
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How is Card Stock made? Card stock is made by combining fibers and wood pulp taken from both hardwood and softwood trees. ...
- How thick is Cardstock? There are various thicknesses of Cardstock available in the market nowadays, and it ranges from 8 mils to 16 mils. ...
- What Determines a Quality Card Stock? ...
- What size should I choose for my Cardstock? ...
Full Answer
What is the thickest cardstock you can buy?
As a general rule, cardstock is thicker, sturdier and more durable than standard paper. Cardstock is typically classified by weight, measured in pounds (lbs) per 1000 sheets of paper. Cardstock …
Is cardstock paper heavier then construction paper?
10 rows · Cardstock thickness ranges from 0.188 mm all the way up to 0.445 mm. General Rule: The higher ...
How thick is 80lb cardstock?
Oct 25, 2019 · Card stock measures from 80-lb. to 110-lb. weight, making it stiffer and heavier than standard office and copy papers. The heft and thickness mean you may not be able to use …
What is the heaviest cardstock paper weight?
If a 65-pound cardstock weighs 500 cardstock and the point is calculated as one-thousandth of an inch thick of a sheet of paper, then 65 cardstock is 0.010 inches thick or 10 pt. Both the …

How much does card stock weigh?
Standard office and copy papers are usually marked between 20-lb. and 32-lb. That's the weight for 500 sheets of paper.
What is card stock?
Card stock, sometimes known as cover stock, is paper that is thicker, heavier and sturdier than standard writing or copy paper. It can be used for business cards, greeting cards, scrapbooking and other business and art projects. Card stock comes in many different weights, colors and textures that are suitable for a number of purposes.
What is heavyweight paper?
Heavyweight papers are cover papers 80 lbs. and above. They must be scored before folding and may be too heavy for home and desktop printers. Heavyweight papers, especially 100-lb. cover and above, are best for interior signage, invitations and business cards.
What is index card?
Index is a type of cover paper, the thickness and stiffness of a standard index card. Standard greeting cards are made of index or cover papers. Index papers are also good for flyers and brochures. They're sturdy enough to stand in brochure holders or to be mailed as a trifold without an envelope.
What is the thickness of cardstock?
It comes in a variety of thicknesses. 10pt, 12pt, 16pt and 24pt are all common thickness for cardstock prints. 12pt cardstock is one of the most popular choices for today cardstock printing needs although there are other sizes on the market.
How much does cardstock weigh?
What weight is cardstock? Although there are different definitions of cardstock across countries, in the US the typical weight is about 250 g/m. In the U.S., card stock thickness is usually measured in points or mils which is the thickness of the sheet in thousandths of an inch. For example, a 10 pt. card is 0.010 in (0.254 mm) thick (roughly corresponding to a weight of 250 g/m^2, and 12 pt. is 300 g/m^2. Of course, there are other thicknesses and therefore weights of this type of material, but these are the most common thicknesses.
What is 12 pt cardstock?
12pt card stock is a more durable and much thicker than ordinary printing paper or writing paper. 12pt Cardstock is also more versatile than other kinds of paperboard of a similar size. They're sold in sheets (as opposed to paper reams).
What is the difference between coverstock and cardstock?
There is some confusion between cover stock and cardstock. Cardstock is generally measured by weight, and coverstock is measured by points. Many printers and people use the same measurements for both. You can read more about cardstock vs coverstock here. Cardstock weight for postcards depends on your preference.
How much does a 4x6 postcard cost?
Printed postcards are also affordable to send in the mail. In 2018 postcards only cost $0.35 to mail to your clients. Printing cost is lower for smaller printed cardstock than jumbo sizes.
How much does cardstock weigh?
It’s also referred to as cover paper. Our white cardstock comes in the following weights: 65 lb. 67 lb.
How is paper weight measured?
Paper weight is measured using three measures of sturdiness: By pounds (lbs) By point. By density. You may wonder why the weight of a cardstock says 65 lb when the reams of paper don’t weigh 65 lb. That’s because weight in pounds isn’t calculated by the ream, but rather by the weight of the uncut paper. So, if 500 sheets of uncut cardstock weigh 65 ...
What is paper grade?
Paper grade refers to the type of paper, with each grade tailored to specific uses. Common paper grades include cover (a.k.a. cardstock), text, bond, etc.
How much paper can a printer handle?
Most consumer-grade printers can handle 80 lb to 100 lb paper, but not all can, so make sure to check your printer’s weight capacity. That said, heavy papers typically start at 80 lbs and up, and bond paper, for example, can be as light as 20 lbs or as heavy as 72 lbs.
What is Bristol paper?
Bristol (made from paper layers glued together under pressure, excellent for paperback book covers) Cover (also known as cardstock, used in business cards, postcards, menus, and more) Index (stiff, thick paper with a smooth finish, used in commercial printing, index cards, and postcards)
What is card stock made of?
Generally speaking, card stock is made up of a blend of hardwood and softwood fibers and fillers. Hardwood provides proper paper formation, softwood provides strength, fillers add to the opacity, brightness, and overall appearance of the card stock. The secret is in the sauce, so they say, and the final card stock that results is dependent on ...
Is card stock the same as cover stock?
The terms cover stock and card stock are analogous and are frequently interchanged by both novices and industry professionals alike. They both refer to heavy weight paper, and for all intents and purposes, are the same thing – card stock, is cover stock, is thick or heavy paper – plain and simple. However it should be noted ...
What is cover stock?
Cover stock: is a specific term reserved for heavy weight paper of a decorative nature; found in an assortment of colors, finishes, textures, and coatings. Sticking with technicalities, cover stock is generally classified by paper basis weight, rather than caliper, or thickness.

Paper Thickness and Weight Comparison Table
GSM – Don’T Be Fooled with Relative Dimension
- GSM is a relative dimension that means how many grams will weight one square meter size paper sheet (Grams per Square Meter). It is very convenient to use one acceptable dimension so that everyone understands what is being discussed about, but using the units of GSM and combing paper thicknesses can be easily mistaken. Because GSM does not define the thickness of the pa…
Tradicional (Cellulose) and Cotton Paper Thickness Difference
- Business cards, invitations, letterheads and postcards we use to print on two type of paper – pure cotton paper and traditional, premium quality, paper made of cellulose fiber. Both types of paper are very nice just they are produced differently. A traditional sheet of paper is formed with heated rollers. It uses an intense pressure to form a high-density paper, which is from about 250 gsm q…
Cardstock Thickness and Impression
- Impressed object into the paper is about 0.6mm deep. Of course, it is possible to do even deeper impression, but for this purpose specially prepared printing forms are required, the deeper debossed paper may simply not hold it and the surface will be torn because of excessive stresses. In general, on all papers possible to print with debossing, jus...