surface-flaw-taxonomy

name	surface-flaw-taxonomy
description	Use when inspecting a card under angled light. Classifies every common surface defect by severity and grade-hit.

Surface Flaw Taxonomy

Surface flaws ride the laminate. Identify the defect family first, then measure severity. The taxonomy is small — only seven families matter.

The 7 defect families

Defect	Cause	Grade hit
Print line	Factory laminate line	-0.5 to -1.5
Print snow	White speckles in dark areas	-0.5 to -1.0
Scratch	Visible groove, often crescent	-1.0 to -3.0
Dimple	Tiny indent from packaging	-0.5 to -2.0
Fingerprint	Oily residue	-0.5 to -1.5 (cleanable raw)
Roller mark	Wavy fan-shape from factory roller	-1.0 to -2.0
Wax stain (vintage)	Pack wax bleed	-0.5 to N/G

Inspection routine

1. Daylight LED at 30–45° to card face
2. Tilt slowly — print lines pop at one angle
3. 10× loupe for scratches and snow
4. Photograph at angle for the record

Never inspect under direct overhead light alone. Flaws vanish.

Foil amplification

Refractor/foil cards reveal more surface defects than matte. A scratch grading 8.5 on Topps base would grade 7 on Topps Chrome. Adjust expectations before submitting any chrome/refractor.

Where this fits in the X3 empire

Powers CardPrepAI's surface-grade prediction. Trained on this taxonomy + 14,000 graded comp examples.