I am not saying grading companies are particularly astute on any aspect, but everyone knows there are variations on size, especially on t cards. For the most part, I believe mass produces cards have always used a guillotine cutting method, which essentially means there's a big honking stack of paper and the blade is pushed down from the top. The natural curve of the paper and the process leads to a cut that is very slightly diagonal against the paper texture. Trimming with an exacto leads to a cut that tends to be straight against the paper texture. There are also often toning differences along the edges. This isn't a very complete answer and there are other ways a doctor can cheat, but it's a start.
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