How To Print On Cardstock Paper

Want to D.I.Y. your own greeting cards or invitations and not sure where to start? Printing your very own professional looking invitations from home is easier than you may think. If you have not yet designed your own greeting cards before, you can easily find free, pre-made card templates on the internet to help you with the process.

Next, choosing the right weight of paper for your invitations or greeting cards is imperative to ensure the success of your print job.

Cardstock which is thicker, durable and more flexible than other forms of paperboard is ideal to print great looking invitations. Cardstock comes in a variety of weights, sizes, colors and it can be used to print business cards, greeting cards and invitations, scrapbooking and more.

In order to choose the correct paper weight, consider the type of invitation you are making. For single-piece invitation cards without any folds, it is recommended you use a thicker cardstock.  Cardstock over 80lb would work well.

For folding cards, a lighter cardstock weight between 65lb to 80lb is preferred as it is easier to fold the lighter cardstock than a thicker one.

For layered invitation cards, any weight of paper would do the job. The top layer can be as lightweight as you like. The back side of the card can be made of a heavier card stock paper.

Now that you have the right paper for printing your invitations, the next step is to figure out if the printer you have at home will be able to print on the card stock paper you have chosen.

1. Determine if you have the right printer to print on card stock, check your printer’s supported minimum and maximum paper size guidelines. Cardstock thickness ranges from 145 GSM (grams per square meter) – 260 GSM. Paper that is too thick for your printer may cause jamming or roller impressions. The best printers for cardstock printing will always ensure no damage or warping from the print or cardstock.
2. Load your cardstock into the printer tray. Make note of which tray is loaded, as you will need to specify this in the print settings on your computer.
3. Select the appropriate paper type. You can find the settings from the “Tray Settings” or “Paper Handling” section on the printer’s menu panel.
4. Next, go to the document you want to print and click File and Print. Click “Properties” or “Print Properties”.
5. Click the “Paper,” “Paper/Quality” or “Features” tab; then locate a “Paper Type” drop-down menu.
6. Select “Card Stock,” “Heavy Paper,” or choose the exact paperweight from the drop-down menu.
7. Once the paper type has been selected, double check that the printer will be getting the paper from the correct tray. Printers default to automatically choose a tray. To make sure the printer selects the correct tray, choose the tray number from “Paper Source”. Click “OK.” Choose any other print options desired and click “Print.”