What is Card Stock and Their Uses in Packaging?
You may hear about the word Card Stock If you are a little familiar with custom packaging and printing. If not, this article will brief you about card stock and its uses in packaging and other industries.
What is Card Stock?
Card stock is thicker than ordinary paper but thinner than another paperboard. These features make it the ideal option for arts and crafts. Its surface may be smooth, glossy, textured, or metallic. The thickness and weight vary according to the requirements. It is mostly described in terms of grams which is the weight of a square meter of the sheet.
Its weight varies according to its use. The commonly available weights are 75 GSM for notepads and sketchbooks to 450 GSM for invitations and business cards. Its thickness might also vary from 14 pt. to 24 pt. It is usually made from wood pulp, resulting in slight roughness in its texture.
How is Card Stock used in Paper Crafting and Packaging?
The durability and thickness of card stock make it an ideal option for crafting and packaging. For arts and crafts, you can make DIY tags, bookmarks, cards, mini albums, home décor items, etc. It may either be coated or uncoated.
It is also an ideal packaging material. One can easily bend, curve, glue, or staple the paper to make a box from it. It is one of the best packaging materials for products placed inside a corrugated cardboard box for shipping over long distances.
There are many colors available. Card stock is the best material for making packaging inserts like, thank you notes, discount vouchers, sharing contact information, etc. You may print them to leave a message to your customers.
Moreover, they are also the best and most economical option for making various types of boxes. You may make any box style, i.e., tuck end, two-piece, drawer, sleeve, etc.
Types of Card Stock
Various card stock types depend on their texture, weight, and size.
Card stock Types Depending on Textures
- Glossy Card stock: It has a shiny or lustrous coating.
- Textured Card stock: The fiber content that makes this card stock gives it a textured look that may be canvas, linen, wood, etc.
- Matte Card stock: It has a dull or lusterless appearance.
- Glitter Card stock: The coating has a glittery appearance.
- Iridescent Card stock: It has a spectrum of colors that may change with respect to the viewer’s position.
The following are some additional types of card stock:
- Kraft Card: It is an environment-friendly paper made from virgin wood pulp.
- Art Card: It is suitable for printing your good quality artwork.
- Bleach Card: They are moisture-resistant, and their clay finishing provides extra protection to the packaging.
Card stock Types Depending on Weight and Size
The weight of the card stock might vary depending on its use. A particular weight is suitable for making a specific product. Depending on your requirement, you may cut a Card Stock Paper into any size, but the weight is always measured for one square meter. This weight ranges from 75 GSM to 450 GSM.
In the US, its weight is often calculated in pounds from 50 sheets of 20 X 26 inches. Other popular sizes for card stock are as follows:
- 6 X 6 inches
- 8 X 8 inches
- 8 1/2 X 11 inches
- 12 X 12 inches