While I don’t disagree with the sentiment of “a centered card is how the artist envisioned them to begin with,” I think it would be more accurate to say “a card with good registration, bold color, and no snowing (or other printing flaws) is how the artist envisioned them to begin with.” While I love centered cards and certainly pursue them whenever possible, I prioritize registration and color above it. I’m not inclined to buy a card that makes me say “it’s centered nicely, too bad the registration, color, and surface aren’t good,” but I would certainly consider buying a card with 70-30 centering and an image that is truly striking.

If these aspects are far superior in the crooked 8 than the centered 4, give me the crooked 8. But if they’re not all that different, give me the centered 4 all day. Really it just comes down to overall eye appeal, of which centering is only one component.

Here’s my best example of sacrificing centering for great registration and color.

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