What DCM Provides and What You Supply Yourself
Drew Allar 2026 Bowman Chrome rookie autograph 035/150 graded DCM 10 Gem Mint and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2025 Topps Flagship #115 graded DCM 9 Mint, in DCM Heritage label slabs
A plain list of what comes with a DCM grade, what you bring, and where authentication and encapsulation fit.
Quick answer
DCM provides the grade, four subgrades, a written condition report, printable label files and a public verification page with a QR code. You supply the card and two photos, a holder or slab, and label stock and a printer. Holders and label stock are linked from the DCM Shop as Amazon affiliate products. DCM does not authenticate cards and does not encapsulate them; cards are never mailed to DCM.
People sometimes assume DCM is a mail-in grader that sends back a sealed slab. It is not. DCM is a digital grading service: you photograph the card, DCM grades the photos, and you get the grade, the report and the label files to use however you like. Here is exactly where the line sits.
Two columns comparing what DCM provides (grade with four subgrades, written condition report, printable label files, verification page with QR) with what you supply (the card and two photos, a holder or slab, label stock and a printer). DCM does not authenticate cards or encapsulate them for you.
What DCM provides with every grade
- The grade. A whole number from 1 to 10 with four subgrades (centering, corners, edges, surface) for both the front and the back. How the grade is produced.
- A written condition report. A reason for every deduction, the image confidence letter and the photos that were graded.
- Printable label files. Heritage and Modern label styles, sized for slabs, toploaders and magnetic one-touch holders. Design and download them in Label Studio; formats are listed on Reports and Labels.
- A verification page. Each graded card has a serial number and a report page. When the card is public, anyone can open it by scanning the QR code on the label to see the photos, grade and report.
What you supply
- The card and two photos. Front and back, taken with a phone or a scanner. Clear photos earn a better image confidence letter; see our photography tips.
- A holder or slab. Any compatible holder you already own or choose to buy.
- Label stock and a printer. Slab labels print at their true size of 2.8 by 0.8 inches. Avery templates are available for toploader and magnetic one-touch labels.
A printed DCM Heritage label at true 2.8 by 0.8 inch proportions: Drew Allar, 2026 Bowman Chrome Football #BCRA-DA, DCM 10 Gem Mint
Where supplies come from
DCM does not sell or ship physical products. The DCM Shop links to holders, label stock and other supplies on Amazon as an Amazon Associate, which means those items are sold and shipped by Amazon sellers and DCM may earn a commission on qualifying purchases. A step-by-step guide to putting it together is in how to slab your own cards.
What DCM does not do
| DCM does not | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Accept cards by mail | Your card never leaves your hands |
| Encapsulate cards for you | You choose and apply your own holder |
| Authenticate cards or signatures | A photograph cannot prove a card is genuine or unaltered |
| Predict another company's grade | DCM grades against its own published standard |
Shops that grade with DCM
Some card shops use DCM Enterprise to grade cards in-store under their own brand, and some of those shops encapsulate the card for you on the spot. In that case the shop provides the slab and the printing, and DCM provides the grade, the report and the verification record. The QR code on those slabs verifies the grading record; it does not authenticate the card. About DCM Enterprise.
Updated October 8, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
- Does DCM send me a graded slab?
- No. DCM is a digital grading service. You receive the grade, a condition report and printable label files, and you apply the label to a holder you supply. Cards are never mailed to DCM.
- Does DCM sell slabs and label paper?
- DCM does not sell or ship physical products. The DCM Shop links to holders and label stock on Amazon as affiliate products, sold and shipped by Amazon sellers.
- Does a DCM grade authenticate my card?
- No. A grade describes the visible condition in the photos. A photograph cannot prove a card or signature is genuine or unaltered, so DCM does not authenticate cards.
- What does the QR code on a DCM label show?
- It opens the public verification page for that grade: the photos that were graded, the grade and subgrades, and the full report. It verifies the grading record, not the authenticity of the card.