: the photos are checked first

Before anything is scored, DCM confirms both photos are usable and rates how much of the card they show, from A (the whole card is clearly visible) to D (a retake is recommended). This letter appears on every report as the image confidence rating. It measures photo visibility, not how certain the grade is. More on that in how to evaluate an AI card grade.

The same intake step identifies the finish (chrome, refractor, holo, matte), notes whether the card is already in a holder, and looks for visible signs of alteration. These are visual checks only. DCM does not authenticate cards.

Step 2: three independent evaluations

The photos are evaluated three separate times. Each evaluation scores all four categories on the front and on the back, with a written reason for every deduction.

Step 3: the median, not the average

For each category on each face, DCM takes the median of the three scores. If two evaluations say corners 10 and one says 8, the corner score is 10. If they say 9, 9 and 10, it is 9. A median ignores a single outlier, while an average would let one bad evaluation drag the result. How often the three agree is published in our repeatability data.

Step 4: magnified inspection

Corners, edges and regions of the surface are then re-examined on close-up crops of the original photos. Small defects that are hard to judge on a full-card view, such as a light corner touch or a fine surface scratch, are confirmed or ruled out here. A confirmed finding can lower the score for that face. It can never raise one.

Step 5: front and back become one score per category

Each category then scores as the lower of its front and back. A card with perfect front corners and a soft back corner has soft corners.

Step 6: the weakest category is the grade

The final grade is the lowest of the four category scores. There are no half grades and no averaging. A card with centering 8 and everything else 10 grades 8, because buyers care about the weakest thing about a card. This is explained in more depth in what is weakest-link grading.

Two extra rules sit on top. Structural damage, such as a crease, can cap the grade on its own. And a 10 has to clear a higher bar: at least two of the three evaluations must find the card flawless, and if the third cites a real flaw, the card is held at 9.

A worked example: Charcadet

Charcadet, MEP Black Star Promo #022 (2025), graded DCM 9 Mint in a DCM Heritage label slab

Here is a real card graded this month: Charcadet, MEP Black Star Promo #022 (2025). Its photos rated A for image confidence. After the three evaluations, the median and the magnified inspection, the face scores were:

The lowest category score is 9 (surface), so the final grade is 9, Mint. Notice that other categories scored higher. They do not pull the grade up. One weak category decides the card.

What the method does not do

• It does not compare your card to another grader's scale or predict another company's grade. DCM grades against its own published standard.
• It does not authenticate the card or verify a signature.
• It cannot see what the photos do not show. See grading limitations.

This article describes DCM Optic as of October 2026. The engine version used for any grade is recorded on that card's report.

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