CardPop Photography Standard
Photography is part of the CardPop brand. Consistent, high-quality photos build buyer confidence, reduce disputes and make even average cards look professional. Every listing photo is checked against this standard and given a Photo Quality Score when you upload it.
Equipment levels
You don't need expensive gear to meet the standard — a modern phone and window light are enough to start.
- Beginner ($0 – $100) — modern iPhone or Android, small tripod, white poster board, natural window light.
- Recommended ($200 – $500) — iPhone 15/16 Pro or equivalent, overhead phone mount, two LED panels, light diffusion panels.
- Professional ($1,000+) — mirrorless camera, macro lens, professional LED lighting, copy stand.
Image requirements
- Main listing image — front of the card only, portrait orientation, white background, card fills ~85% of the frame, 1200 × 1680px.
- Secondary images — back of card, surface close-up, corner close-up, edge close-up, serial number and autograph close-ups where applicable.
Graded card standard
Graded slabs require four photos. This reduces disputes and makes fake listings far easier to spot.
- Image 1 — entire slab, front.
- Image 2 — entire slab, back.
- Image 3 — label close-up.
- Image 4 — angled photo showing the surface.
Seller upload rules
Photos must represent the actual card you're selling.
- Allowed — original photos of the actual card, multiple angles, natural colour correction.
- Not allowed — filters, excessive sharpening, colour manipulation, stock photos.
- Listings using stock photos or manipulated images may be removed under our Trust & Safety policy.
Background standard
- Raw cards — pure white background.
- Graded cards — light grey background.
- Premium auctions — CardPop branded background.
Image quality tiers
- Minimum — 1200px tall.
- Recommended — 2000px+ tall.
- Premium — 3000px+ tall.
- Higher resolution lets buyers zoom in on corners, edges, surface scratches and centering — the details that decide a sale.
Photo Quality Score
When you upload a listing photo, CardPop automatically checks it and shows a score out of 100.
- Resolution — meets the minimum 1200px standard.
- Sharpness — blur detection.
- Lighting — exposure check.
- Glare — blown-highlight detection.
- Crop & framing — card fills ~85% of the frame.
Watermarks
Do not watermark the main card image — collectors dislike large visible watermarks. CardPop applies a small logo to gallery images and an invisible digital watermark in image metadata to protect your photos.
Coming soon: CardPop Scan Verified
We're building automated condition estimation: upload front and back scans and CardPop will detect centering, corner wear, edge wear and surface defects, then display an estimated condition alongside your listing.