Better evidence in
Card Scan and Photo Requirements
Technical file requirements
Accepted files
JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC/HEIF, and AVIF image payloads are recognised by the server's signature validation.
Maximum size
Each front or back image must be no larger than 15 MB.
Number of sides
At least one side is required. Front and back together provide stronger evidence for a full condition report.
Crop review
The browser proposes a crop and rotation. Confirm that the complete card and all four edges are inside the crop.
Compare scanner and phone evidence
A scanner is the preferred repeatable starting point, but a careful phone photo can still be useful. The deciding question is what visible evidence the image preserves.
Deterministic demo · DEMO-003
Scanner, careful phone photo, or recapture?
These code-drawn examples use Cobalt Frame Demo, not a customer upload. Read the label, symbol, border style, and checklist together; colour is only a supporting cue.
- Preferred evidence
Flatbed scanner
A flat, unsleeved card with even illumination gives the clearest repeatable full-card view.
- Flat and unsleeved
- Even light across the card
- All corners and edges visible
- Useful with care
Good phone photo
A phone can provide useful evidence when the lens is parallel, focus is sharp, and light is diffuse.
- Lens parallel to the card
- Diffuse light with flash off
- Full-size original file
- Recapture required
Poor capture
A technically accepted upload can still conceal or imitate condition evidence and should be recaptured.
- Sleeve glare and uneven lighting
- Blur and perspective distortion
- Clipped edge and corner
For a flatbed scan, use 600 DPI or higher where the scanner and 15 MB file limit allow. For either method, remove sleeves and holders, preserve the original file, and disable beautification, sharpening, dust removal, background removal, and colour filters.
From capture to report review
Use the same short sequence whether you start with a scanner or a phone.
Capture → confirm → review
Three checks before acting on a report
The order stays the same on mobile and desktop, and every decision remains with the collector.
Capture both sides
Use an unsleeved flatbed scan when available, or take a sharp phone photo with even light and the lens parallel to the card.
Confirm the crop
Check the proposed rotation and crop at full size. Keep all four corners and edges visible, and recapture any glare, blur, clipping, or perspective distortion.
Review evidence and limits
Read the report's observations and uncertainty together. Image quality can improve visible evidence, but it cannot authenticate a card or guarantee an official result.
Demo evidence note: A capture-training fixture showing full-card framing, even light, and measurable borders. Card outline remains fully inside the guide.
What a clear image still cannot prove
A technically accepted file is not a quality certification. Images can miss indentations, texture changes, faint scratches, alteration, and defects hidden by lighting or resolution. They cannot establish authenticity or promise what a grading company will decide after inspecting the physical card.
Before uploading, also review supported card designs and limitations.