What Weight Is Cardstock?

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.
Card stock is often used for greeting cards and postcards.
Image Credit: Digital Vision./Photodisc/Getty Images

Card stock is a heavy type of paper. It is sometimes referred to as "cover paper." Card stock comes in a wide variety of colors, weights, grades, and thicknesses, depending on the consumer's needs.

Advertisement

Weight

Video of the Day

The pound measures the weight of paper
Image Credit: Creatas/Creatas/Getty Images

Pound (lb.) is the measurement of weight for paper. The pound rating describes how much 500 sheets of a particular type of paper, when cut to its basis size, will weigh.

Video of the Day

Thickness

An 8pt card stock is .008 in thickness
Image Credit: Linjerry/iStock/Getty Images

Point (pt.) is the measurement used to describe the thickness of card stock in thousandths of an inch. For example, a piece of 8-point card stock has a thickness of .008 inches in thickness.

Advertisement

Grade

Paper comes in many finishes such as metallic.
Image Credit: ferlistockphoto/iStock/Getty Images

Grade is the term for the type of finish that is on the card stock. Varieties include metallic, textured, parchment, embossed, velum, and linen.

Advertisement

Ranges

Card stock ranges from 60 to 130 pound.
Image Credit: Anton Chuvashev/Hemera/Getty Images

Card stock ranges from 60 to 130 pound in weight and 8 to 12 point in thickness.

Advertisement

Considerations

Postage will change based on carad stock weight.
Image Credit: merznatalia/iStock/Getty Images

When choosing the weight of a card stock a consumer should consider the project for which the paper will be used. Will the card stock be folded? What weight of card stock can the printer being used handle effectively? If the card stock will be mailed, will its weight add extra postage?

Advertisement

references & resources