Make clearer decisions about cardstock weight, thickness, surfaces, printer compatibility and finishing. Cardstock Print is a technical education publication for designers, print buyers, makers, small businesses, and home or office users who want to understand how cardstock behaves before they print.
Cardstock specifications made practical
Paper terminology can look tidier than it is. GSM, basis weight, points, and caliper describe different properties, while thickness and stiffness are related but not interchangeable. Our role is to explain what those specifications change in a finished cardstock printing job—from feeding and duplex alignment to folding, trimming, writability, and surface appearance.
Our coverage includes cardstock basics; weight and thickness; coated and uncoated surfaces; inkjet and laser compatibility; file preparation; scoring, folding, cutting, and finishing; and practical troubleshooting. We connect each technical choice to a physical consequence. A heavier sheet may have more body but still exceed a printer’s media limits. A smooth coating may sharpen an image while changing writability or fold performance.
Start with the decision in front of you
If you are comparing paper specifications, begin with our guide to paper caliper versus paper weight or learn why text weight and cover weight cannot be compared by the pound label alone. For surface decisions, see coated versus uncoated paper. If your project folds, our guide to scoring and creasing cardstock explains how caliper, grain, coating, and tooling can affect the result.
Exact limits and conversions vary by printer, paper line, and manufacturer. Cardstock Print helps you identify what matters, what to verify in current technical documentation, and which tradeoffs deserve attention before production begins.