A print line is a thin, often horizontal mark visible on the surface of a printed card, caused by a small imperfection or contaminant on the printing press during the production run. Print lines are most common on glossy stock and on holographic foil, where the contrast amplifies the line’s visibility. They are treated as condition defects in third-party grading and almost always cap a card at 8 or below, regardless of how clean the rest of the surface is.

Print lines are distinct from scratches, which are post-production damage. The two can usually be told apart under raking light: a print line follows the direction of the press feed and ends abruptly at the card edge, while a scratch is irregular and often crosses the card at any angle. On vintage cards from large multi-card sheets, the same print line frequently appears on multiple cards from the same print run — a useful authentication clue.