As a graphics grader, I would like to chime in on this discussion a little bit.

Personally, when I grade graphics, I don't look at the user submitting them. I go in to the submissions and look at which sigs they submitted that particular week. People can make very different sigs week to week and to judge based on what you're expecting or the program being used, just doesn't seem right to me.

I grade based on the rubric/scale presented. I don't care what the sig looks like (for the most part, obviously), but if it hits the criteria, you get that grade. Everyone likes different things, and I'm just here to pay out the money. I cannot speak for all graders when I say this, obviously, but to me the scale is pretty clear and if the aspects are there, you get the grade. There is some judgment that goes in to it when you get towards giving a 3 or a 4, or a 4 or a 5. But at the bottom of the scale, it's pretty self explanatory, and if you have most of the items in the scale, I would say you deserve that particular grade.

I also know that as a grader, I'm not perfect and sometimes there are disagreements. I would encourage you to go to arbitration if you truly don't agree with the grade given to you. I'd also say that if I grade your submissions and you don't agree with the grade, you could also send me a PM and discuss it with me. Maybe there's something I missed which caused me to score you lower, and that can be brought up to when your sig goes through arbitration.

I don't think your assessment of a bias is accurate, as I don't think I know the program that many sig makers use. I personally don't believe the grading of your sigs was fair in this instance, so taking it to arbitration is the right move. If there is anything you'd like to discuss when it comes to graphics, feel free to message me, any other grader, or the head of the graphics department.