Card stock explained

Card stock, also called cover stock and pasteboard, is paper that is thicker and more durable than normal writing and printing paper, but thinner and more flexible than other forms of paperboard.

Use

Card stock is often used for business cards, postcards, folders, playing cards, scrapbooking, and other applications requiring more durability than regular paper gives.[1] [2] [3] The surface usually is smooth; it may be textured, metallic, or glossy. Common surface finishes include wove (smooth), laid (parallel ribbing produced by a dandy roll), felt (a textured surface), and embossed patterns such as cordwain and linen.[4] [5] [6] [7] When card stock is labeled cover stock, it often has a glossy coating on one or both sides (C1S or C2S, for "coated: one side" or "coated: two sides"); this is used especially in business cards and book covers.[8]

Measurements

See also: Paper weight.

The weight of cardstock ranges from 50# to 110# (about 135 to 300 g/m2).[9]

The length and width of card stock often are stated in terms of the ISO system of paper sizes, in which specific dimensions are implied by numbers prefixed with the letter A. Card stock labeled A3, for example, measures 420 × 297 mm (16.5 × 11.7 in).[10] [11]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cardstock definition and meaning . Collins English Dictionary . HarperCollins Publishers . 23 January 2026 . Paper stock stiff enough for the printing of business cards and similar uses..
  2. Web site: State Document and Mailing Standards . Washington State Department of Enterprise Services . Washington State Department of Enterprise Services . 2026-01-23 . Recommended paper weights: Postcards: 75 lb cardstock, non-glossy..
  3. Library of Congress Preservation Directorate . 30 September 2016 . Specifications for File Folders with Reinforced Tab for the Storage of Artifacts (Specification Number 200-211 – 16) . Library of Congress . 23 January 2026 . https://web.archive.org/web/20250226124638/https://www.loc.gov/preservation/resources/specifications/specs/200-211_16.pdf . 26 February 2025 . live . PDF . §3.4 "Thickness" . folders should be constructed of 10 pt card stock..
  4. Web site: Papermaking: Formation of paper sheet by machines . Encyclopædia Britannica . 2026-01-23.
  5. Web site: Glossary of Papermaking Terms . British Association of Paper Historians . 2026-01-23.
  6. Web site: Surface Texture . Hand Papermaking . 2021-03-20 . 2026-01-23.
  7. Book: Wheelwright, William Bond . From Paper-mill to Pressroom . George Banta Publishing Company . 1920 . 2026-01-23.
  8. News: Paper Weight, Paper Size, Coated Paper, Matte Paper. Printing Industry Exchange, LLC. Nov 2004. 2013-04-04. 2023-06-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20230601043656/https://www.printindustry.com/Newsletters/Newsletter-40.aspx. live.
  9. Web site: Paper and Card Stock Comparison Chart . The Paper Mill Store . 1 March 2018 . 1 March 2018 . 18 April 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160418055508/http://blog.thepapermillstore.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/paperweightsdemystified_11.pdf . dead .
  10. Web site: Paper Sizes. 2013-04-04. 2016-10-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20161029141208/http://www.papersizes.org/a-paper-sizes.htm. live.
  11. Web site: Understanding Card Stock Weights. 2020-11-11. 2020-11-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20201111231457/https://www.paperpapers.com/paper-weights.html. live.

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