Card Stock Vs. Cover Stock
The terms "card stock" and "cover stock" are often used interchangeably, and the differences between them are subtle and may have more to do with historical tradition than contemporary reality. Cover stocks are usually specialty papers--often with complex colors, textures and coatings--whereas card stocks are more generic and simple. Cover stock is classified and sold according to basis weight, and card stock is sold according to thickness.
Other People Are Reading
-
Cover Stocks
-
Cover stocks are usually specialty papers or those that match the color, texture, coating and composition of lighter weight bond and text papers used for printing letterhead, envelopes, brochures, annual reports and other higher-end commercial printing pieces. They often are milled with an obvious grain to them that is important to know when folding. In the U.S., they are classified by the basis weight that 500 parent sheets, 20 x 26 inches, weigh. The most common cover stock weights are 65 and 80 lb. Duplex cover stocks that are bonded together to have different colors on each side have heavier basis weights.
Card Stocks
-
Card stocks tend to be white or simple colored, coated on one or both sides or uncoated, non-textured papers and are often not of the superior quality that cover stocks are. Their grain direction is not as specific as most cover stocks. Card stocks are sold according to the thickness of the paper as represented in points and are therefore sometimes referred to as "point stocks." A point as a unit of measurement for paper thickness is 1/1,000 of an inch. For example, a 10-point index card stock is .010 inches thick. Do not confuse paper thickness measurement with the point system used for type and measuring lengths in the graphic arts because it is completely different.
-
Cost Considerations
-
Because of their generic qualities, card stocks are often much cheaper than specialty cover stocks but are more than adequate for many printing and craft projects. Many of the full-color online postcard and business card printers and paperback book publishers use coated card stocks to produce attractive printed pieces. You do not need an expensive piece of enamel-coated cover stock for binder index tabs. On the other hand, a beautiful piece of cover stock is suitable for an invitation, executive correspondence and high-end printed pieces. Whether cover or card stock, the more weight and substance a paper stock has, the more it is going to cost.
Design and Print Production Considerations
-
There are many design and production considerations that go into selecting the correct cover or card stock for a printed project. Pick a custom cover stock for business cards to match envelopes and letterhead for a company identity. Coated cover stock may be an excellent choice for a mass mailing of postcards but a more expensive enamel surface may be a better option for a high-end product brochure or annual report. Heavier cover and card stocks have to be scored first if they are to be folded, especially across the grain, and dies for die cutting will dull faster with thicker stocks. Cover stocks need to be thick enough and of sufficient quality to stand up to heat and pressure without tearing if you plan to emboss, foil stamp, thermograph, laminate or apply other finishing processes to them.
Paper Thickness and Mailings
-
The United States Postal Service has minimum and maximum dimension regulations, including for thickness, to mail pieces such as postcards without envelopes and at standard rates. For first-class postcards, the thickness has to be between .007 and .016 inches. Requirements for bulk mailings are similar but rates are also determined by the weight of mailings, so the thickness has great impact on mailing costs.
-
