What You Need to Know About Paper Card

When it comes to paper card, a lot goes into the final product. From the material used to the thickness of the card itself, the details make all the difference in how the cards are perceived.

White cardstock of about 100-120lb is essential for the base. It’s also possible to add a free aqueous or UV varnish to protect the surface.

The Benefits of Paper Material

The first thing to know about paper is that it’s a renewable resource. It comes from the pulp of plants and trees, Metal Card so it can be made over again. Additionally, it’s biodegradable and fully recyclable. It’s also an eco-friendly alternative to plastic packaging.

Paper is a web of vegetable fibres called cellulose. It is mostly made from wood pulp, but can also be made with other plant fibres like flax, hemp, bamboo, cotton and more. The fibres are mixed with water and pressed into sheets. The resulting sheets can then be used for a variety of purposes, from stationery and business cards to brochures, flyers and maps.

When choosing a paper, consider the thickness and finish of your document. Thicker papers will be heavier and more durable. They may be harder to write on and are best for a more professional look. They’re also a better choice for embossing and foil stamping.

Paper is usually described in terms of its weight, either pound (lb) or grams per square metre (gsm). A higher gsm value means a thicker sheet. The lb rating is how a sheet of the paper weighs when ream-dried and cut to standard sizes (based on historical production sizes before trimming). It’s important to keep in mind that if you want your printing done on a particular stock, you should ask what printer it will feed through.

The Thickness of Business Cards

The thickness of a business card is measured in points, with each point being 0.001 inch. For example, a 16-point card is twice as thick as a normal 12-point card. The thickness of the paper also affects how the business card feels and looks in hand. Thicker cards are more rigid than thin ones and can better withstand wear and tear.

The most popular kinds of paper for business cards are 14-point and 16-point cardstock. Both of these are quite stiff but can still be bent. They are affordable and can be printed easily by a standard office printer. They are also thin enough to allow for designs like die-cut shapes and patterns.

Other types of paper used for business cards include 10-point and 24-point cards. These are a bit heavier than the other two options but are not as stiff. They can be able to support embossing and have a more substantial feel.

Some companies may prefer to use a lighter paper that can be more easily bent and Metal Card manipulated. These are often used by fashion businesses, yoga studios, and creative small businesses. While these are thinner than the other options, they can still provide a unique take on your company’s branding and make you stand out from competitors. The paper may also be printed in a variety of colors, which can help your business attract attention.

The Colorful Sense

With 35 contemporary colours to choose from, the Senses range offers the perfect base for passionate creatives who want to deliver premium results. With the ability to print white plus colour and with a full substance offering, Senses coloured paper is ideal for foil stamping and also offers unrivalled smoothness for elite digital printing results.

If you’re planning to use card sorting as part of a usability test, ensure your participants have sufficient space to spread out the cards on a table or tack them up on a wall, preferably in a quiet area free from distractions. Also plan to use a time limit, ideally one hour, so your participants don’t get distracted and have trouble focusing.

The Foldover Edges

The Fold Over business card is a unique, 3-dimensional card that will stand out from the rest and give your brand an extra element of flair. It’s an excellent way to get your contact information noticed by potential clients and to help you stay top of mind.

There are several ways to create a foldover card, but the easiest way is to start with a pre-made card base. You can then choose a pretty patterned paper to layer on the front face of your cardstock base. To do this, simply cut the patterned paper slightly smaller than the front face of your cardstock base and as you score at the halfway point on both pieces, carefully fold them back on themselves.

This method is ideal if you want to keep the cost of your cards down as it only requires a small amount of cardstock. Another popular method is to use a bone folder to mark the folding lines on the cardstock and to then flatten these folds with a ruler or other flat implement. A non-serrated butter knife works well for this, but you will need to practice to master the technique as it can be a bit tricky.

The finely hand-torn deckle edges on these cards and envelopes are a real highlight. They flatter every handwriting and give these papers a very special, expressive quality.