What Is Cardstock Printing and What Is It Good for? Tips For Your Photos

When choosing which cardstock to use, you want to keep in mind that one material may make your invitation or project look washed or splotchy. If you’re willing to play with the process, risk a little trial and error, and trust in advice from experts, then you’ll find the perfect piece of cardstock for your needs. Here’s all the information you need to know on cardstock and what it’s suitable for.

When you’re planning a big event, like a wedding or gala or anything else, you need to send out invitations. The type of material typically used for invitations is cardstock, but your choices in cardstock will seem unlimited. There is no easy answer to “what type of cardstock should I use for so-and-so?”. What you want will vary, ultimately, depending on your situation and preferences.

Double Sided Cardstock Printing

How Do You Plan on Printing?

How you plan on cardstock printing can significantly affect how your project comes out. You can use an at-home printer to meet your needs. It’s quicker, reasonably straightforward, and affordable, but you have a higher risk of messing up the print job. If you do enough research and consult a local print shop, it can be done. If you choose to have a professional print what you need, then it will be costlier, but you know that they’ll turn out perfect.

Cardstock Types

Cardstock comes in a variety of materials, feels, textures, and prices. To best understand how to print on this medium, you need to understand the most prominent of these materials, here’s a rundown.

Cotton Cardstock

Linen Cardstock

Linen cardstock, unsurprisingly, is made to look like a linen fabric. It has the same finish and texture as the woven fabric. It’s visually exciting but straightforward as well. It’s also a material that can hide imperfections, but imperfections only arise if you choose to print yourself. Colors are more varied than cotton but still limited. It’s a more affordable option than cotton cardstock, but still of good quality.

Pros

  • It is affordable.
  • It’s more visually appealing than many other materials.
  • It can hide imperfections.

Cons

  • It has a limited color range.

Canvas Cardstock

Parchment

Parchment is a cardstock material that looks very vintage, which is what a lot of people want for their wedding invitations or other projects. The material is semi-translucent and thin with a slightly marbled look. It only comes in 65# but can pair nicely with cotton cardstock. The feel of parchment is soft and subtle. Parchment usually comes in various shades of brown, but you can find a few pastel colors if you try. Parchment is one of the cheaper options, coming in around or a little less expensive than linen cardstock.

Pros

  • It can be paired with thicker materials.
  • It gives you a very specific feel.
  • It’s subtle and soft.
  • It’s a more affordable option.

Cons

  • It’s pretty thin.
  • It doesn’t come in a vast range of colors.

        What Is Cardstock Used For?

        Cardstock can be used for a variety of projects. The most popular use for cardstock is for wedding invitations. You can also use cardstock for origami projects, scrapbooks, holiday cards and banners, bookmarks, cartography, posters, and more. You can use cardstock to do so much.

        Cardstock Photo Prints

        Photos render great on cardstock. The thick paper makes pictures stand out and helps deliver effective messages. Photo printing on cardstock is easy with us, and you can send us your custom designs to help you here. Printing on card stock isn’t tricky, but you have to make sure you have the right printer for your type of cardstock since some cardstocks are too thick for some printers.

        Cardstock thickness options:

        Card Stock Prints

        Test Print

        When you’ve decided on the cardstock you want, you should ensure it’s what you want by doing a test print. See if you can arrange a test print from the company that you’ve chosen. You could be surprised by how your opinion changes once you’ve seen it.

        Where to Get Cardstock Printing

        Now that you’ve chosen the cardstock you want, you have to decide where you want to get cardstock printing. Doing it on your own can seem easy, but it can get complicated fast. There are printing companies that have experts that can help you, like ours, at Foam Core Print. We’re equipped to give you the best product possible through cardstock printing at the most affordable prices.

        FAQs

        1. Can you use cardstock on a printer?

        Yes, you can use cardstock on a printer. Cardstock is typically thicker than paper and will cause the printer to work harder. However, it's possible to print on cardstock with some adjustments.

        2. What's the difference between cardstock and paper?

        The difference between them is that cardstock is a thicker paper that can be used for a wide variety of projects. It is usually heavier and stronger than regular paper and can stand up to more wear and tear. Cardstock is often used for invitations, greeting cards, business cards, and scrapbooking.

        3. How do you tell if a printer can print on cardstock?

        The first thing to consider when buying a printer for printing on cardstock is what thickness of paper it can handle. Check whether it is capable of doing the required tasks! The weight of cardstock varies from 135-200g/m2 based on the manufacturer. Moreover, not all printers are equipped to print on the thickest cardstock.

        4. Is cardstock the same as poster board?

        Yes, it's as thick as a poster board of the same size. Posterboard and cardstock have different textures. Using a home printer, cardstock absorbs more ink/toner than posterboard, resulting in graphics that appear fuzzy or lighter than they actually are.

        5. Is cardstock considered specialty paper?

        No, Cardstock is not considered specialty paper. It is a type of paper that can be used for many different purposes, but it is not considered specialty paper because there are so many other types of paper that are more specialized than cardstock.

        Indoor Signs, Indoor Advertising, Cardstock printing

        Frequently asked Questions

        Yes, you can use cardstock on a printer. Cardstock is typically thicker than paper and will cause the printer to work harder. However, it's possible to print on cardstock with some adjustments.
        The difference between them is that cardstock is a thicker paper that can be used for a wide variety of projects. It is usually heavier and stronger than regular paper and can stand up to more wear and tear. Cardstock is often used for invitations, greeting cards, business cards, and scrapbooking.
        The first thing to consider when buying a printer for printing on cardstock is what thickness of paper it can handle. Check whether it is capable of doing the required tasks! The weight of cardstock varies from 135-200g/m2 based on the manufacturer. Moreover, not all printers are equipped to print on the thickest cardstock.
        Yes, it's as thick as a poster board of the same size. Posterboard and cardstock have different textures. Using a home printer, cardstock absorbs more ink/toner than posterboard, resulting in graphics that appear fuzzy or lighter than they actually are.
        No, Cardstock is not considered specialty paper. It is a type of paper that can be used for many different purposes, but it is not considered specialty paper because there are so many other types of paper that are more specialized than cardstock.
        1 Comments
        1. Sean Morrissey
          Sean Morrissey
          REPLY

          I'm interested in getting some digital artwork printed on 8 x 12 matte covered cardstock. Does your firm handle this type of job?

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